G12's or Sabretooth

[Kane]

What is your preference and why?

[cj001f]

Sabreteeth. I own them

[RogerJ]

Sabreteeth. I own them

 

ditto...

[genepires]

what do you want the crampon for?

 

alpine travel = sabertooth

waterice, mixed and uber alpine terrain = g-12

[cj001f]

what do you want the crampon for?

 

alpine travel = sabertooth

waterice, mixed and uber alpine terrain = sabretooth

 

corrected your error.

[Mark_Husbands]

i have newmatic g-12s that i have liked for mountaineering and g-14s i like for ice and alpine climbing. never tried the sabretooths-look okay-but i have a grudge against bd crampons ever since my switchblade purchase in 1994.

[Chad_A]

Love my Sabretooths; I don't have to think about what crampon to take. Alpine, ice, whatever...they do it all.

 

My poor G14s didn't leave the house all winter...

[Kane]

Well, these are going to be used on baker, adams, rainier, multiple 1400's in CO, and Denali. Hopefully in that order, so I guess you could say mostly slogs, although I hope to climb some ice for fun..Really, I would get the clip version of sabretooth, or newmatic for G-12's.

 

I asked the same question on RC.com, and came up with something I did not consider. Someone said the G-12's rust more or faster than the BD crampons. Can anyone attest to this? Also, has anyone powdercoated there crampons? I have access to it and might just try it. Wich I could see these and try them first hand, but last time I checked crampons arent needed in Louisiana.

[NYC007]

well depending on the routes you are doing on those peaks I would just go the the lighter one. Although I am a big fan of the sabres, BD's pons tend to be heavier then the most. but if your doing more techn. routes but with the sabres otherwise maybe look at grivels air tech pons, light!

[Billygoat]

Sabretooths work well on my tele boots

[catbirdseat]

I asked the same question on RC.com, and came up with something I did not consider. Someone said the G-12's rust more or faster than the BD crampons. Can anyone attest to this? Also, has anyone powdercoated there crampons? I have access to it and might just try it. Wich I could see these and try them first hand, but last time I checked crampons arent needed in Louisiana.

Rust resistance would be my last consideration. If rust bothers you, put a coat of varnish on your crampons. If you don't have that try Seam Grip. Toast claims that after he put Seam Grip on his pons they balled up less.

[Marko]

Sarkens. Lighter than either, great on ice and alpine, good on rock/mixed, front part of crampon seems to be made of harder steel and therefore stays sharp longer than others I've had. I like 'em.

 

-M

[jshamster]

Sarkens for sure.

Lighter and more versatile than the Saberteeth.

 

[Kane]

Looked at the Sarkens, and they do look nice. The front point looks really beefy. Damn, now there is another crampon in the running

[selkirk]

Have some G-12's and love them. Easy on, easy off. Nice aggressive second points for steep stuff (more aggressive than the BD's). Never had any issue whatsoever. Oh, and they work great on AT boots

[Kane]

Have some G-12's and love them. Easy on, easy off. Nice aggressive second points for steep stuff (more aggressive than the BD's). Never had any issue whatsoever. Oh, and they work great on AT boots

but if you are thinking about getting horizontal frontpoints, then the black diamond sabretooth is better than the g12 imo. the secondary points are more aggressive and it provides a much more stable platform.look at the image above and note where the secondary points are, then go into your local shop and look at the crampon itself. rest the frontpoints on the counter and drop the back of the crampon to see how far it has to go before the secondary points contact the vertical face of the counter. do the same with g12's or g14's. the bd's are more aggressive.

 

 

 

Selkirk, not sure what to think..haha you completely contradicted what a guy on RC.com said. Check it out, well. I ll just quote him on here.

 

 

[mrodaddy]

Sarkens - every time. I own a pair of Sarkens and a pair of Sabretooths(teeth). You can have the BD's for $20 plus shipping if you want them. They've been used for a week of alpine climbing and are not likely to ever be used again.

[Kane]

If your serious about selling the bd's than I ll take um partna. Send more information to my email, Kane_schutzman@hotmail.com . Thanks for the info on the Sarkens, I need to get to where I can try them all, and that will not be until I am acually in Washington,after my course, in which it will be too late.

[Clavote]

What is your preference and why?

 

 

Sabertooth...lots of little sharp points. I have the step-in type because my boots have welts front and back. My wife has the front strap type because her boots only have rear welts.

 

Very easy to walk in and they really bite. Very versatile. I have used her crampons when I accidentally took thyem thinking they were mine and they were just as good as the step-in type.

 

 

[Kane]

Alright fella's,

 

mrodaddy graciously sold me his sabertooths! THANKS ALOT MAN!!!

 

Now on to some other questions

 

Here is my setup for my feet:

 

Liner Socks? Need to get, its minute, but does anyone have a preference?

Smartwool Expedition Heavyweight

Vasque Ice 9000's

Sabertooth Pro's Wire bail in front

Gaiters? Still need some, does anyone have a preference?

 

This is probably a dumb question, but does anyone ever wish that their front points were sharper? I like putting my touch on something or just making it that tad bit better, but I know being too sharm can cause breakage...

[mccallboater]

I hate liner socks. They bring me nothing but blisters. I wear smartwool socks year-round. Gaitors; my MEC softshell pants have a nifty shockcord closure at the ankle that makes gaitors unneccessary. I suggest the same for you. Even with hip-deep postholing I don't get snow in the boots. A pair of insulated overboots might be useful for full on arctic conditions.

[Kane]

Haha, I will be in anything but full arcitc this trip. Actually looking for ways to cool down my feet because they will probably be in a oven.....Is it totally stupid to just bring some cotten socks for hot days? Gaiters, I have to have them for the AAI, not sure if they would allow integrated ones..

[lightning]

the BD gaiters are good, I like them better than the old OR crocs

Edited April 14, 2007 by lightning

[redboink]

I'd be surprised if your feet fit as well in your boots with just a light pair of cotton socks, unless that's how you initially fit your boots. If you normally wear heavy socks with liners and then switch to cotton socks, I can definitely see a recipe for blisters....lots of slop in the boot for sliding around.

 

Play with it. Go for a short hike in cotton socks and your boots. Best way to know is to try it.

Have fun!

[Chad_A]

This is probably a dumb question, but does anyone ever wish that their front points were sharper? I like putting my touch on something or just making it that tad bit better, but I know being too sharm can cause breakage...

 

I used to think that the more razor-sharp, the better. Now, I just keep them sharp enough not to be like a butter knife. Case in point....straight from BD themselves:

 

"Tech Tips

 

Not Too Sharp, Not Too Dull

 

By paying routine attention to your crampon points, you can improve your underfoot traction on hard snow and ice while keeping your rope, gaiters and $400 Gore-Tex® pants protected. You want to maintain the sharpness of your crampons’ points without turning them into a bunch of slicing and dicing Ginsu® blades. When sharpening your crampons, you should always use a hand file. Power tools eat away too much metal too quickly and can ruin the temper of the steel. Hand file the tips of your crampon frontpoints making sure to maintain their original angle. If the points are curled or smashed, file the steel down so that it is as close as possible to its original shape. Sharpen the rest of the points by filing along the flat edge of the sides of each tooth. When you are finished you should be able to press on the crampon point pretty hard with your thumb before it hurts. Be diligent and inspect and sharpen your crampon points routinely."

 

As far as the gaiters go, I use the REI or OR shortie Scholler gaiters. Cheap to replace, and they're not too bulky.