Charlet Moser Axars

[cmonster]

Tell me your thoughts on the Charlet Mosar Axar. Likes, Dislikes, etc.

[forrest_m]

cm - i have used a pair of pulsars for many years (8 i think). last fall, i got 1 new axar, so for the last season i've been able to use it side by side with a bent-shaft pulsar.

likes: swing is much more natural, no "flick of the wrist" required, therefore less tiring on long climbs. i much prefer the shape of the curve to either old-style pulsars or to a "continuous" curve like a dmm predator. extra clearance at the head makes pulling over bulges easier. hooking is more secure for the same reason. very durable.

dislikes: the head is uncomfortable to use (compared to a pulsar or any black diamond tool) in "cane" or "dagger" position because the bulge of back of the pick jams into your palm. there is no good way to grab the head (except using the adze in "self belay" grip)this is annoying on alpine routes that vary in angle, less so on waterfalls. i like to grab the heads of both tools for motoring up moderate angled alpine snow or ice.

it's harder to hammer pitons and stuff because the hammerhead is angled away from the shaft. this is minor.

kind of a nitpick, the picks of pulsars and axars are not really interchangeable, even though they are essentially identical, because the holes are at different angles. so if you don't upgrade both tools at once, you have to carry two spares or accept that when you put the axar pick on the pulsar that the angle will be wrong.

[Dru]

If you want alpine ice tools go for the pulsar, especially the multishaft. if you take off the shaft of the multishaft hammer you get a super light 3rd tool.

If you want waterfall tools I'm all over the Quark.

The axar is not as good at alpine (where you need to beat pins) as the pulsar because of the head angle on the hammer, and not as good as the quark at waterfall because the quark has a better grip. but if you want, or can only afford, 1 set of tools that can do it all fairly well....

[Lambone]

I thought the Axars were really light and boncy when I demoed them. But I have heard some folks rave about them.