Nomics

[Rafael_H]

Hey Dane,

... With the hammer mods, what does it do to the weight of the tool compared to the head weights.... -Pat

I had to pound a pin last w-end with a Quark, and also used my own Nomics for the first time - absolutely superb tool despite the fact I did not like them at first 2 years ago (never rush to judge, eh!, ).

So obviously am now interested in a Nomic hammer mod. The pick weight-pieces are 60g per tool (2 per one pick). Quark hammer factory weight is 80g . Once a good chunk is removed to fit Nomic's head I suspect it'd weigh the same as those weight-pieces. Of course weight-piece position matters - don't know how significantly, but at least the total weight would be similar if weight-pieces are traded for a modified hammer. I suspect - just pure non-scientific intuition - that the diference might be negligible.

 

Any field experience/feedback?

[Rafael_H]

Ah, here is from Dane's(?) site:

 

"The modified Hammer adds 40g, albeit in a destabilizing position furthest from the pick point. Removing the Nomic pick weights eliminates 60g mass to compensate. The addition makes no discernable change in swing action."

[Dane]

Rafael..good question.

 

Here is my personal take on the hammer mod.

First the Nomic is extremely well balanced. One of the reasons it is such an exceptional tool on mixed and pure ice even though it is lighter than many technical tools available.

 

Adding weight to the back of a Nomic is counter productive and changes the balance of the tool and to some extent removes a bit of my joy while using them.

 

But the up side is I only use a hammer on mixed where I know I'll need a pin or two. On mixed I use a Astro pick and no pick weights. Swing balance on mixed isn't nearly as critical as it is on ice for me. I seldom swing...way more often just hook and go on mixed.

 

So bottom line? I think the Nomic performs so well overall that I am willing to use them and modify them to cover more terrain requirements. Hammer is one of the compromises worth having when required.

 

For $50 I think having a bolt on hammer is worth it on "my" Nomic. But I also have a Chouinard alpine hammer for a third tool that I use if I decide the climb is better suited to it than the compromise of adding a hammer on the Nomic itself.

 

 

My comment:

"The addition makes no discernable change in swing action."

 

I believe that to be true for most that will use the hammer conversion, but I know/feel the difference and frankly would like a better solution. And while I have been looking I just don't know of one yet. The best I have been able to do so far is cut the Quark hammer down to a bare minimum so that is still usable for pounding pins on the Nomic conversion with the least amount of added weight.

 

But to do it right you have to manage weight, how available the hammer is for angle and extension from the shaft and surface area. All conflicting requirements for what we really want...a Nomic that climbs well.

 

One of the things I found very interesting with my new Fusions was the weight comparisons. Fusion (with hammer obviously) and Nomic with pick weights are exactly the same weight! Swing balance is different though...Fusion seems heavier. Weight in the back of the head is why I suspect. Nomics set up correctly never bounce on hard ice for me. More like the "one stick wonders". Lot of complaints that the Fusions bounce on moderate terrain. I suspect part of that is the difference in pick design and weight balance of the two tools, the rest being new techniques to learn.

 

Hope that helps.