Colin Posted December 14, 2002 Share Posted December 14, 2002 I can't seem to decide which is a better method for filing horizontal crampon front points: -from the sides, creating a very triangle-shaped front point -from the top, creating a trapezoidal-shaped front point Sabretooth crampons come with the front points already somewhat "top-filed," while most (Grivel, DMM, CM) come with the front points "side-filed." It's been my experience that if you "top-file" them, then as the crampons get older (and points shorter), your front points get wider, and therefore less effective. On the other hand, perhaps "top-filing" them preserves the life of the front points more than "side-filing?" Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted December 14, 2002 Share Posted December 14, 2002 Hey Colin, I've had sabertooths for about 4 years or so and still havent filled them. But if I were going to I'd probably just do some light strokes from the top down. You'd havta file the sides quite a bit to get a sharp triangle front point on there, and it would probably be weaker... Anyway, maybe one day I will sharpen them, but as of yet I have't seen the need to. Obviously the more you sharpen them the sooner they will wear out, and I find that sharp poons and picks just need to be sharpend more often to stay sharp. Therfore I leave mine dull and call it good. Hope that helps, Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeclimb9 Posted December 14, 2002 Share Posted December 14, 2002 I file the tops of the frontpoints to recreate the chisel shape from the factory. For other points, I file the front and back edges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoker Posted December 15, 2002 Share Posted December 15, 2002 Colin's trolling!!! You cant get me to believe that you actually carry pons to climb? You just lost a star!!! Dull points displace more ice and require more effort to set. I file my Rambos from the side creating a "triangle". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeclimb9 Posted December 15, 2002 Share Posted December 15, 2002 I file my Rambos from the side creating a "triangle". That's what Grivel recommends, but I've never seen anybody do that . Crampons are such soft metal, I'm curious as to how a triangular point wears when stubbing your feet on rock and hitting black ice. Do the triangular points wear okay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoker Posted December 15, 2002 Share Posted December 15, 2002 They get nicked, but I dont file all the nicks back out. I end up attempting to find a happy medium, and I dont make the angle of the "triangle" too steep. As Bone points out It is pretty easy to file away your points if your obsessive about sharpness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted December 15, 2002 Share Posted December 15, 2002 I love the new Titanium crampons I'm testing. They hold a point through much bashing and abuse. If fact they supposedly never need sharpening and are infinitely stronger and lighter than steel. I dig em' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoker Posted December 15, 2002 Share Posted December 15, 2002 Who makes em? Sounds good and spendy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted December 15, 2002 Author Share Posted December 15, 2002 Smoker, Don't Rambo's have vertical front points? I would assume that no one files their vertical front points from the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeclimb9 Posted December 15, 2002 Share Posted December 15, 2002 Don't Rambo's have vertical front points? I would assume that no one files their vertical front points from the top. damn, you're right. I'll add this one last comment, and you can take it however you want. I once had a pair of strap-on crampons that were Mugs Stumps'. The horizontal front points were sharpened from the top. I figure he knew what he was doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoker Posted December 15, 2002 Share Posted December 15, 2002 Yeah, and I haven't done any hot rodding either I simply skipped the "horizontal" aspect of the original query...queer eh? I would assume that no one files their vertical front points from the top. I dunno, we read lotsa weird stuff on this board... just look at what I wrote???? It was an early morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude Posted December 15, 2002 Share Posted December 15, 2002 I asked the guys at BD this once, they suggested to follow their original file on the sabertooths. So I just file lightly to keep a nice horizontal edge. Top to bottom, back to front. Of course they do get more trapezoidal as you file them more and more, so I do try to hit the sides to square it off slightly.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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