| Black Diamond Sabretooth Clip Crampon |
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Average Rating: 4 out of 5
No. of Reviews: 1
RRP: £80
Year: 2003 Description: Weight: 1.06 kg (2 lb 5 oz)
- Serrated teeth for better climbing performance.
- Horizontal frontpoints penetrate hard ice and smear well on rock.
- Powder coating enhances durability and sheds snow better.
- Clip version offers flexible, dual-density toe strap.
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 | | Posted: 19/10/05
Updated: 08/09/06 |
| 'SECURE, QUALITY FINISH...SO FAR' | | Strengths:
Serrated secondary points give security.
Easy to fit and easily adjustable.
Good fit on many boot types.
Instil confidence
[Update 08/09/06] No change but confirmed initial assessment. | | Weaknesses:
Over 90 quid.
I haven't tested them on anything steep yet.
[Update 08/09/06] No change. | | Overall:
I bought these as a logical step up from my old all-strap walking crampons, which felt like standing on a wobble-board. My aspirations are glacier travel and alpine climbing to a reasonable standard in the long term.
I wanted to get crampons which would easily adjust to fit Salomon Pro Ice and some old Koflach plastic boots (eBay specials) without the use of tools.
In terms of price: well, they were over 90 quid but this appears to be the approx price point for the major manufacturers' for this quality of crampon.
I was torn between the clip-heel and plastic bail heel types but plumped for clip-heel because it...erm...looks cooler. I can't believe I just said that...
Everything reeks of quality out of the box. The powder coating looks and feels good but I suspect it doesn't add much in terms of capability. The anti-balling plates come fitted as standard (and so they bloody should for 90 quid) - and they seem to work fine in the benign conditions I tried them in.
Adjustment is easy - I tried both a plastic boot and a B3 mountaineering boot and the crampon felt good on both. The heel-clip action was a solid, reassuring 'thunk' - mmmm...nice. The clip mechanism is fine-adjustable for 'thunk' through a thumb-wheel and the crampon length could be changed through a push-plate (no tools required). The straps were a bit stiff (coz they're new, I expect) but intuitive to place - and that is something I'd value on cold dark mornings when tired. They're slightly more fiddly with gloves on but there is a nice pull-tab on the strap locking mechanism to assist.
My only concern was perhaps for someone with bigger feet. I'm only a UK10 but I was on the second-to-last hole for the length adjustment. A couple of sizes up and you'd be out of room - I think there is a bigger size available?
On low gradient snow they were fine - I even tried to front-point up a 30-degree soft snow slope, much to the consternation and ridicule of my wife. I really need to have a go on something steeper (planned for January) before I finalise this review but all the signs so far are encouraging.
At the end of the day, the features are v similar to the other manufacturers' (Grivel, Camp, etc) at this price point and so it all comes down to personal preference, availability, and what's on special offer at the time! Nevertheless, this is a solid and quality item, although without further testing, that's not enough to recommend it for anthing other than walking at the moment and that's reflected in the scoring. I promise - I'll follow it up soon!!![Update 08/09/06] These were great on my recent Alps trip. I used them with Salomon Super Mountain and also Super Ice boots and they were secure for both classic French technique and front-pointing. Good for mixed and snow/ice. As I suspected, these are great all-rounders and I would recommend them for both beginners and more advanced climbers. |
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| | | Performance | | 80% | | Reliability | | 80% | | Value | | 60% |
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