CAM-EXTRACTOR

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Messages 1 - 45 of total 45 in this topic

sonoran climbing gear

Trad climber

Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 16, 2012 - 12:41pm PT

New product from Sonoran Climbing Gear... Stop losing cams, retrieve lost cams and extend your reach! The Cam-Extractor is made out of aircraft grade aluminum, stainless steel tubing and high carbon piano wire. It comes in two different lengths, 30" and 18" and is proudly made in the USA. Check out our website sonoranclimbinggear.com or find us on Facebook. [photo[photoid=268282]id=268281]

Mighty Hiker

climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Oct 16, 2012 - 12:50pm PT

Looks like a good back scratcher, too.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Oct 16, 2012 - 12:56pm PT

Yep...two of those on my harness along with my two belay devices, belay gloves, utility knife, two daisy chains and six cordelletes....good to go! Ooops, can't forget to jump off and test the belay. Now where is that walki talki? Must be next to my GPS.

Does look like a handy tool to have on standby.

Ihateplastic

Trad climber

It ain't El Cap, Oregon

Oct 16, 2012 - 01:03pm PT

It does look nicely made.

apogee

climber

Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy

Oct 16, 2012 - 01:09pm PT

Modularize it with this, and you'll be on to something...

j-tree

Big Wall climber

Classroom to crag to summer camp

Oct 16, 2012 - 01:17pm PT

$110? seems a bit pricey.

bigwall shitter

Social climber

the wild west

Oct 16, 2012 - 01:37pm PT

at the low price of $117 per unit I'm sure they're selling like hotcakes!

Hardman Knott

Gym climber

Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca

Oct 16, 2012 - 01:37pm PT

For those who climb at Lovers Leap, this could be like a modern-day gold rush!

michaeld

Sport climber

Sacramento

Oct 16, 2012 - 01:45pm PT

Butt Scratcher!

[Click to View YouTube Video]

brotherbbock

Trad climber

Alta Loma, CA

Oct 16, 2012 - 01:46pm PT

Wait for the "I was impaled by my Cam Extractor" threads to start.

Jingy

climber

Somewhere out there

Oct 16, 2012 - 01:53pm PT

Looks like something invented by the military for use at Guantanamo Bay Cuba

Elcapinyoazz

Social climber

Joshua Tree

Oct 16, 2012 - 01:53pm PT

You sure that's not just one of them gigs for getting olives out the jar?

Looks like an impalement waiting to happen. The upside is, when that 30" job hooks your hamstring tendon, it will just rip it right out...wait, is that an upside?

In 20 years, I've lost one cam and needed more than a single nut tool to clean maybe five. Sounds like a solution looking for a problem to me.

Texplorer

Trad climber

Sacramento

Oct 16, 2012 - 02:35pm PT

I still like the original cam extractor.

Jon Beck

Trad climber

Oceanside

Oct 16, 2012 - 02:37pm PT

$110? seems a bit pricey.

Could buy a few used cams for that price.

Trad climber

Oct 16, 2012 - 03:07pm PT

It looks beautifully made. Apply you skills to something that people actually need and you will be wealthy.....or you are already wealthy and this is a labor of love. That makes a bit more sense.

couchmaster

climber

pdx

Oct 16, 2012 - 03:26pm PT

LIKE! Sonoran climber, what is the smallerst crack that your device will fit?

2 Leeper Friend of a Friend.

Thanks for sharing that.

sonoran climbing gear

Trad climber

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 16, 2012 - 04:10pm PT

1/2 inch. Here is a photo of a cam from the mid 70's we took out using the cam-extractor. The thing had been deep into a crack for years and nobody could get it out. I obviously don't think we'll be re-using this "artifact" but it gives you an idea of the possibilities. Take a cam-extractor to Indian Creek, Utah and you'll have your entire trip paid for in used cams in half a day. We'd love to get the price lowered but if you want the highest quality parts machined in the United States, it isn't cheap. Hope you like it.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 16, 2012 - 04:12pm PT

I obviously don't think we'll be re-using this "artifact"

I guess you haven't seen my rack.

crasic

climber

Oct 16, 2012 - 05:21pm PT

40 years? I highly doubt that forged friend has been in that crack since before the mid 80's

Hell, I'm only 22 and I have a few forged friends on my rack :\

Brian in SLC

Social climber

Salt Lake City, UT

Oct 16, 2012 - 05:25pm PT

Here is a photo of a cam from the mid 70's we took out using the cam-extractor. The thing had been deep into a crack for 40 years and nobody could get it out.

Not likely. Late 80's or so.

Wild Country cams weren't available in the mid 70's, FWIW.

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Oct 16, 2012 - 05:35pm PT

That is an early model #2 Friend (judging from axle nut size), but as others have noted, they were first sold in the early 80s, so the unit is at most 30 years old. And if it was in a crack outside, the axle will rust after awhile, so I am thinking 10 years max it has been there. Still cool to get it out, though.

Brian in SLC

Social climber

Salt Lake City, UT

Oct 16, 2012 - 05:42pm PT

That is an early model #2 Friend (judging from axle nut size), but as others have noted, they were first sold in the early 80s, so the unit is at most 30 years old.

Looks like a factory sewn sling on it...but...the nut size is throwing me off too. I'll have to check the inventory...ha ha.

Pre-sewn slings around late 80's or so?

I bought my first ones in the early 80s' too and I don't recall seeing sewn slings on them for a few years.

Looks like a patent number on the stem. That would date it as well. Earlier ones say "patent pending". Also, that someone used a sewn sling on it would mean that it was probably in use for a number of years prior to being stuck, if the sewn sling wasn't factory.

Who knows, but, it ain't mid 70's.

sonoran climbing gear

Trad climber

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 16, 2012 - 07:19pm PT

It's a first addition Friend with "patent pending" inscription on it. It's also been thoroughly cleaned after recovery. It's old. Here is a .5 camalot recovered with the cam-extractor last weekend. What year do you think this was made? More importantly, how much does it cost?

rick d

climber

ol pueblo, az

Oct 16, 2012 - 07:41pm PT

that is a #2 circa 1980-1984 without holes in the cams and WITH the little nubs on the cam radius (at compressed-small end) which notoriously get stuck.

nice product, but needs to come in at $35 for people to buy it. I knew only one person who owned and carried a leeper friend o friend although new ones sat on the shelf at Desert Mountain Sports for a decade.

Ihateplastic

Trad climber

It ain't El Cap, Oregon

Oct 16, 2012 - 08:56pm PT

This works real well!

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Oct 16, 2012 - 09:02pm PT

Haha I like that he's giving it back to y'all haterzzzzzz.

More shots of your booty, please!

(locker... this is your cue)

big ears

Trad climber

Oct 16, 2012 - 09:07pm PT

You didnt pull that .5 off the bastille by any chance? My partner buried one at the top of blind faith a month ago, and its marked w the same color tape. Not trying to get it back, just curious

nutstory

climber

Ajaccio, Corsica, France

Oct 17, 2012 - 02:52am PT

Bonjour Sonoran climber,
I would be delighted to add a sample of your most carefully made Cam-Extractor to the Nuts Museum. An 18 inch would make my day. Please, have a look at the collection…
Stephane

Prod

Trad climber

Oct 17, 2012 - 10:39am PT

Wow, what a bunch of dicks. Funny dicks but dicks nontheless.

I have only lost 1 cam, got keyholed on something on shirttail peak with tarbuster in 1991. My wife has dropped 2 since we have been climbing together. Got a tool to fix that?

Prod.

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Oct 17, 2012 - 10:54am PT

Sonoran climbing gear's smart and upbeat responses make me like them and their product.

So does "made in the U.S.A."

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Oct 17, 2012 - 11:21am PT

^^^^^^

If you like the product, support a fellow climber ;D

OlympicMtnBoy

climber

Seattle

Oct 17, 2012 - 11:54am PT

Stephane, what's that robot looking thing to the right of the blue handled nut tool? And that black hammer tool in the center is pretty cool, especially if you have to kill an alien or something while cleaning a nut!

nutstory

climber

Ajaccio, Corsica, France

Oct 17, 2012 - 12:21pm PT

The “robot looking” nut tool is a Climber Pal Extractor made by Joseph Murray (Sunshine Climbing Equipment) in the mid eighties (Patent US 4,513,641).
The black hammer is a Martial hammer made by Grivel circa 1986. Martial Moioli was a famous French climber who designed climbing equipment, as the Résine Rose rock shoes.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber

bouldering

Oct 17, 2012 - 01:28pm PT

Prospecting for booty and reselling - is probably not too shabby a business plan.

OlympicMtnBoy

climber

Seattle

Oct 17, 2012 - 02:10pm PT

Cool thanks Stephane! There are almost enough of these through the years for an "evolution of the cam extractor" thread.

wbw

Trad climber

'cross the great divide

Oct 17, 2012 - 02:37pm PT

Yo Donini,

In addition to all of those doo-dads, you're forgetting the special glasses I've seen at a couple of sport crags near Boulder. You know, the reflecting glasses that allow you to see your lead partner climbing, without looking up.

You wouldn't want to have to look up while climbing, would ya??

Prod

Trad climber

Oct 17, 2012 - 02:50pm PT

In addition to all of those doo-dads, you're forgetting the special glasses I've seen at a couple of sport crags near Boulder. You know, the reflecting glasses that allow you to see your lead partner climbing, without looking up.

You mean the ones that John Bachar used and recommended, without sponsorship. Yeah only noobs would use those...

Prod.

happiegrrrl

Trad climber

www.climbaddictdesigns.com

Oct 17, 2012 - 03:01pm PT

As a Booty Business - no doubt. A person could be *on call* weekends in season at the Gunks. We all know people at glued at the hip to their smart phones nowadays, and probably climb with them too.

"Second fix your cam?"(because it's never your own damned fault)? Call One Eight Hundred Booty Call, and we'll be there with out Cam Extractor before you can drop a rope!" That 1-800 - BOO - TY - CALL"

Charge $25 a ...pop... plus tips, of course.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Oct 17, 2012 - 03:58pm PT

I have a pair, only use them on one pitch sport climbs, anything to get a few more years out of a 69 year old neck.

sonoran climbing gear

Trad climber

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 17, 2012 - 05:54pm PT

Let me address a couple comments here... We certainly aren't under the assumption that everyone is losing cams all the time. Getting similar comments about only losing "one" cam. The idea for the device is based on the fact that we all lose A cam at some point. Now, multiply that times thousands and thousands of climbers and you end up with A LOT of lost cams out there!

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Oct 17, 2012 - 09:50pm PT

It's a niche peice of gear - guaruntee you 'most' trad climbers could use it situationally.

Some people have lost a dozen cams, you know who you are ;D Might be a good thing to take out to Tahquitz after a rainy day if you naw'mean...

j-tree

Big Wall climber

Classroom to crag to summer camp

Oct 17, 2012 - 11:52pm PT

If you bring it up on ElCap, does it count as part of the bag of tricks or will you get a "stick of the day" for using it.

nutstory

climber

Ajaccio, Corsica, France

Sep 19, 2013 - 11:14am PT

I received a Cam Extractor from Sonoran Climbing Gear a couple of days ago. This Cam Extractor is splendidly and carefully made.
Here is the smallest of the two Cam Extractors produced by Sonoran among other camming device removers.

• Ed Leeper: Friend of Friend (USA)
• Miyazaki 1985 (Japan)
• Sunshine Climbing Equipment: Climber Pal Extractor 1983 (USA)
• vauDe: Friend-Remover 1989 (Germany)
• Sonoran Climbing Gear Cam Extractor 2012 (USA)