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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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All I know is that if you can get your hands on some of the new Totem cams in any size, do so. They ROCK. Aid climbers are just going to freak because these things seat in placements nothing else feels secure in, and free climbing they just go in nice and don't walk and clean sweet, oh what a feeling!
Don't knock them just because they look different, ya got to use them to experience the pleasure! and no, they don't come in ribbed...
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Matt M
Trad climber
Alamo City
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Agreed. I've been very impressed with my Totem Cams. I think it will be interesting for Totem. For me, in two years time my smaller range cams have or will go from NO Totem to mostly Totem brand.
I suspect others will find the same thing.
Glad to see two solid companies offering up the goods. Since there ARE differences in the two (though slight) both companies should be busy filling the vacuum left by CCH.
Good stuff
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Sebastopol, CA
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Aug 10, 2011 - 06:36pm PT
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I fondled these cams with sweaty hands at the OR show last week and can't wait to get a set on my rack.
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Gene
climber
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Aug 10, 2011 - 06:45pm PT
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Jerry,
Which brand? Totem or Fixe?
g
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adatesman
climber
philadelphia, pa
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Aug 10, 2011 - 07:53pm PT
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In case it got missed, this is 100% correct:
Mapeze said:
When someone patents a design, he owns the right to commercially explode this design for a period of time (around 20 years). When this period of time expires, anyone can use this design. This is in favor of the evolution of the technical state. In fact, the Basic Cams incorporate some changes over the last Alien Cam design, with the aim to improve it.
BTW, as far as I'm aware Mapeze is Mikel from Totem Cams, and aside from noticing they accidentally let their US patent lapse a year or so ago (which was quickly rectified and IIRC the fault of their attorney) I have no affiliation with them whatsoever. I've looked long and hard at the manufacturing of Aliens and if he can make it work at that price point my hat's tipped to him. But long story short, he's not ripping anyone off whatsoever and anyone who says so doesn't know what they're talking about.
-aric.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Aug 10, 2011 - 08:03pm PT
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In case it got missed, this is 100% correct:
Mapeze said:
When someone patents a design, he owns the right to commercially explode this design for a period of time (around 20 years). When this period of time expires, anyone can use this design. This is in favor of the evolution of the technical state. In fact, the Basic Cams incorporate some changes over the last Alien Cam design, with the aim to improve it.
No, that's not 100% correct. It may be more-or-less correct, and it may be correct for whatever your purpose is, but it is not 100% correct.
In brief, owning a patent doesn't give your the right to commercially exploit anything. It is a "negative" right, not a "positive" rights.
You can sue someone who makes, uses, sells, or imports an infringing device, but you may or may not have the right to commercially exploit the design yourself. This is so because you can patent something that is an improvement of someone else's patented design. But you have no right to actually practice your design unless you get a license from the someone else.
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Sebastopol, CA
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Aug 10, 2011 - 10:41pm PT
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@Gene: Fixe
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Aug 12, 2011 - 08:24am PT
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SFyankee
Trad climber
Bay Area, now DC
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Aug 12, 2011 - 10:26am PT
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Totem Basics look great, really cool. But Totem guys, you have got to come up with a better name! "Basic Cam", really? Totem is a pretty cool name, and 'basic' is all you could come up with?! (tongue slightly in cheek)
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Aug 12, 2011 - 10:36am PT
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THey could call them "Totem Poles" and maybe get some crossover from the sex toy market.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
In the mountains... somewhere...
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Aug 12, 2011 - 12:08pm PT
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PLUG POLES!
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Seth
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Aug 17, 2011 - 10:17am PT
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I was just dreaming of new Aliens and took a look at the Fixe web site. It now lists the Aliens from blue through red. Looks like no larger or smaller sizes and no hybrids from Fixe, although you can get two hybrid sizes from Totem.
http://www.fixeclimbing.com/en/index.php?opcion=32&id_subcategoria=29
Kinda bummed I can't get the black one. I don't care about the larger sizes so much. Anyone have any other information?
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Aug 17, 2011 - 10:53am PT
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Totem Basic Cams need to be re-named to "Totaliens"
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Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
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Aug 17, 2011 - 11:02am PT
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one of the glories of the old alien was you could place it into a solution pocket. fully retracted, it balled up into a near sphere and could be used in places you could only use a tricam previously. these fixé versions look to be widened and not suited for that.
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malabarista
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Aug 17, 2011 - 01:16pm PT
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I offered to buy the company and move it to Bend, OR. I guess that it would have been a competitor to Metolius then. Never got any traction.
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Archie Richardson
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Aug 17, 2011 - 07:31pm PT
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So when can we buy them??
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Khoi
climber
Vancouver, BC
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Aug 21, 2011 - 05:26pm PT
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HOLY SH#T!!!
I think I may be the first person in North America to be in possession of a Totem Basic Hyrid Cam!
Towards the end of July I placed an order for a third complete set of Totem cams. The box arrived the first week of August.
It wasn't until today while putting away my climbing gear until next year (I severely injured both my wrists so my climbing season is done for the year [:(]) that I noticed a cable coated in tranparent yellow plastic at the bottom of the box.
IT'S A 0.85HY BASIC CAM!!!
Here's some pics:
I guess I should get in touch with Totem MT and see what they want me to do with it.
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mwatsonphoto
Trad climber
los angeles, ca
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Aug 21, 2011 - 08:22pm PT
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According to Totem's website:
Basic Cams Hybrids promotion!!
Get one Basic Cam Hybrid for free if you buy a set of Totem Cams!! Promotion valid in Europe only until September 1st.
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Khoi
climber
Vancouver, BC
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Aug 21, 2011 - 08:38pm PT
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I'm in Canada, not Europe, so I didn't expect to benefit from that promotion. I'm also surprised because their website states that the first shipping for European orders of Basic Cams is August 8, while the first shipping for non-European orders of Basic Cams is October 3.
The cams arrived on August 3.
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jack herer
Sport climber
Veneta, Oregon
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Aug 21, 2011 - 10:23pm PT
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holy sh#t Khoi, thats way cool of totem to hook up a freebie! almost unheard of! never seen or used one but its customer service like that makes me want to check em out!
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