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grover
climber
Castlegar BC
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Apr 17, 2017 - 08:59pm PT
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Nice work on the testing process.
edavidso mentioned a few post ago that he'll set up a website once he's in a position to start selling his wares.
This is so frickin cool, I've been waiting for this kinda opportunity for a while, I've even emailed wild country a few years back about making larger cams. Haha..... No answer.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Apr 18, 2017 - 09:40am PT
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I've scrolled back and forth through this thread a few times and can't find any info on price for Erick's cams. If it did get posted, can somebody please point me to those numbers? If prices weren't posted, is money no object for all of you folks on the list?
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Matt's
climber
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Apr 18, 2017 - 10:00am PT
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I've scrolled back and forth through this thread a few times and can't find any info on price for Erick's cams. If it did get posted, can somebody please point me to those numbers? If prices weren't posted, is money no object for all of you folks on the list?
No price has been given yet.
My sense is that these cams will hold their resale value, so I don't think they will end up being that expensive, at the end of the day...
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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Apr 18, 2017 - 11:22am PT
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Beggers can't be choosers after all. There are not a lot of games in town for BIG cams, well currently this is only the second one looking probable.
Pamalot has not materialized.
Cloud 9's are like their name, ethereal.
Wired Bliss is gone, having only teased a couple lobe shots.
Not sure if there are others I am leaving off?
I'll be happy to pay a fair price, not sure what that means yet, but I found the VG9's sticker price of $218 shipped to be acceptable when I needed it to enable a trip to happen.
Edit: Didn't mean to leave valley giants off, sort of assumed by thread title the first is the VG. Re-reading sounds like a diss, but none was intended. I am quite the happy owner of VG's, but I always love to see continued variety and innovation (especially a new trigger system!).
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Apr 18, 2017 - 11:34am PT
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super wide cams always seem pricy until you find yourself looking down at the string of #6s well below you.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Apr 18, 2017 - 11:35am PT
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I'll be happy to pay a fair price for a #8. And a # 10 (if i can be added to that list).
Thanks for all your work!
rob
s a w a t c h m e AT g m a i l DOT com
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Apr 18, 2017 - 11:40am PT
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Not sure if there are others I am leaving off?
The Valley Giant has been in continuous production since 2001. Figuring CPI inflation, the prices are the same as back then.
The VG cams have been used extensively, by climbers on six continents, and have been proven to be strong, stable and reliable. Some of the other big cams mentioned here have not proven themselves that way. There are some photos circulating on the internet that demonstrate this, but I am not going to directly link to them.
I am finishing up a large run of them right now, and will be able to send them out by the end of month, maybe earlier.
http://www.valleygiant.com
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Apr 18, 2017 - 11:50am PT
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TK's VG 9 was worth every penny - it got me through significant wyde on the long P1 of a half decade dream! Real VGs know the thug's paradise. thanks TK!
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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Apr 18, 2017 - 01:54pm PT
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Hey Tom, any VG 12's not spoken for in that run? My 9 could use a friend.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Apr 18, 2017 - 02:20pm PT
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At this point, I have five VG9, and four VG12 coming up that have not yet been spoken for.
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edavidso
Trad climber
Oakland, CA
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Apr 19, 2017 - 09:53pm PT
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I originally made these cams with no regard for cost since they were just for private use. As a result, there are some rather expensive parts on my cams to enable larger range (double axle, stem end, and control horns) and the integrated trigger lock. The trigger, itself, is a 6 operation part to give it the twist lock features, and it mates with a stainless handle part that is 5 operations. Anyway, I'll have to price these a bit higher when I do start selling on the website but for everyone on the list I'll equal VG's $200 price as a thank you for getting me started. However, I'd like that amount to actually end up in the bank so if you want to pay with Paypal, it'll be $206 (they charge 2.9% + 0.30), and then $10 for shipping. And unfortunately since I'm doing this legit, if I'm shipping to a CA address then you'll also have to pay sales tax, which differs from county to county but is around 9%. You can send me a check to save your place on the list or go the Paypal route. In either case, send me an email at merlinrockgear@gmail.com, and let me know your payment preference, address, and name on the list. I won't charge you anything until your #8 is actually ready to ship. This is just for #8's at this point. The #10's probably won't be ready until the fall I'd guess. I'll also match VG's $300 on those.
I don't think I'll have time to get the website up by the time I have some of these ready to ship.
As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I've beefed up the lobes a little bit so the #8 weight has increased to 568 g. Still very light - roughly same weight as a BD#6 and 65% weight of VG#9. Range is the same - 5.7 to 10 inches. I'll post strength numbers when I finish the tests but should be at least 10 kN given previous testing. Here is what a new one will look like, minus the sewn loop.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Apr 19, 2017 - 10:32pm PT
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Keep your prices up. Seriously, and then some. I'm not going to buy any today, simply cuz I'm not tough enough to get into the wyde at the moment, but this is the key to quality, alternatives to the big players.
So kudos to you and to Tom as well for offering the unique, whilst retaining the freedom to go the extra mile or two in your designs, made the way you want to make them. And then- if the market can support, great. Make them for other people, for sale and hopefully make a profit for your fine efforts. You deserve to.
Arne
Edit-But hellyeah, I'll take a couple anyway. They're so cool.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Apr 19, 2017 - 10:37pm PT
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One question from looking at the last photo. Any problems with the long wire stem, flopping around as you are placing? Is it stiff enough to hold up that size cam?
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Apr 19, 2017 - 10:43pm PT
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^^^^
what he said two posts up. and to add:
put a limit on how many you'll match prices for.
as long as these have a reasonable point of failure you have created something both beautiful and differently/arguably mo' better functional/ly, than is currently in the marketplace.
don't sell yourself short [once you've had the earlier adopters do some beta testing for you... hahaha].
if there isn't a market of people willing to pony up for what these actually cost in your time and materials: fUck 'em.
i suspect as with anything both innovative and [assuming they pass the failure tests] functional: you'll do as well at the more respectful [to your time and investment] price as you will at the earlier adopter price. regardless:
thanks for making.
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Apr 19, 2017 - 11:06pm PT
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Excellent! I like the beefier structure. Sent you an email.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Apr 20, 2017 - 02:41am PT
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I cleaned the wall...;-)
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Apr 20, 2017 - 03:15am PT
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Looking great!
email sent.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Apr 20, 2017 - 05:47am PT
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Email set
I have the same question about that long skinny stem though.
When I did the fa of Wide World of Sport, @Balch Camp, in 1995, I had prototype #5 Camalots ( they weren't on the market yet) and one larger lobbed cam on the same infrastructure. The cams were too much for the frame and that thing flopped like a flounder. Subsequently and consequently, it never made it to market.
The Pamalots has this same problem I've found, when I've held, placed, triggered them.
I hope this is adequately addressed in merlinvile
The cloud nines, with their rigid stem do not have this issue, but the stem can become bent in certain kinds of sideways torqueing falls on big roofs.
The valley giant is the only existing big cam so far to have adequately addressed this issue. The heavy duty cables flex, rather than deform, and yet are beefy enough to not flop from cam lobe weight,
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Apr 20, 2017 - 06:39am PT
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Jaybro (#6 on the list ;-)), as you are fortunate to have held, placed, triggered the Pamelots, have you taken photographs of these cams? Apart from the ones on the Internet, I have not been able to get good pictures of these big guys.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Apr 20, 2017 - 06:55am PT
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No action shots. Just photos of the unit at rest ive posted some. I'll dig em up..
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