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scooter
climber
fist clamp
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Sep 15, 2009 - 02:28am PT
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Wow! A pecker, or is it a beak? Hard to tell. Great new invention! Considering that you are a neo-Nazi you should have stamped one of your Iron Crosses into it.
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Ray-J
Social climber
east L.A. vato...
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Sep 15, 2009 - 10:43am PT
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Iron crosses are out, nazi daggers are in.
BITD there was a spate of micro pin/hatchet pin gear
From san diego: soft 4130 non-stemed "rurp" type,
Machine ground, and an "aluma-rurp". The stemmed
Micro pins we made were more like beaks, kinda...but
With a stubbier shaft.
Minerals observation, the one that stands out, is how
making the gear himself, working with the materials
and related tools, helped him "see more" and create
an effective design.
Key point, and not a sideways comment toward CAD,
or any of that...but worth mentioning.
Anyway, in use, the surprising thing was how well even the
Aluminum "punched" in to incipient grainy seams.
Hope to see more cool designs, Minerals!
Keep up the good work.
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 15, 2009 - 12:51pm PT
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Hey, THANK YOU for all of the positive comments! It’s really nice to hear! I would, however, like to hear any negative comments or anything that you don’t like about ‘em so that we can make ‘em better, if possible. And yeah, they do hold whippers! They are also not just for aid climbing – I’ve used some prototypes while putting up free routes in Tuolumne. Anyone else have any climbing experience with ‘em? Well, if not, it’s nice to know that they at least look cool.
Earlier this season, I was asked why the Tomahawk doesn’t have a biner clip-in hole at the bottom of the stem, as do the Peckers. This is simple. If the piece is placed in a corner, there is no clearance to clip it with a biner. Often times the outer edges of a straight-in crack will be slightly flared or form a groove. If the bottom of the stem rests in a groove, there also isn’t enough clearance to clip the piece with a biner. Therefore, we have chosen to stick with a cable connection, rather than a biner hole. The 1/8” (#3) cable is plenty strong enough and I would guess that most placements will rip before there is any significant damage to the cable. If you can generate enough force in a climbing fall to rip the cable, I will buy you a six-pack of your choice!
Have fun out there with these things!!!
Uhhh… Neo-Nazi? You must be confusing me with Klaus. My iron cross is still on the back of my truck… but… “misanthrope” would be more appropriate.
Edit: Oh, yeah… I forgot to mention that the hooking action of the Tomahawk is increased when weighting the cable, as opposed to a biner hole. This is due to the forward position of the cable hole.
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T Moses
Trad climber
Paso Robles
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Sep 16, 2009 - 03:15am PT
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Bryan getting whacked:
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Conrad
climber
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Sep 16, 2009 - 11:42am PT
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Nice Stuff Gentlemen. Totally missed the thread earlier this summer.
The cleaning flange on the bottom is a great improvement. Great development process.
Bryan - I had dinner with your mom last week and she is totally proud of you. She didn't even mention this project. Had I know I would have heaped on the props.
:)
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
Boise....
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Sep 17, 2009 - 12:14am PT
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Bryan & his Hawks Bump.
They're pretty damn well thought out. Killer iron.
Yarrrr.
Noodle soup? C'mon.....
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MisterE
Trad climber
Canoga Bark! CA
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Sep 17, 2009 - 12:55am PT
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Awesome job on getting this together, Brian and Moses - again.
Seems like a satisfying culmination of a long technical study.
Great work!
Erik
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Sep 17, 2009 - 11:42am PT
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Hey, THANK YOU for all of the positive comments! It’s really nice to hear! I would, however, like to hear any negative comments or anything that you don’t like about ‘em so that we can make ‘em better, if possible.
OK OK OK, I alluded to this negative issue above: make it more offset, like the Toucan picture I posted, so that the camming action is more significant. Perhaps think not quite, but almost, a Leeper Cam hook and how that could be a pointy thing you could slide in hand placed, or hammer in. Hmmm, scary.
BTW, my positive comments stand unchanged. Negative: more camming angle needed. As far as the straight ones goes, would one even need that? A straight crack could still have the angled one used, and the camming action would grip better ...No?...Yes?
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Pierre
Big Wall climber
Sweden
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Sep 17, 2009 - 12:44pm PT
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Wow - great things!
This is what I wish I had on "Flight of the Albatross", a pointy beak with hooking performance - perfect for shallow beaking.
I know that I will have some Tomahawks with me next time on el cap for sure.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
صَخْرَه&
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Moses Bump!
Get some. Split yer thin.
Oh, yes. Sally Forth.
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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hey bryan, thanks for telling me about these babies in the tm parking lot last summer. i ordered 3 each of the offsets from mountain tools and put them to the test last week on el cap. i was attempting to solo genesis, but after doing half the route(the first 5 pitches) i came down to let the weather play out...nice move in retrospect. anyway, the third pitch is A4 and i placed 9 peckers and tomahawks in a wild crescendo to the belay. the crux placement tomahawk cleaned by hand, but held a bounce test. two pitches later i used them again on the A3+ pitch...they are sweet.
so these are my negative comments on them:
1) they only come in one size, so #2 and #3 peckers are still needed on the rack, so, can you make them BIGGER so i can retire the peckers altogether.
2) i dropped one and it nearly ruined my day, can you make a tracking system for them. they are so cool they are like having extra partners with you on the climb to slander the tool with. if anybody finds a blue tomahawk below the dawn wall start, i'll give them a sixpack for its return.
3) i don't like the color coding sytem. the red is perfect for Right facing corners, but you should have made the blue ones yellow for Lemon is Left for left facing corners...get it?
i'll head back up there when the weather looks a little better, still two A4 pitches to go. shipoopoi
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
Top of the 5.2-5.10 Boulder
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I'd tend to go nautical on colors.
Red-Left-Port
Green-Right-Starboard
Yarrrr. Genesis, eh, Steve?
Bitchin'. Get Some!
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2009 - 11:53pm PT
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Ahh, finally time to catch up on this one…
Hey, Conrad… Thanks for the nice words! Yeah, Mom mentioned the dinner – cool that you two got to meet. Got any Tomahawks on your rack yet? Hope to drink some beer with you sometime!
Couchmaster, thanks for your comments! We discussed the camming idea in a previous thread… scroll to next page, etc.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=831754&msg=836119#msg836119
Theron and I are looking into a “camming” version of the #2 Tomahawk that has a significant bend in the stem (more than pictured on website), but it will require some prototype work (as will the #2…) before any are available. As with the original Tomahawk, a limited number of final prototypes were given out for testing… maybe some #2 prototypes will be available in the Tuolumne parking lot next year (if they aren’t available retail by then)...
To be perfectly honest, I have never used a cam hook while climbing – not once. Seriously! Why would I if I can slam in an arrow??? Anyways… that said, I am not the best person to test a “camming” Tomahawk, aside from tinkering around on a lonely desert boulder of grano-who-s-a-ma-what-ever… Test “subjects” needed…! :)
The Toucans are more of a camming-knifeblade, rather than a beak. I agree that they (and modified Pika and BD ice pitons) work better in soft rock, like sandstone. Theron and I can work on something like the Toucan, but I feel that it is a different piece altogether than the Tomahawk. We will work on the “Camahawk.”
Yo, Shipoopi!!! What’s up? Good to see you in the lot and great to hear that I convinced you to pick some up! And, they were put to the test! Sweet! Thanks for the feedback!
1) #2 Ts are in prototype stage 1 – so far I can tell you that this one here next to me works killer as a SNPA popper! Almost like it was part of the design… Err, um… never mind…
2) Well, the guys that do my truck alignment keep asking me if I’ve gotten a metal detector yet… but I have to say “No.” They think that I will find gold. Heh… If I go to Big 5, like they tell me to, and pick up a $-beeper, I’ll see if I can tune the thing to detect Tomahawks… although it ain’t a 2-stroke engine so I might need Werner’s help on this one… the electronics help, that is!
3) Yeah, we didn’t know quite what to do with the color-coding. I’m up for any suggestions, but don’t know if it makes sense to change things around on something that is already in production. Color recommendations for #2 (3 different versions…) welcomed!
4) Have fun up there when you return!
Figures that a CAPTAIN that keeps sayin’….. “Yarrrr” would think nautical… Hmmmm…
Cheers, Cap’n’!
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 8, 2009 - 12:04am PT
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Another request, please…
Post photos of your USED Tomahawks! What did you do to them, or, what did they do to you? Thanks!
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bmacd
Social climber
British Columbia
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I think your design concept could be expanded into a new class of pitons that employ torque as a holding power feature, perhaps reducing the pounding power required and thereby conserving rock.
Where you see left or right handedness I see torque.
Look at what curved surfaces did for free climbing
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 11, 2009 - 11:02pm PT
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Some more questions, please…
What do you all think of #3 Peckers? The piece looks more like an ice tool pick than a rock piton to me, but I haven’t climbed on anything but granitic rock in years. I can see how they might be nice for the really soft stuff, like the “rock” in the Fisher Towers. Do you consider the #3 Pecker an essential piece on the rack for Yosemite walls these days? What do you like about them? What don’t you like about them? Too heavy or no big deal? Is a piece that is megabomber worth the extra weight?
#1 Tomahawk, #2 Pecker, #2 Tomahawk prototype(!), and #3 Pecker
The #2 Tomahawk will be similar in size to the #3 Pecker, but with the thickness of the #2 Pecker (to retain #1T geometry). We still need to make a few adjustments to the design, as you can see. The #2 Tomahawk prototypes are proving to be my favorite bottle opener – this piece may also be crucial for the kitchen cabinet, etc.
Do you think that a “jumbo” #3 Tomahawk would be a useful piece for granite walls? I feel that soft rock nailing requires a different design, something else that we can work on, as with a Toucan-like piece. I take it that since cam hooks cause damage to sandstone, a camming Tomahawk would do at least some damage. What’s your take on this?
Bmacd, thanks for your comments… you’ve got me thinking… :)
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Dec 11, 2009 - 11:09pm PT
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will it open a beer?
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 11, 2009 - 11:15pm PT
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Did you not bother to read my post or are you making fun of my double-reference to the most important design feature so far…?
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
Top of the 5.2-5.12 Boulder
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Dec 11, 2009 - 11:53pm PT
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Haha!
Toucans can be pretty cool at times.
A big Tomahawk? Sure.....
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