UKH

I was wondering if a hand rest like the petzl trigrest and or the blackdiamond adjustable pommel can be applied to any axe? 

I was looking at the Climbing Technology Dron Plus?

In reply to springcorn:

Maybe this is what you need 

https://www.climbingtechnology.com/en/outdoor-en/ice-axes-and-crampons/drag...

In reply to climber34neil:

Thanks!  I'm an idiot

But the Dron is just one of the axes I was looking at and I was curious if they pop on and off pretty easy.  

Are you a fan of the hand grip?  I love the idea of using it to shorten the feel of a longer axe to give it more versatility.

In reply to springcorn:

I have Edelrid trigrests on my Grivel North Machines. Were a bit awkward to get on but do fit. They're all just plastic nubbins that clamp to oval shafts at at the end of the day.

In reply to springcorn:

Having a bottom grip makes holding your axe much easier if you're swinging it overhead and pulling, but I'm not sure two grip positions makes that much of a difference.

On an essentially straight axe like the one you mention, you won't be doing much steep climbing and certainly nothing which requires a second grip for swapping hands etc. 

In reply to LucaC:

No doubt I am not climbing vertical ice waterfalls. 

My aim is to find an axe that can handle a variety of conditions.  Often on winter ski mountaineering conditions change quite a bit and firm ice can appear when you don't expect it.  

So I am trying to find that versatile axe setup that isnt too heavy and is comfortable french stepping.  But I also want something that is technical enough to dagger climb and be able to bite if you come across say a 300 foot section of firm ice that isn't vertical but steep enough that you are front pointing for a good span. 

It is a conundrum.  It is easy to buy a technical axe.  It is easy to find a glacier travel axe.  But I want something in between.  I don't want to carry a little curved technical axe that is useless french stepping or self arresting, but neither do i want the adze deflecting if i need to handle a technical section.

In reply to springcorn: The answer to your search is....a Blue Ice Bluebird, it even comes supplied with hand rest  

https://bananafingers.co.uk/blue-ice-bluebird

In reply to leon 1:

Oddly I was about to suggest exactly the same axe. I love mine and have climbed up to probably about II,3 with it paired with a Petzl Gully hammer. The blue ice axe does everything from walking to easy Scottish mixed well. 

In reply to leon 1:

In reply to TobyA:

That is a great suggestion.  Looking at it the pick looks kind of square.  It might just be the picture.  Does it penetrate ice ok?

In reply to TobyA:

TobyA- Surfing around the site, I saw another photo of you doing some mixed with it that was attached to a review, but I couldn't find the review.  Do you have a review of the axe?  

It was a rad photo of you.

It is ironic because I was looking at the Blue Ice ski crampons a few years ago when the Harfang was just about to come out.  I was going to get a pair right when they released from one of their reps but then there was some manufacturing delay and the climbing season ended and I kind of let it go.

In reply to springcorn:

I can see what you mean, but it goes into ice just fine in my experience. I never had any equipment from Blue Ice before but I've been really happy with the Bluebird axe. 

In reply to springcorn:  Similar to Toby I'd never used Blue Ice gear before but have had literally dozens of axes over 40+ years climbing and always searching for 'The one perfect axe' (Sad I know and my wife tells me so regularly)   I`d always thought my Grivel Evo was probably the best general mountaineering axe Id had until I tried the Bluebird. The Bluebird is much lighter than the Grivel but to me feels better balanced, sticks in ice even better and just feels right in the hand (This is however all completely subjective and it may not feel right to you though) They are beautifully made and finished, a real work of art.  

In reply to leon 1:

Just tell your wife that you also looked for the perfect woman and that's how you ended up with her

Me too.  I am always in search for the perfect piece of gear.  Obviously it is condition dependent.   What spurs me to search are not the ordinary days that go as planned, but the the days when conditions are not what I expect that day and I get put in a position where my gear is wanting.

You guys are getting me kind of fired up about this axe.  Really appreciate you taking the time to provide all the feedback.

Ran the bluebird through the paces last weekend.  Put a couple climbs in. Nothing techie but comfortable in the hand and feels the part.  Thanks fellas.