UKH

I've been contemplating (teasing myself, really) a new pair of tools for this winter. I was leaning towards Vipers, but noticed a recommendation in another thread for Grivel North Machines. They look like the ideal tool for what I'd be using them for...but the walking pole-style spike really puts me off despite being praised in at least one review.

Does anyone have any experience? I realise that technical tools are poor at best for plunging anyway, but I still find the idea of having a pointy bit at the end reassuring. Does the walking pole end plunge any worse than your average tool with a pommel getting in the way of the spike?

Bump. No North Machine owners about!?

I've got a pair of Grivel Matrix Techs, the North Machine's predecessor. I'm not hugely experienced (they're my first technical axes), but I really rate them. What's the perceived issue with the walking pole spike? If it's the same as on the Matrix Tech it's easily sharp enough to stick on ice when being used as a walking axe, although it is stubby, about 5mm long.

The pinky rest would get in the way for plunging on hard snow and easy angle ice, but the shape of the shaft is so convenient for holding just below the head and daggering that I switch to that on neve as soon as it gets steep enough- probably not much steeper than when a short technical tool becomes useful on a slope anyway and definitely before I'd feel insecure not being able to plunge.

Does that cover it? 

+1, same here, no issues with the spikes on my quantum techs.

CB

Covers it well, thanks. I think my concern is that it wouldn't be effective on neve/ice; it appears neither particularly pointy nor particularly substantial, and I was a bit apprehensive.

Having had another look at them I don't think they're quite what I'm looking for though. The lack of an upper griprest puts me off a bit as i want a single set of tools that'll cover me for all of the (moderate) climbing I do - alpine ice, alpine mixed and Scottish ice and mixed. I think I might eventually outgrow the lack of an upper griprest and I don't intend on buying another set of tools for a while. The ridiculous upper teeth on the ice pick look annoying too (anyone know the reasoning behind these?).

That said, I'd like to give them a swing at least. Does anyone know anywhere in the UK which stocks them in an actual shop?

The upper teeth are for using the axe head down as a pole when using lanyards, great for alpine stuff. I would not worry about the upper rest, my Quantums (and from images the NMs) have a little integrated rest that, at least for me, is good enough for gripping the tool high every now and then.

CB

That might be the intention, but they look glove-unfriendly at best and downright uncomfortable at worst.

I almost bought a pair of the carbon ones to replace my Cassin X-lights, but I tried them in a shop (I think possibly cairngorm mtn sports?) and my hand kept slipping off the upper "hand rest".

Bet you could do something good with some sugru tho?

I used them (the carbon version) for about a week of cascade ice not last season but the season before on loan from my local shop in Italy. I thought they were utterly brilliant - if I had the relevant spare cash I'd be getting some for this season! I can't say the pommel spike particularly bothered me - when ever it's steep enough to need something really secure, it's steep enough to dagger, otherwise you can use the annoying teeth on the top of the pick and just use the tool the other way round, or when it's pretty tame use them conventionally. The grip rest? I can't say I found it a problem up to WI4, the grips are pretty grippy and the pommels are very supportive. For me, they are the best alpine tool I've used. And on the strength of thm I would happily buy Tech Machines too.

PS if the teeth really bothr you, they aren't anything a file couldn't sort out... they are meant for stein pulls, not that that's something us mortals ever do...