UKH

I need an axe that I can use in (potential) crevasse rescue situations, but apart from that general mountaineering (not too techy). B-rated axes are meant to take up to 280kg while T-rated up to 400kg.

How does that translate in practice though? Can I use a B-rated axe for belay or pulley?

Been considering DMM Cirque or BD Swift for T-rated, however Petzl Summit ones are quite nice, only B-rated.

There are so many great T rated axes out there, it's a no brainer for me. DMM stuff is always overbuilt so it's a little heavier than the competition, but it will last. Grivel Air tech is pretty light. Only about 100-150g heavier than a Petzl Summit. 

I guess it depends how critical weight is.

I've been very happy with my B rated Camp Nanotech that only weighs a tiny 250g and spends much of the time as an emergency axe on the back of the sack 

I haven't tried to pulley anyone out of a crevasse with it yet but my partner is pretty light so fingers crossed we'll be ok 

As with all gear, everything's a compromise..

Thanks for suggestions! 

I am not sure if this is correct but I have read somewhere that Grievel Air Tech used to be T rated, but the new (currently sold) edition has B rated shaft - is that right? Otherwise I was also considering, seems pretty light!

Your bigger concern at building an anchor would probably be the snow quality...

Interestingly, from one 2009 German test of snow anchors, a deadman style buried axe anchor actually broke their test pulley or something at over 16kN in knife-hard* snow with just some slight bending of the shaft... No idea of the ice axe shaft they used apart from length (60cm), but failed at much lower loads in soft snow, IIRC 0.3-1kN and 4-8kN depending on the hardness).

(* - from the classic fingers/pencil/knife snow hardness test, which can be pretty imprecise though - please don't take the numbers as an indication that e.g. any 1F snow can hold 5kN every time!).

Although I would not hesitate to get a T-rated one as well, if you don't mind the slight weight penalty  I think the Air Tech Evo was still mentioned as T last time I looked? 

BTW, anybody knows where do the often quoted 280kg and 400kg numbers come from? The only quotes of the UIAA-152 in public access mention mostly 2.5kN or 3.5kN for a test aproximating buried deadman (weighted in the middle, supported by two equidistant slings) and 2.5kN or 4kN for a test aproximating boot axe belay?

Thanks for responses everyone! Ended up going with Airtech Evo and very pleased with it so far! Cannot wait to try it out next week!!!