Neoprene Lovers

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 wercat 16 Feb 2021

Just refurbishing crampons at the moment - making up straps from rivets and neoprene

Any one else still doing this?  Am I a DynoSaur?

 Basemetal 16 Feb 2021
In reply to wercat:

Probably

Where'd you get the neoprene strapping? I was looking to replace the webbing toe strap on a pair of Charlet-Moser Black Ice and was just going to use sewn webbing, though I had an unsuccessful hunt around for a neoprene replacement.  I figure the toe basket isn't really load bearing so was quite relaxed about it. A change to a more asymmetric boot sidelined the Black Ice's for pair of step-in Gladiators, so I haven't fixed them yet..

 TobyA 16 Feb 2021
In reply to wercat:

Do you have "French rings" or whatever they were called on the toe or is a proper old school where you just have two massively long buckle up straps that take about 15 minutes to do up well and generally guarantee getting your first round of hotaches putting on in British winter conditions?

 graeme jackson 16 Feb 2021
In reply to wercat:

I still use my 12 point Salewas with single straps but it's been around 15 years since I replaced the straps and they're looking a bit rough. I had a shot of my mate's Grivel G12s last year and I'm pretty sure that I'll be retiring the Salewas rather than replacing straps. 

 rogerwebb 16 Feb 2021
In reply to graeme jackson:

> I still use my 12 point Salewas with single straps but it's been around 15 years since I replaced the straps and they're looking a bit rough. I had a shot of my mate's Grivel G12s last year and I'm pretty sure that I'll be retiring the Salewas rather than replacing straps. 

If you ever want to sell them, let me know. I have a curious desire to repeat some routes using my 70s kit to see how things have changed. Unfortunately one of my salewas accidentally became an early monopoint in December 1981(I remember because I was soloing..) so I need the crampons. Surprisingly the boots and axes have survived. 

OP wercat 16 Feb 2021
In reply to TobyA:

No, never tried the long continuous single strap.   I had some ancient Stubai for a long time with two neoprene straps per crampon which I found great till they became too blunt.  Then I got some DMM Summits (like Aiguille but fully strap) , which I neoprened several times till you couldn't get the neoprene any more - they are currently part neoprene and part Grivel yellow tape with rings and used for walking/mixed scrambling as they too are worn blunt and short. 

I got a load of rivets from Needle some time ago and I think the neoprene is from Aiguille Alpine where they cut some off a roll for me years ago.  I acquired some unused Aiguille crampons a year or two ago and using them brought back memories of when the Summits were new - easily the equal of G12s and easily repairable. Also reasonably non-balling as crampons without the plates go.   I loved the DMM Summit as aclassic old style crampon, bombproof and sold to me for ice climbing but a couple of years later they were being sold for walking and easy gullies - I suppose it is a good way of getting people to spend money on something impressively expensive

Post edited at 14:32
OP wercat 16 Feb 2021
In reply to Basemetal:

I don't think there is such a load on the toe end of the straps, though I think the highest load is probably when traversing or descending steep neve upright with the ankles flexed.  The toe part just needs to be a bit bashproof.

 Basemetal 16 Feb 2021
In reply to rogerwebb:

> I have a curious desire to repeat some routes using my 70s kit to see how things have changed. 

If we could have our  '70's physiques back it might be a fair fight!

 rogerwebb 16 Feb 2021
In reply to Basemetal:

> If we could have our  '70's physiques back it might be a fair fight!

I was going to go right back to first routes! 

 Robert Durran 16 Feb 2021
In reply to TobyA:

> Do you have "French rings" or whatever they were called on the toe or is a proper old school where you just have two massively long buckle up straps that take about 15 minutes to do up well and generally guarantee getting your first round of hotaches putting on in British winter conditions?

My earliest crampons had the long strap. I still don't really trust these new metal snap on things. The ideal were the ones with the ring thing at the front.

 graeme jackson 17 Feb 2021
In reply to rogerwebb:

> If you ever want to sell them, let me know. I have a curious desire to repeat some routes using my 70s kit to see how things have changed. Unfortunately one of my salewas accidentally became an early monopoint in December 1981(I remember because I was soloing..) so I need the crampons. Surprisingly the boots and axes have survived. 

I'll keep that in mind though you could probably have them just for the postage. might be a while though. 


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