Best Spurs

[climbstihl]

I don't have much to compare them too, I had the Distel before, but to me tge Edelrid Talon are super comfortable, even without stiff shoes, and the pad is just perfect. I don't spend enough time in them or others to be able to notice any difference with spur angles, etc.

 

[islandarb]

I have these, but ready for something else more durable than carbon fibre. A tad more weight would not be bad .....for stepping into our hardass woods. Buck Ti's I found better but a tad heavy back when....

 

[ghostice]

Was trying to remember where I saw this chart of iron styles/ sizes - it was on Buckingham's site.

 

[southsoundtree]

I have nice hooks (Buck Ti) and velcro wrap with insert in the pads with tree gaffs (presumably Buckingham), but rarely climb in them, preferring pole gaffs.

Too much wiggle and torque unless sinking the tree gaffs into very thick bark.

I have a pair of Geckos for my other climber, but looking at changing gaffs (thinking the are euro tree gaffs) to pole gaffs. Too wobbly. She's not spurring thick bark trees.



All tree have thin bark in small wood. I often get into small wood during removals.

 

[Friedrich]

I have nice hooks (Buck Ti) and velcro wrap with insert in the pads with tree gaffs (presumably Buckingham), but rarely climb in them, preferring pole gaffs.

Too much wiggle and torque unless sinking the tree gaffs into very thick bark.

I have a pair of Geckos for my other climber, but looking at changing gaffs (thinking the are euro tree gaffs) to pole gaffs. Too wobbly. She's not spurring thick bark trees.



All tree have thin bark in small wood. I often get into small wood during removals.

for me long gaff’s are more knee-friendly and not wobbly at all. i don‘t have to twist my knee outwards for the gaff‘s to engage, i can almost keep my leg’s neutral. also „branch-walking“ is not really possible with short gaff‘s.

 

[southsoundtree]

Different strokes for different folks.

I don't turn my knees outward.

I drag my spurs up the trunk and step down/ step up, no jabbing spurs in.

Limb walking seems fine, too.


Species matters a lot.


Curious what others think.

 

[Matias]

Different strokes for different folks.

I don't turn my knees outward.

I drag my spurs up the trunk and step down/ step up, no jabbing spurs in.

Limb walking seems fine, too.


Species matters a lot.


Curious what others think.

That sounds about how I do it. I do jab a bit at harder species

 

[Merle Nelson]

Different strokes for different folks.

I don't turn my knees outward.

I drag my spurs up the trunk and step down/ step up, no jabbing spurs in.

Limb walking seems fine, too.


Species matters a lot.


Curious what others think.

Exactly, just walking up a tree. When others talk about jabbing, setting, or stomping gaffs in I think something is not right for them.

 

[DSMc]

for me long gaff’s are more knee-friendly and not wobbly at all. i don‘t have to twist my knee outwards for the gaff‘s to engage, i can almost keep my leg’s neutral. also „branch-walking“ is not really possible with short gaff‘s.

For me, also! I have never understood the complaints that longer gaffs are harder on the knees because it has always been the other way around for me. Walking up a fat trunk on short gaffs requires a more toes-out technique than the same trunk on longer gaffs. Even when reaching the medium to small wood higher up, I can maintain a more knees-straight-forward movement than would be possible with shorter gaffs. Never get any of the so called 'wobble' long gaffs are supposed to cause, because my boot toe is resting against the tree preventing any.

Love long tree gaffs for most trees with just a few exceptions.

 

[Serf Life]

for me long gaff’s are more knee-friendly and not wobbly at all. i don‘t have to twist my knee outwards for the gaff‘s to engage, i can almost keep my leg’s neutral. also „branch-walking“ is not really possible with short gaff‘s.

Total opposite for me but also rare to get in super thick bark except for the first few logs

 

[Friedrich]

Fredrick are you able to easily post a side view picture of your new Bashlins? Or can you tell us if they are pretty much a straight shank vertically?

 

[rico]

Perfect!

 

[rico]

One thing that very rarely gets mentioned when taking about spurs is the importance of your boot, and where it places the stirrup in relation to the arch of your foot.

 

[ghostice]

Also, for me, whether you have full shank or partial shank or no shank boots makes a huge difference in whether I survive a long day in relative comfort or hobble home. It is sorta like trying to use flexible boots while front pointing up a waterfall in winter - if you have rigid Grivel crampons, at some elapsed time or other, you'll be a lot happier with things rigid (crampons) and full shank boots. Cha- clank.

 

[rico]

Agreed on as rigid as possible for a spur boot, and preferably with a full steel shank. I was talking more about the placement of the stirrup and how it relates to being nimble and dexterous in a pair of spurs. I personally gravitate towards boots that put the stirrup near the heart of my arch, whereas boots that push the stirrup a little towards the heel feel very awkward to me. A 1/2”- 3/4” can make a big difference..

 

[Merle Nelson]

@Friedrich thanks for posting that picture. Do I understand correctly that you might have gotten those 3/4 years ago? I think those are not available new anymore.

If I'm wrong, I would like to know where they are available.

 

[rico]

This is the older style with the slimmer shank.


And this is the current version with the thicker, trapezodal shank. I believe this is the spur that @Friedrich has. Should be readily available.

 

[27RMT0N]

I've been recently going back and forth between my aluminum Bashlins and titanium Buckinghams. I've run the Bashlins for a few years now almost daily, the Bucks maybe just two dozen times?

On a madrone removal, I used the Bucks and didn't even think about the spurs I was wearing, they just worked. No vertical sections in madrones, lots of odd twisting angles and trunk/limb sections. But a few days later doing doug fir removals (which is most of my work) I must have spurred out two dozen times. Then going back to the Bashlins, once again, I can walk up and down firs including thick barked ones (3+") without thinking or ever gaffing out.

I just pulled up the photos from the 'replacement gaffs and parts' section of wesspur, because in my mind and looking at them in person they look very different, but these photos make the final 'working point' angle seem essentially the same. I'm not sure if that's just a photography trick and the actual mounting on the shank changes the final 'entry angle' but they sure do preform differently. For me at least.

I should throw an angle gauge on them to actually measure it... Obviously a pretty different point-shape as well.

 

[Friedrich]

@Friedrich thanks for posting that picture. Do I understand correctly that you might have gotten those 3/4 years ago? I think those are not available new anymore.

If I'm wrong, I would like to know where they are available.

like rico already said, i own the second type. i bought them at wesspur and last time i checked they were available.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Okay, good to know. Thank you.

And thanks Rico for taking the time to put together that comparison.