New device from buckingham

Reg said:
Smaller devices, or those with less points of contact are generally going to fair worse with pitch, grime, moisture etc....and will be less compatible to a variety of ropes and sizes. Too few components doing all the work. Fine if its just a rope grab, but far less forgiving and limited as a rappelling device. Still lots of benefits in other aspects of climbing. One man's trash is another's treasure. The Akimbo, for example, would be too problematic for much of the work I do here. But would've been perfect for places I've lived in the past.
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Hi Reg,

Do you get much pine or grand-fir up there.

I'm almost always SRT and rarely have a problem with the Akimbo.

Doug-fir in the spring is sometimes pitchy.
 
ghostice said:
I had speculated at one time, assisted by single malt, that it might be possible to come up with a mechanical with longer/ larger friction surfaces or a "pre bent" rope path, but with coated surfaces so pitch wouldn't "stick" as much. The single malt speculated that this might be something like a teflon coating or something (Distel carbon spurs come with teflon coated gaffs). Pitch "slicks" would slide thru at least until part wear. I suppose it depends on how much friction is derived from kinks in the rope path and how much is derived from actual friction on a metal surface(s).
I will have to play around with the idea of "in-tree" rope de-sapping devices, potentially hooked up to a bottle of Everclear (has to be ethanol not isopropanol to be nylon/ poly textile friendly we are told). However there may be other downsides to climbing with Everclear besides just the flammability I suppose.
For real sap fests I now default to a Zillon on the lanyard. Easy to clean.
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I climb with a bottle of gin, works great for not caring about pitch on the rope, or anything else for that matter
 
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evo said:
I climb with a bottle of gin, works great for not caring about pitch on the rope, or anything else for that matter
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Dry vermouth . . . . olives for those more formal climbs?
I am picturing a Monty Python (the Everest Hair Salon Skit) like string of cocktail stations scattered about in the trees. Might catch on . . . . :)
So sorry for the derail?
 
southsoundtree said:
Hi Reg,

Do you get much pine or grand-fir up there.

I'm almost always SRT and rarely have a problem with the Akimbo.

Doug-fir in the spring is sometimes pitchy.
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Hi Sean. Sorry Im late. I got delayed by some silliness elsewhere. Yes, lots of Grand fir up here. I avoid them as much as possible. Great to hear you have the Akimbo dialed in so well. Amazing what Jamie and R.E did with such a small device, and all legit.
 
ghostice said:
Dry vermouth . . . . olives for those more formal climbs?
I am picturing a Monty Python (the Everest Hair Salon Skit) like string of cocktail stations scattered about in the trees. Might catch on . . . . :)
So sorry for the derail?
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I have to say, if I haven't before..you are such an interesting person. I'd love to share a nice cocktail and a good meal with you someday!!
 
Steve Connally said:
I have to say, if I haven't before..you are such an interesting person. I'd love to share a nice cocktail and a good meal with you someday!!
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Thanks Steve, you're very kind - kinda made my day - well no kinda - it did! Me too. I would love to make it down to something or other in the US (have lots of friends down there from work over the years) or maybe get over to Augsburg some year (maybe runnin' outta years tho???).
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (the book that was a four part trilogy) and Monty Python were staples in my working years hither and yon (I actually tried to live on airplanes I think for a while) in the corporate world. Also admire Gary Larson's bent on our little planet.

A quote from our old friend Will:
"Let me play the fool,
With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come,
And let my liver rather heat with wine,
Than my heart cool with mortifying groans."

Keep fighting aridity and disenchantment wherever we go guy.
 
My Saturday nights always involved Monty Python and Dr Who. My dad was a fan. I now understand what a sniveling little rat faced git is. I always went to be before Benny Hill. Be well Sir!!
 
I think there's a difference between gooey pitch and partially hardened pitch embedded in the rope. Hardened pitch makes dimensional lumps in the rope that have to slightly force open pinch points ie also a hitch and also resist going smoothly around a bend. Soft pitch is just sticky. OTOH gooey pitch might be thick enough to act as if it is partially incompressible and make rope dimension lumps.

Apologies for riding my friction research horse too much. Figure I'll eventually get it to be common knowledge if I bring it up when applicable.

My One-Way ascender was a pure positive feedback smooth cam pinch device and I found it very much sensitive to the dimensional stability of the rope. In a Kevin vein, I found repeated passage of RW and hitch over the same section of rope altered the rope's dimensional stability and hence performance. IIRC Kevin made some comment to that effect too.

Freshly alcohol scrubbed pitch might send you for a slip/zip but I'm sure it would be short lived as alcohol almost evaporates before you can use it.

And MRS. Ddirt's first name is Mouble not Mable. : )
 
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ghostice said:
Dry vermouth . . . . olives for those more formal climbs?
I am picturing a Monty Python (the Everest Hair Salon Skit) like string of cocktail stations scattered about in the trees. Might catch on . . . . :)
So sorry for the derail?
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You just reminded me of another great skit, Girl Drink Drunk from Kids in the Hall. Haven’t watched that in a couple decades..

 
Being the proud and update owner of nearly all devices in the merket; missing still is N1-ART Black Bird, played not climbed with it at the Spanish TCC, even the seller said it was difficult to install/unistall and the performance was poorer then the hype. N2 the Buck Throttle looks like Akimbo ( in the box ) on steroids, so the compacteness of the 2nd is a winner, N3 the RC device, N4 the BDB looks like lots of pieces to operate, a bit like the RR ( also in the box )
What I use most is HHFX and Freexion FTC from Giorgio Fiori
 
How are you liking your battery powered rope ascent unit you posted about over on treehouse? sorry for derail Does it have a remote control?
 
Mowerr said:
Sounds like you don't like mechanicals you like hitch base hybrids. Very different.
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@Matias I like all of it, mostly I buy gear for training purposes as I am a arborist trainer and being up to date is priority.
What I like is simplicity Akimbo, functionality ZZ, spiking with pre installed SRT line RR, DRT with Lock Jack Sport, over all performance Freexion & HH FX.
To me understanding that I am a trainee, in a activity that you are always a trainee is a must, and all of you contribute, my freinds.
 
Akimbo 2...what about Unicender 2? They had a prototype at a TCIA show before Akimbo 1 came out ... Was supposed to be out in Summer 2020, which is understandable they didn't hit that deadline. I'm guessing it's dead in the water at this point?
 
Muggs said:
View attachment 99023
Saw this today, says available end of July. This one looks even more like a Bulldog Bone than the original. Almost looks like an elongated cam on top...
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Dave Stice and Nick Bonner have both posted YouTube review videos on the A2 today (11-Jul-2025). Dave makes the comment that the A2 is less affected (or not affected) by sap than the A1. This would be great where I work.

Addenda: Well blush - gave in to Shiny New Thingy Syndrome and took the plunge. Looking forward to trying out the A2 avec sap and all. Cheers.
 
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