Struggling with DISTEL DMM SPURS Advice Needed

[Pete Mctree]

55 minutes ago, Joe Newton said:

Do you find that they run better when they're just a touch blunt?

 

Out the box i was sinking a bit too far into poplar etc. Less of an issue now

Yes - not blunt, but not too sharp if that makes sense 

@Mark Bolam I deffo am 😂

[Joe Newton]

8 minutes ago, Pete Mctree said:

Yes - not blunt, but not too sharp if that makes sense 

@Mark Bolam I deffo am 😂

Glad it's not just me. Mine are due a touch up after a year or so.

 

That's the other downside to long gaffs. You gotta take them off as soon as you hit terra firma.

 

Any walking around in them and your gaffs soon get blunt.

 

I still maintain anyone running short gaffs hasn't seen the light yet.

[Jamie Jones]

19 hours ago, Pete Mctree said:

The euro gaffs place you even further from the stem and make it very difficult to use your heel or toe to brace yourself. I will see if I still have mine in the shed from years ago- you can have them if I do as I hated them with a passion. I have climbed on longs for years now and it was worth the little extra time getting used to them.

Hi Pete 
Thanks for the feed back and the offer to send them to me.

I have had a set turn up today from Treekit (now HoneyBoros) on a deal price as I have previously purchased the Distel DDM Spurs and the extra set of Long Spurs..

I will give them a go to see if they are any better than the Standard gaffs. Otherwise I will just go back to the Long Gaffs or I will go for a set Edelrid Talons

[Steve Bullman]

20 hours ago, Pete Mctree said:

The euro gaffs place you even further from the stem and make it very difficult to use your heel or toe to brace yourself. I will see if I still have mine in the shed from years ago- you can have them if I do as I hated them with a passion. I have climbed on longs for years now and it was worth the little extra time getting used to them.

 

Yep exactly what Pete said.

 

The single thing I found they excelled on was penetrating through Ivy due to the angle.

[Jamie Jones]

20 minutes ago, Steve Bullman said:

 

Yep exactly what Pete said.

 

The single thing I found they excelled on was penetrating through Ivy due to the angle.

Hi Steve

How did you get on with the Euro's because lining them up the don't actually penetrate any deeper into the tree (in length), and at best due to the angle change will only straight line penetrate a maximum of 3mm. I do think that the angle of the hook will just act as a scoop and they will be no better in real terms or of the very slightest of margins.

I will be sending the Euros back and putting the Long Gaffs back on.

 

[Steve Bullman]

As I said, didnt like them at all and couldnt wait to swap them over to the short gaffs.

[maybelateron]

I have a pair of Distel Gecko carbon spikes with velcro pads that I bought to replace my old Buckingham irons with leather straps. Phenomenally comfortable and quick on/off, but I found that compared to Buckinghams I had to make a real effort to dig in with them - Buckinghams were excellent for not gaffing out. These Gecko spikes are now the spare pair as I have swapped to Panther. Much cheaper, just as quick on/off, and just as comfortable. 

[Mark Bolam]

Slight derail, sorry Jamie, but who was that American fella who used to come on here, older chap, very knowledgable, possibly insane?

Used to wear thigh length boots with about a million lace holes.

He invented some spikes that were like a hypodermic needle that retracted?

Steve will remember.

 

I’ve been pretty lucky with my carbon spikes for about 20 years.

A really good climber called Jon Turnbull was working at Honeys stand at the arb show one year, and persuaded me to buy them instead of the alloy Bashlins I’d taken to the till.

Pretty much twice the price, but a decision I’ve never regretted.

 

Swapped out the velcro bottom straps, which were quick but let me down on big climbs.

 

Leather (ish?) and buckles bottoms now.

 

Standard gaffs, tickled with a file very, very occasionally.

Gaff out is a technique with spikes problem, not a spikes problem.

 

Newton has long gaffs because he thinks they will help him get up the tree quicker, that’s how retarded he is.

 

 

[MattyF]

The first time I tried the Euro gaffs I’d left mine at home ,I had a shocking hangover from some surprise celebrations and a crane dismantle to do and was offered a pair to try.

I loved them that much I went out and bought a pair.. they came with short gaffs though, still got on with them really well, I swapped them out for euros again a few months  to get that magic feeling from that day and they felt nothing like I remembered and had to take them off after an hour to finish the job it was that bad… came to the conclusion it Must of been that I was still so pissed that they felt that great… 

[Joe Newton]

9 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

Slight derail, sorry Jamie, but who was that American fella who used to come on here, older chap, very knowledgable, possibly insane?

Used to wear thigh length boots with about a million lace holes.

He invented some spikes that were like a hypodermic needle that retracted?

Steve will remember.

 

I’ve been pretty lucky with my carbon spikes for about 20 years.

A really good climber called Jon Turnbull was working at Honeys stand at the arb show one year, and persuaded me to buy them instead of the alloy Bashlins I’d taken to the till.

Pretty much twice the price, but a decision I’ve never regretted.

 

Swapped out the velcro bottom straps, which were quick but let me down on big climbs.

 

Leather (ish?) and buckles bottoms now.

 

Standard gaffs, tickled with a file very, very occasionally.

Gaff out is a technique with spikes problem, not a spikes problem.

 

Newton has long gaffs because he thinks they will help him get up the tree quicker, that’s how retarded he is.

 

 

You're talking about @jomoco

 

he was a very strange person.