Great tools. I own a pair of Cobras -- fantastic tools -- but wanted tools to loan to friends. I love these tools. The grips a bigger than the cobras, but I'm okay with them. They swing like a dream and stick great. I like then almost as well as my Cobras. For the price (4210 for both), they rock.

Customer Service

I haven't had to deal with BD's customer service.

Similar Products Used:

Black Diamond Cobras, Black Diamond Vipers, Black Diamond Shrike, Petzl Pulsars, Petzl Quasars

I''ve learned a lot from these tools - mainly how to keep from freaking out when the going gets tough. These were the tools that initiated BDs solid line of ice tools (now their high end model is the Cobra). But even still, you swing what you can trust and I trust these tools several times each winter. The bend is ideal, the shaft is weight proportional to the swing, the grip is secure, and the rubber coating improves my grip without adding chill to my delicate digits. I don''t believe these are available anymore, but if you find a set discounted - pick it up. These tools are awesome

Customer Service

None better than BD

Similar Products Used:

Machines, Pulsars, Cobras, X-15s, Alpamayo, Vanoise, Air Tech, Quark, Axar, Carbon Fibers, and Quasars

None

BD Black Prophet ice hammer and ax. Had ‘em for more than 6 years. Excellent on waterfall ice and alpine mixed in Calif, Colo, Alaska, and Canada. Outstanding weight distribution, swing, sticks, and dampening. Beefy bolts for securing the hammer head, adze, and pick are bombproof and stay tight (the allen bolts on my CM Pulsar would always loosen enuf that the pick would rock up and down – not good). Grip size and shape fits my large hands really well (Pulsar was much too skinny). Used Stinger picks for yrs and recently Cobra picks (even better!)- excellent sticks from both. Looking forward to trying Cobra tools.o

Customer Service

Outstanding.

Similar Products Used:

Owned:X-tools, X-15s, CM Pulsar, various Forrest tools. Also used: DMM Predators, Stubai FKW, Simond Pirahnas, misc Lowe toolsl

They were nice tools the only problem I have with them is the grip is for someone with big hands. Fatigued the hell out of my smaller hands and have since switched to Charlet Moser Quarks.

sweet tool. Every swing sticks. Curved shafts save the knucks a bit, and you don't have to alter your swing. Absorbs shock very well. Simple, and extremely effective. Got mine for 180 at mgear.com, a great deal considering retail price. Not a great deal condidering I eat potatoes and noodles three times a day and donate blood to buy Ice screws.

Similar Products Used:

None

There are lots of new axes out there on the market, but I really think the BP's have them all beat. These axes do everything, really well. The dampened feel is unmatched, the shaft is extremely comfortable and keeps the pick straight when you're getting tired, the construction is sturdy, the stinger picks are superior to everything
else I've used, and there pretty darn light. The weight weenies seem to be swinging too far left these days. Yeah, they're light on the pack, but the swing weight just doesn't feel right. Then there are the sporty axes that require special add-on weights, custom leashes, molded grips, blah, blah, blah. The BP's work in all alpine
style situations, super versatile, nothing to add or remove to make them work perfectly. No other ax I've used works as well over a wider range of conditions. Bulges do require a little more technique than some of the other axes I've tried, but the added stability of the straighter shaft on rock and regular ice more than makes up for that. The BP's have all the right curves in all the right places. Jack, and Master, of all trades.

Customer Service

There was a recall on the BP's a while back. It was handled very well and my brother was allowed to upgrade his faulty axes to the BPCF's for the cost difference. It's nice to see the type of customer service that's not so structured that the reps hands are tied.

Similar Products Used:

Owned Quasars, Cobra's, BPCF's, X-15's, and tried many others.

I have owned a pair of bent-shaft Black Prophets for about 5 years now. They have served me well in water ice climbing and a limited amount of mixed. The rubber shafts dampen vibration well but are a bit too sticky when inserting/removing tools from holsters. The BP's can also be somewhat difficult when dealing with bulges. Do not use the Alaska picks as they are distressingly difficult to remove from a good placement. All in all they are dependable tools, even though they are no longer at the top of the heap. I can recommend these tools for all but the most hardcore users.

Customer Service

I haven't had to deal with Black Diamond customer service, and I don't believe that I will.

Similar Products Used:

Simond Pirahnas
DMM Predators
Black Diamond X-15's
Charlet Moser Pulsars

I've had my BD BPs for over 5 years, and love them. The are solid, swing great, are easy to hold on to in big gloves or just liners, and stick (especially with the Stinger pick). I use the BD Twist Leash. The only drawback is head clearance on cauliflower, but you just have to make an adjustment in technique. The tools are simple to maintain, and you can tighten the big, beefy screws with the pick of the other tool. The hammer and adze are excellent. I've torqued both of them in some nasty cracks with no problems. The adze works well in consolidated snow and unconsolidated dirt. The BD BPs don't have a handle type grip, but this makes them more versatile - you can actually plunge them into the snow at the top of a climb. You can also "choke up" or down the shaft to vary the swing radius while maintaining a familiar grip. These tools are tough. I've bonked them off cauliflower, buried them in mud, dry-tooled, wet tooled (the grip stayed grippy despite the stream flowing over them) and have never doubted their performance.

Customer Service

BD's customer service is excellent. I have called with questions and traded email with the staff, and the have been exceptionally helpful.

Similar Products Used:

CM Quasar, CM Pulsar, DMM Predator, BD X-15s

I've used these several times on different types of ice. They are my favorite yet. Very simple, clean, fairly light. Very easy to replace picks, unlike CM and other brands. Also dampen swing vibration due to the full rubber outside. These are my tools of choice. Only complaint is the leashes. I don't really like the BD leash, but I switched it with a CM leash to make it the greatest mixed tool ever!

I've used this product now for the past two years and I've found it to be reliable on multiply types of ice on pure and mixed routes . Its a real work horse and I love the feel of the rubber outer layer (dosn't feel as cold as alluminum layer). the adze, hammer and picks can be changed out easily. just keep them sharp and they'll keep you safe.