Sabertooth

 

Page Type Gear Review
Object Title Sabertooth
Manufacturer Black Diamond
Page By Martin Cash
Page Type Oct 31, 2002 / Oct 31, 2002
Object ID 531
Hits 12491
Vote
From bdel.com:



After proving itself as one of the highest- performing, most versatile crampons ever made, we made the Sabretooth even better this year. The new Sabretooth Clip Crampon, with its unique toe bail, is now compatible with boots that don’t have toe welts. Everyone from ski mountaineers to snowboarders can now strap on these crampons and enjoy their stability and control. The Sabretooth Step-In model is designed for boots that have toe welts. Like always, the Sabretooth is rigid where it counts and flexible where needed. It’s light, adjustable and willing to take on anything you throw at it. Their famous second-point configuration provides balance and control on sketchy surfaces (and adds sensitivity throughout). Bottom line: The Sabretooth is a great all-purpose, all-conditions crampon.



Horizontally railed, semi-rigid crampon for both technical and low-angled ice

Unique secondary point configuration adds security, sensitivity and balance

Two models ensure there’s a Sabretooth for you

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Reviews


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Martin Cash - Oct 31, 2002 8:35 am - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I have used these crampons for just over a year, and am extremely happy with them. They handle terrain steeper than 45 degrees very well. The tooth below the front clip has 2 blades which point down and angled forwards. This crampon seems to ball up very seldomely, even in wet snow. Don't bother buying the plate. The other good thing about this crampon is the all metal construction. I much prefer this style to the strap on type.

Another thing that sets these crampons apart is that they never come off. Sabertooths are also extremely easy to get on even in gloves. I can get both on and strapped down in about 20 seconds.

Th Bionics do climb waterfall ice a bit better, but Steve House has done some amazing things in Sabertooths. An excellent all-around crampon.

kisters_0 - Nov 1, 2002 12:34 pm - Voted 4/5

Untitled Review
Very nice buy. Handle snow routes and alpine ice climbing. Easy on and off. I find that they ball snow up constantly. Almost to the point of annoyance and very dangerous. I highly suggest buying anti-balling plates to eliminate this. Black Diamond is in the process of redesigning them strictly for the Sabertooth.

fmajor - Oct 10, 2003 11:09 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
These are the BEST do-it-all non-rigid crampons out there. Period. Have used them on ***limited*** WI routes and moderate alpine ice, but were super sticky (given good ice conditions most anything is sticky) compared to CM's Black Ice. The front points, sharpened horizontals, excel in the alpine ice application as they do in/on steep, hard snow. I used mine most recently on a winter trip to the Presidential Range, Mt. Adams. Again, they performed precisely as i needed.

Definitely get the anti-bot plates. The new ABS ones look great and i may have to replace the old orange rubbery/latex ones i've had for so long. Easy on/easy off and relatively light, considering their versatility. They work equally well on my Invernos and Nepal Extremes.

They came SUPER sharp. I have re-sharpened them many times now and most recently, backed off on how sharp i make the foot points, though i keep the front points very sharp.

Misha - Dec 14, 2003 6:10 pm - Voted 4/5

Untitled Review
Great crampons for alpine climbing (haven't tried them for ice climbing yet). They are very sharp, have excellent construction (gotta love those double front teeth while front-pointing), easy to put on and feel very solid on your feet. In fact, they are so sharp that you may want to buy rubber protectors and a crampon bag for them right away. One downside: they don't come with anti-balling plates and you have to buy them separately. These optional plates are hard to get but they are an absolute must for softer snow.

meepers - Dec 25, 2003 10:32 am - Voted 4/5

Untitled Review
Great spikes! They were still sharp after 4 weeks on the mountain. Easy on and off but never popped off in a fall. I used anit-baling plates and didn't have any problems. They dig in a little at the toe and heel of my overboots, but well placed duct tape solved this problem. Priced right @ about $120.

sshankle - Jan 4, 2004 6:53 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I don't think these can be beat for climbing in the mountains. The horz. front points are far superior to vertival points on alpine ice and snow, and these handle vertical ice well too.

Trevor Simmons - Dec 8, 2004 5:15 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
These crampons fit and work well with my Koflach Degre boots. I have the model in which straps extend off the steel toe bar. This design allows them to have the reliability of strap-ons and the convenience of step-ins. Good value from REI at $130.

travisgollaher - Oct 26, 2005 5:10 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I recently purchased a pair of thees for my Koflach vertical boots and report that they fit the boot well and have a good feel to them.It is easy to see the quality. Thees are defenitly not the the crampons of the 20th century. The sabretooth will revolutionize alpine climbing for the next twenty years. I purchased the step in model.

Felsberg - Jan 21, 2007 5:20 pm - Voted 5/5

Untitled Review
I've used these crampons over the last 4 or so years on everything from flat glacier travel to vertical water ice, and been very happy with their performance. They have proved to be sturdy and reliable, do get the ABS plate though. Highly recommended as a jack of all trades crampon. Used with Scarpa Manta.

LINKALPA - Feb 22, 2007 7:08 pm - Hasn't voted

No complaints
No complaints! They hold an edge well when sharpened, flex just enough for comfort and perform well on alpine objectives and WI3? or so even though thats not what they are designed for. Good price, but the straps need to be shortened unless you plan to rapp from these mile long beasts to get home for a hot toddy!

HappyCamper - Nov 10, 2007 12:10 pm - Voted 5/5

There can be only one
Loved them for alpine and ice climbing (WI4+). I had the "pro" version (clips front and back), but had to trade them in for Grivel G-12s as my boots got softer and they started falling off :-( Didn't like the Grivels, so now I'm back to the Sabretooth strap version. BD rock on!

Jeroen Vels - Dec 11, 2007 2:29 pm - Hasn't voted

Versatile
Very versatile crampon. I have had them for 5 or 6 years, but now they are worn out. To many encounters with "the file". They helped me to climb easy snow routes, mixed routes and WI4+-routes.

Black Diamond did it again and created yet another excellent product.

Alex Wood - Dec 26, 2008 8:12 pm - Hasn't voted

Amazing Crampons
Unfortunately, they do not fit all boots (as the REI guy said). I was stupid and got them thinking they would work with out the grooved slots that are required for an In-Step Crampon. The guy at REI said it would work, but it doesn't. Make sure you have the grooved slots for it. I took them back and got strap on Petzel Charlet 12 Point Crampons instead. I wanted to get strap on Black Diamond Serac Crampons, but those are hard to come about since they are only sold to Europe apperently.

Bascuela - Oct 14, 2009 12:05 am - Voted 5/5

Rad
They work like champs becuase... well they are.

Casey Bates - Nov 11, 2009 12:07 pm - Voted 5/5

Sweet
This is an excellent piece of gear. I recommend this crampon to somebody that wants to do a little bit of everything but only wants to buy one pair. These crampons have worked very well for me for general mountaineering purposes and I have even had fun ice climbing with them. They are quick to adjust and stay put on your feet. The total number of spikes and their placement makes for a very versatile and secure setup. The only complaint I have about this crampon is that the paint chips from the spikes and then they start to rust. I guess I'd prefer never to have the paint there to begin with. They are also a bit heavier than similar crampons offered by some other companies, but the sturdiness makes up fir it. I have recommended this to my friends and think it is a great first pair of crampons for someone new to the sport yet it performs well enough to satisfy a more accomplished mountaineer.

OJ Loenneker - Jan 2, 2010 3:44 pm - Voted 5/5

Good Pons.
I have the older version of these in the step in variety. They came out of the box razor sharp (my pant legs can testify to this, as can several pairs of gaitors)...

I have never had any issues with these, and I use them to this day. I am considering purchasing another pair with a new matic binding for a pair of boots that I own that do not have a front welt. So, I guess I am say'in I would buy them again.

mmcguigan - Jan 9, 2010 8:03 pm - Hasn't voted

Pro Model
I used these crampons on a recent climb up Huayna Potosi in Bolivia. What an absolute pleasure. You could really feel those teeth sink into the hard stuff - I really felt as if I could focus on technique with these on my feet. On the final push up an almost vertical wall of mixed climbing, the front teeth performed flawlessly. These beauties go on and come off easily. The micro adjustment on the heel worked great, even with gloves. On the way down, as things got a bit softer I was grateful for the anti-balling plates.

Brian C - Jun 20, 2010 2:29 pm - Voted 5/5

Bomber
These are amazing. Paired with my Nepal Evos I am confident on snow, rock, ice or whatever with these and know that they will stay solid on my boot.

asaking11 - Jul 12, 2011 12:05 am - Voted 5/5

Great Crampons
I love these crampons, they're so great and solid. These crampons will definitely hold up for years. A great jack of all trades crampon that you can use for almost any application.

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