Marking cams

Aside from tape, fingernail polish, and other things that tatter. I'm Looking for a safe, perminent way of marking your cams. Thoughts?

Carbide scribe, it looks like a pen but the tip is a sharpened piece of tungsten carbide. Its what machinists use to inscribe metals. You could inscribe your initials or name. If you wanted to get really fancy with it buy a stencil. I have a carbide scribe (thanks dad!) and sometimes inscribing a curved section of a letter can get crazy without a stencil.

Another option, metal letter stamps. You can get a full set for about 25 bucks. Line them up, and hit them with a hammer. If you go this route I would highly recommend you practice lining them and hitting them up on some scrap material. This could be difficult for cams though.

very good idea. ^^^ +1 for the scribe. Keep em' coming!

Grog are you talking about an engraver or is your scribe non powered?

Edit: electric engraver.

Non powered. The one I have looks like this:

pop.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/0…

Tungsten carbide is extremely hard in a materials sense. It can engrave most metals, from brass to hardened steels.

gunter wrote:Aside from tape, fingernail polish, and other things that tatter. I'm Looking for a safe, perminent way of marking your cams. Thoughts?

FrankPS wrote: Fingernail polish doesn't "tatter." It wears or fades, but it takes a long time if you apply it on a surface that doesn't see much touching or wear.

On my camalots, I actually color in the BD symbol on the fabric tag with a sharpie (I do this with my BD slings too). Tag isn't structural, so there's no need to use a special marker or anything. Seems like it will last as long as the webbing does.

True nail polish is bomb. Underside of lobes or axle plates on C4 or axle ends. Engraving you can do initials though.

Tape on the stem below the lobes works pretty well. The trigger wires protect it from much contact.

Piss.

Just put nail polish all over the inside or back side of the lobes or on the stem. Not just a little dot, but a decent amount.

Or spray paint the whole thing hot pink.

A cheap electricengraver does a great job. I've yet to find a piece of gear it won't work on. I've had the same one for over 25 years. Hard on the ears though.

Small ziptie

I just use duct tape, and check the tape while doing my post-climb gear check. It's pretty durable, and inexpensive. I bought two rolls of my favorite pattern, and doubt I will run out anytime soon.

I don't mark my cams. I mark the racking biners.

Bill Kirby wrote:I don't mark my cams. I mark the racking biners.

Electrical tape. Lots of different colors available and doesn't "unravel". Wrapped on the stem for me.

I started with electrical tape this time around (originally painted with enamel). It only lasts a couple climbing trips before I have to replace it. YMMV.

You can get a alpha-numeric die set and stamp whatever ID you want....name, initials, etc., on an available surface of the cam, carabiner, or nuts for that matter. This method has its limitation regarding the small sizes and those items with no available or practical stamping surface, obviously

I picked up a small can of engine paint 13 years ago from Canadian Tire in Squamish. Ugly green engine paint. Every year or two I round up the recently acquired junk and use a Q-tip to dab my gear. The stuff wears well and has never had issues with flaking off.

Ugly paint lowers resale value for thieves.