quark with weights and hammers

I have a pair of quarks. I don't really want to buy a new set of tools right now. I used a friend's nomics and really liked the feel. He has weights and the cold thistle hammers on his nomics. I got weights for my quarks and removed the standard hammers, put in the spacers. Seems good.

I know that cold thistle hammers are not available anymore and may not work on my new quarks anyway - not sure. I was thinking perhaps the mini marteau petzl hammers on the quarks with weights would be good. Anyone have experience with this combination? I am not even sure I really need the hammers at this point and am probably thinking too much...but I was just wondering.

I've got Quarks with the pick weights and the CT hammers, Dane doesn't plan on ever making them again.
The stock Quark hammers are a pain cause they throw off the weight of the head when hitting the ice.
if you don't use the hammers, stick with the spacers, if you use the hammer, use the new Petzl mini-marteau which is a lot better than their first versions.

Luc-514 wrote:I've got Quarks with the pick weights and the CT hammers, Dane doesn't plan on ever making them again. The stock Quark hammers are a pain cause they throw off the weight of the head when hitting the ice. if you don't use the hammers, stick with the spacers, if you use the hammer, use the new Petzl mini-marteau which is a lot better than their first versions.

thanks much - that's pretty much what I thought. So far I haven't needed the hammers - I am a beginning ice climber. So I can hold off there I think. But when I grabbed the nomics the extra heft with the pick weights was immediately noticeable to me and I liked it. The quarks have been fine so far but with the weights I think will be a little better for me. I'll add those mini hammers on if the need comes up I guess.

Thanks again.

I've encountered the same thing. Would love to hear how similar quarks with pick weights feel to the Nomics. Have been thinking about switching over, but haven't yet made the plunge.

I have both quarks and nomics, with pick weights on both. For actual ice climbing, the quarks with weights are pretty similar feeling to the nomics. Obviously the handle is different, and the nomic is slightly more curved, but weight-wise they feel pretty much the same.

Unless you're pounding pitons or pickets, I don't see why you'd need the hammer and pick weight. For alpine climbs, I've just gone with hammer and adze with no weights on the quarks, their default configuration. Some just go 2 hammers or naked. But, if you don't mind dropping the $100 on a pair of the mini hammers, go for it--I've been considering the same thing.

I don't like the trig rest much, so I leave it off.

I have gone out once with the quarks with no hammers and the added pick weights. I liked it, better than without the weights - it definitely felt a lot like the nomic. I'll be out again this weekend and will get some more use. So far I like the quarks but for what I am doing most of the time...ice cragging on water ice at WI3 and above...I think the nomic may have been more appropriate - but the quark seems to be working just fine and from what I see many people use it as well.

Good thread

I had my quarks out at chapel pond in the adk yesterday. We climbed 6 pitches on multiple climbs in the WI 3-4 range. Some ice was pretty plastic and some was really hard. They worked well. For this situation I like them better with weights and no hammers. But I do think the nomic probably would have been a better choice for water ice climbing.

Hey mom...how long till my birthday? When is Xmas? :)

I'm pretty sure the mini hammer from Petzl is the same as the normal hammer, just without the actual striking surface that is offset from the base. I.e. you can grind off the striking surface and you are left with the mini hammer after -- in case anyone doesn't want to spend the money on the mini hammer.

I use nomics with pick weights on one and a standard hammer on the other. I like it a lot, swing is quite similar and the standard hammer pounds pins much better than the mini, but I'd try to leave one tool with weights, they work brilliantly as chocks in thin cracks while drytooling!