A side by side comparison of Petzl Dry Picks (Top) and the Kuźnia Szpeju Mixt picks (Bottom)
Star Rating: **** (4 Star)
Recommended Retail Price: €20 + Postage (€7 if under 2kg) from Kuźnia Szpeju
Produced by a blacksmith in Poland, these picks are designed to fit all major manufacturers of ice axe. The manufacturer has received a CE T-rating for the picks so these should be safe to use in the mountains and for mixed where torquing and caming may be required. There is a variety of picks on offer ranging from ice, mixed, sport and my personal favourite Tatra (aimed at turf use), all of which can be notched and used alongside attachments on Petzl tools so there should be something for everyone's taste. I have been using the picks for over a year now for drytooling and only just had to give them a sharpen, friends which have used them (mixed picks on Petzl tools) for mountain routes in Scotland have commented that the steel appears to last longer than the manufacturer steel.
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| The Kuźnia Szpeju Mixt picks in action on Fast and Furious (D10), Newtyle Quarry (©Brian Pollock) |
Things we don’t like: High delivery charge if ordering a few (group orders are a must to keep the price competitive)