Ice Axes
Alpine
↑ 030: Black Diamond Alpamayo
- Made in USA [1998].
- 70x29 cm.
- Aluminum Shaft.
- Fixed Head with carabiner hole.
- Straight adze with straight edge.
- Curved Alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 11 ventral teeth.
- Triangular plate spike.
- Equipped with Black Diamond leash..
- A standard general-purpose ice axe of the 1990s. Welded head with straight adze and negative clearance pick.
- Bought in 1997 as a loaner for a friend.
↑ 071: Black Diamond Raven
- Made in USA [2024].
- 75x26 cm.
- Aluminum Shaft.
- Fixed Head with carabiner hole.
- Straight adze with straight edge.
- Curved Alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 11 ventral teeth.
- Triangular plate spike.
- Equipped with Black Diamond leash. This leash is more suited for technical ice climbing than for mountaineering, so I may swap it it with the leash on my X-15.
- A standard general-purpose ice axe of current vintage.
Modular
Black Diamond offered an alpine pick, a straight Alaska pick, and three recurved ice picks for their modular ice axes and hammers. Two of these appear identical in photographs. One (the Titan) met the CEN-T standard for pick strength. The other (Laser) was thinner and gave much better performance for finesse climbers like me. I do not have an example of the third (the Fusion).
↑ 038: Black Diamond Black Prophet
- Made in USA [ca. 1998].
- 50x26 cm.
- Carbon Fiber Shaft.
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Triangular adze with notched edges.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a positive-clearance chisel tip and with 14 ventral teeth.
- Double-pointed spike.
- Equipped with a Black Diamond leash..
- The unusual triangular notched adze works surprisingly well clearing waterfall ice. This tool has the thinner Laser Pick that better suits my finesse (vs. haul off and whack) style of ice climbing. The double spike works but is not my favorite type.
- I bought a third Black Prophet to replace the heavier X-15 that I had been using as my third tool. The new Black Prophet had orange trim, so I mat it my adze tool.
↑ 037: Black Diamond Cobra
- Made in USA [ca. 2011].
- 50x26 cm.
- Carbon Fiber Shaft.
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Triangular adze with notched edges.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a positive-clearance chisel tip and with 14 ventral teeth.
- Double-pointed spike.
- Equipped with a Black Diamond leash..
- The curved shaft provides extra clearance compared to the straighter Blaxk Prophet shaft.
- The Cobra came out after I acquired my Black Prophets. Fortunately, they use the same head accessories..
Ice Hammers
Modular
↑ 042: Black Diamond X–15
- Made in USA [ca. 1991].
- 44x22 cm.
- Aluminum Shaft with Rubber Grip.
- Semi-modular head with carabiner hole.
- Hammer head.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 14 ventral teeth.
- Triangular spike.
- Equipped with an aftermarket Charlet Moser leash.
- An older tool with a full-length rubber-coated straight shaft. The previous owner filed the tip to a neutral clearance.
↑ 164: Black Diamond X–15
- Made in USA [ca. 1995].
- 50x20 cm.
- Aluminum Shaft with Rubber Grip.
- Semi-modular head with carabiner hole.
- Hammer head.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a positive-clearance chisel tip and with 14 ventral teeth.
- Double-pointed plate spike.
- I do not know who made the leash (it has no tag).
- I find the straight shaft easier to drive as a backup alpine anchor.
- I do not know who made the leash (it has no tag).
↑ 043: Black Diamond X–15
- Made in USA [ca. 1995].
- 50x20 cm.
- Aluminum Shaft with Rubber Grip.
- Semi-modular head with carabiner hole.
- Hammer head.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a positive-clearance chisel tip and with 14 ventral teeth.
- Double-pointed plate spike.
- Equipped with a Black Diamond leash. This leash is more suited for mountaineering than for technical ice climbing, so I may swap it it with the leash on my Raven.
- I find that the bent shaft makes technical ice climbing more comfortable.
- This was my original backup tool. Although heavier than the Black Prophets, it was what I could afford at the time.
↑ 040: Black Diamond Black Prophet
- Made in USA [ca. 1995].
- 50x20 cm.
- Carbon Fiber Shaft.
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Modular hammer head.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a positive-clearance chisel tip and with 14 ventral teeth.
- Double-pointed spike.
- Equipped with a Black Diamond leash..
- I love my Black Prophets. This tool has the thinner Laser Pick that better suits my finesse (vs. haul off and whack) style of ice climbing.
- My original pair was subject to a recall inspection, so I had the pleasure of sending a package to "Black Prophet Returns" in the Mormon Salt Lake City..
↑ 041: Black Diamond Black Prophet
- Made in USA [ca. 1995].
- 50x20 cm.
- Carbon Fiber Shaft.
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Modular hammer head.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a positive-clearance chisel tip and with 14 ventral teeth.
- Double-pointed spike.
- Equipped with a Black Diamond leash..
- This is my current backup tool. It duplicates my other Black Prophet Ice Hammer.
- My original pair was subject to a recall inspection, so I had the pleasure of sending a package to "Black Prophet Returns" in the Mormon Salt Lake City..
↑ 039: Black Diamond Cobra
- Made in USA [ca. 2011].
- 50x20 cm.
- Carbon Fiber Shaft.
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Modular hammer head.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a positive-clearance chisel tip and with 14 ventral teeth.
- Double-pointed spike.
- Equipped with a Black Diamond leash.
- The curved shaft provides extra clearance. I use a hammer face instead of an adze on my second tool.
- The Cobra came out after I acquired my Black Prophets. Fortunately, they use the same head accessories.
