This is the Akimbo

[stig]

Had a fun thing happen with the Akimbo today.

Richard and I finished a job real early, so we decided to go shopping for rope and other arbo gear.
Went to the biggest arbo shop on the island where we usually shop.

I was thinking of maybe switching to a new rope, and in order to see if it went well with the Akimbo, I hung one from one of my belt loops.

Got into the store and the guy at the desk went:" Holy shit, is that an Akimbo?"

That is what you get, when you have the only ones in Denmark

I let him play around with it a bit, and he just got such a hard on for it.

Hope Rock Exotica gets them on the road soon.

 

[DMc]

I don't doubt you, Rich, but that doesn't make it less perplexing. I also get paid for climbing and have my choice of the best tools currently available. Even though the Akimbo it not in production yet, the one I have works better than all the other tools I have used with the exception of the Hitch Hiker.

 

[stig]

Don't get it either.
We love ours and they sure have plenty of possible adjustments.

 

[Burnham]

I thought I remembered Burnham expressing the thought that the Akimbo was the finest all-mechanical device he'd ever climbed on. I wonder what his configuration and settings were?

I've had great luck with my early version Akimbo on Poison Ivy/Blue Moon. As I recall without checking, I have it 2 pins in from least friction on both cams. Wet rope takes another pin in on the upper, no change to the lower. PI is my best rope for everything, both DRT and SRT. I love it.

I also get decent response on old school Blue Streak, but that's a fat rope, so I believe I've set both cams at least friction position, and then may well tighten the upper cam another pin in.

It's worth noting that fresh from the shower, I weigh about 145 US pounds. All geared up to climb, still under 160. I'd bet Rich is some few stone above that. It does make a huge difference, the load on the device.

 

[Porkbrick]

rich, pm me your address and ill send you a spring. if you do paypal ill let you know the shipping cost and you can cover it that way. ill also send you a new top cam that has a slightly modified shape. it seems to do better with wet ropes.

 

[biggun]

PM sent. Thanks.

Burnham, Tim, I am probably 200+ lbs with ppe and climbing kit on.

I think weight makes a big difference. One of the main problems I found was after a while I would just slowly start to descend in the Akimbo. So I would tighten up the bollards and then it would be locked so fights I couldn't descend. I did change the top spring quite a while a go.

Maybe the new shaped top cam will remove the problems I have encountered.

 

[biggun]

I don't doubt you, Rich, but that doesn't make it less perplexing. I also get paid for climbing and have my choice of the best tools currently available. Even though the Akimbo it not in production yet, the one I have works better than all the other tools I have used with the exception of the Hitch Hiker.

I wasn't implying you were a rec climber, sorry if that's how it came across. What I meant was, the guys I climb for over here dont want me trying to reconfigure a devise every few days. They want me to get up the tree and get it done asap.

It is also very frustrating for me to have that happen. Hence the reason I have just been using the RR's, BDB or a plain old hitch and RW.

 

[stig]

Hey, I'm a rec climber sometimes.

I also climb for real once in a while, and none of us 3 have had any problems with the Akimbo.

We all love it.

 

[biggun]

How heavy are you Stig?

 

[pantheraba]

Just how big a boy are ya????

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The death of Liberace...

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[dstimber]

Not Roy D Mercer lol. Loved his stuff growing up

 

[stig]

How heavy are you Stig?

82 kilos.

 

[Burnham]

82x2.2=180.4 us pounds, give or take a little. Lean fellow for as tall as he is.

 

[stig]

Used to be all muscle, though.

Put on about 4 pounds while I was healing up, they will disappear like dew at sunrise when we start logging 12 hour days.

Man, the first week is going to make me wish I was dead

 

[Burnham]

I also used to be rather muscular...but surely not quite so much now. Sure, I look pretty good standing next to almost all 50's to 60's fellows I see...but I know the difference, even if not many others do.

I used to want to be sure I looked good naked, back when I was young and strong...now looking good with my clothes on seems a reasonable goal .

 

[dstimber]

I went through a short spurt of wanting to look good, muscular and all that. Wore well fitted clothes, worked out, and stayed clean cut . Didn?t last long. I?d rather be comfortable. The only cloths I have that fit right are what I work in. Most of them are rather comfortable. Other than that I?m in gym shorts and a loose t shirt. I don?t have any ? going out clothes? I just wear my Non stained work clothes if I wanna look nice.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Even after gaining a few pounds, I still look fantastic.

No brag. ;>p

 

[Burnham]

Just fact .

 

[MasterBlaster]

But - you know... it's hard to be humble!

 

[chris_girard]

i havent had much chance to get it pitchy. the hybrid oar i made did quite well covered in sap.

Hey Jaime, I've heard from a user that once the Akimbo gets dirty and filled with any type of pitch, it reacts 100% differently and you have to adjust both bollards. Have you had any experience with this?

I haven't used one yet and definitely still plan on purchasing one, I am eagerly waiting for that day!

 

[Porkbrick]

it definitely acts different with pitch. i don't recommend trying to use it srt on pitchy rope. ddrt is OK. wet rope also changes things. one of the downsides to having a very adjustable device is that it needs to be adjusted for different circumstances.

 

[chris_girard]

Makes sense to me.

Early fall still the planned release date?

 

[Porkbrick]

yes. on or before TCIA

 

[SeanKroll]

Wow. Coming to fruition. Congratulations, Jaime.

 

[stig]

Hey Jaime, I've heard from a user that once the Akimbo gets dirty and filled with any type of pitch, it reacts 100% differently and you have to adjust both bollards. Have you had any experience with this?

I haven't used one yet and definitely still plan on purchasing one, I am eagerly waiting for that day!

Last time I looked at mine, it appeared to be made of metal.
How hard is that to clean of pitch?

Try not to invent imaginary problems, the world is full of enough real ones.