Hawk raZOR SHORTMAX climbing sticks

[BCHunter]

I received these climbing sticks about a week ago. Immediately I could tell the coating was starting to chip and an end cap was messed up. I also didn't receive the bungees that were supposed to hold them together.

So after putting them up for the first time, which was fine with the cam buckles, I tried to get them to nest together. I'm not sure the best way to do it with the buckles, but ill tell you it's loud and annoying to try to figure it out. So I decided I'd switch them out with amsteel and tie a Jim Stepp knot(never alter equipment). I spliced it to the other side. (1/8" amsteel is a b#-&% to splice)

So I decided to weigh to see the weight savings and found out the website was incorrect...

One of the biggest issues is that they don't nest the greatest, it seems like they should have figured this out in the first stages of design.

Here's some measurements.

So all together they work great with the amsteel and Jim Stepp knot, they are heavy duty(except the coating), but they don't nest together very well. It just feels like this is a beta version of a very good product from a company with terrible quality assurance. I also can't excuse inaccurate weights on their website without a disclaimer that it doesn't include the strap. Want to love these, but I wouldn't recommend anyone get them till they fix the tweaks. I Emailed them today about these issues, I'll keep you updated on how they respond.

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[redsquirrel]

Thanks for sharing that detailed review. I would have to say, most of the limitations that you mentioned are similar to the helium sticks also. I love the size, weight and step design of the sticks. But they stack poorly, the strap system is cumbersome and there is no good way to store the straps while they are stacked.

For some reason it also seems pretty normal for the manufacturers to be posting incorrect weights on their stick models lately. I saw the same thing while reading a review of some muddy sticks. Not sure how they are getting away with this.

 

[DaveT1963]

Thanks for sharing that detailed review. I would have to say, most of the limitations that you mentioned are similar to the helium sticks also. I love the size, weight and step design of the sticks. But they stack poorly, the strap system is cumbersome and there is no good way to store the straps while they are stacked.

For some reason it also seems pretty normal for the manufacturers to be posting incorrect weights on their stick models lately. I saw the same thing while reading a review of some muddy sticks. Not sure how they are getting away with this.

My Heliums stack just as well, if not better then any other stick I have used??? and storing to rope don't get any easier then how I do it - two wraps and one tuck?

 

[redsquirrel]

Thanks for sharing that detailed review. I would have to say, most of the limitations that you mentioned are similar to the helium sticks also. I love the size, weight and step design of the sticks. But they stack poorly, the strap system is cumbersome and there is no good way to store the straps while they are stacked.

For some reason it also seems pretty normal for the manufacturers to be posting incorrect weights on their stick models lately. I saw the same thing while reading a review of some muddy sticks. Not sure how they are getting away with this.

My Heliums stack just as well, if not better then any other stick I have used??? and storing to rope don't get any easier then how I do it - two wraps and one tuck?

Yes, but you have yours heavily modified. Don't you have older versa buttons where the bolt sits flush in the button? I had to cut my buttons down to make them stack together. And if you are using rope like you are it can wrap around nicely, but if you are trying to use them out of the box with their cam straps and hooks, there is no good way to wrap them with them fitting together nicely without the hardware clanking around.

 

[IkemanTX]

I really am quite surprised that they put out such an incomplete product. The weight thing I kind of expect, but those things don't look like a final product at all...


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[DaveT1963]

Thanks for sharing that detailed review. I would have to say, most of the limitations that you mentioned are similar to the helium sticks also. I love the size, weight and step design of the sticks. But they stack poorly, the strap system is cumbersome and there is no good way to store the straps while they are stacked.

For some reason it also seems pretty normal for the manufacturers to be posting incorrect weights on their stick models lately. I saw the same thing while reading a review of some muddy sticks. Not sure how they are getting away with this.

My Heliums stack just as well, if not better then any other stick I have used??? and storing to rope don't get any easier then how I do it - two wraps and one tuck?

Yes, but you have yours heavily modified. Don't you have older versa buttons where the bolt sits flush in the button? I had to cut my buttons down to make them stack together. And if you are using rope like you are it can wrap around nicely, but if you are trying to use them out of the box with their cam straps and hooks, there is no good way to wrap them with them fitting together nicely without the hardware clanking around.

I actually show how i countersink the regular versa buttons in my last stick video. I did modify my sticks, but unlike the sticks above helium sticks actually do fit together well.

 

[LASOutdoorsmen]

For my mobile setup I use one of those for my top climbing stick. The angled steps make for an awesome platform. I usually put a screw in step on each side of it to complete my platform. Very solid! I'm sorry you don't like them as much as I do.

 

[BCHunter]

For my mobile setup I use one of those for my top climbing stick. The angled steps make for an awesome platform. I usually put a screw in step on each side of it to complete my platform. Very solid! I'm sorry you don't like them as much as I do.

If they would nest together properly and the paint wasn't chipping like crazy I would love them.

 

[Maustypsu]

I had the X-stands Mantis Climbing sticks. They were 31" tall and weighed 2.5lbs per stick. Same issues with the paint, and not well thought out with the nesting. No great way to keep them quiet without some work.

However, if you want light weight, these things dug in good and were 31" tall. I think of you one stick guys. Because they have double feet, great for the start of your platform and tall enough to save you one or two cycles...

I don't think you can get anything "meatier" than these for less weight.

 

[pilgrimhunter]

@BCHunter Do you have an update on the Razor sticks? I stumbled across your review and was wondering how you liked them after more time? In regards to weight I have found the same thing with my Helium sticks as well as the Millinium stand I have. Manufacturers must figure that what you use to attach to the tree doesn't need to be included in the weight.....

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[BCHunter]

@BCHunter Do you have an update on the Razor sticks? I stumbled across your review and was wondering how you liked them after more time? In regards to weight I have found the same thing with my Helium sticks as well as the Millinium stand I have. Manufacturers must figure that what you use to attach to the tree doesn't need to be included in the weight.....

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I would say that I only use them for pre set trees because they are pretty heavy, loud, and clunky. The contact points that hit the tree are pretty short/wide, so they don't work very well if the tree isn't perfectly straight. It's impossible to quiet the sticks down completely because of the way the steps fold around the bottom portion of the tube, any wrap would make it so it cant fold.

 

[michigan]

there is a promo for these on Hawk website right now razor50, half off, just ordered some for 85 bucks shipped. curious to see how they compare to the muddy's.