Black Diamond Reactor Ice Tool
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Made for all-day pitches on frozen waterfalls, the Black Diamond Reactor ice tool is a leashless winter cragging machine. Its adjustable grip offers versatility for frozen winter objectives.
Shop similar products- Open pick angle to make climbing ice a breeze; curved extruded aluminum shaft offers good clearance
- Dual-density grip adjusts to fit all hand sizes; wide grip offers comfort for when hanging on to steep ice or mixed routes
- Steel head with aluminum side plate provides head weight and balance; compatible with the Black Diamond Alpine hammer and Alpine adze (not included)
- Comes with BD Natural ice pick; shorter length and thinner construction of the pick provides needlelike insertion into ice
Imported.
View all Black Diamond Ice Tools| Best Use | Ice Climbing |
|---|---|
| Components Included | Pick |
| Material(s) | Shaft: aluminum; head: stainless steel; pick: chromoly steel; grip: co-molded rubber |
| Pick Shape | Reverse Curve |
| Shaft Shape | Bent |
| Shaft Style | Bent / leashless |
| Length | 50 centimeters |
| Weight | 610 grams |
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Great do-it-all tool
Picked these up to ice climb in Alaska and they were fantastic. Even as a beginner with a lot of technique to learn, the axe has great weight and maintains a good balance. I was getting great sticks on the first swing routinely. I like that the axe is rated for dry tooling to allow me to use it in mixed climbing situations. Just have to grab the right picks for it. I will say that these will probably be too heavy for any extended mountain use, but for hitting technical routes outside of town it's perfect.
Best ice axe I used so far
This is my third pair of ice axes. I personally own the Grivel North Machine with carbon shaft and before that the Petzl Quarks. I definitely prefer the BD Reator. Blades are open enough for regular terrain and the curved handles are aggressive for steeper routes. I tried one set of Reactor last year and felt in love with the swing. The pure ice blades penetrate well with less ice diversion than my Grivel. Now so happy to own one. So eager to try it this winter!
Best ice axes I used so far.
This is my third pair of ice axes. I personally own the Grivel North Machine with carbon shaft and before that the Petzl This is my third set of ice axes . I presently owns a pair of. Grivel North Machine and my first set was Petzl Quarks. I definitely prefer the BD Reator. Blades are open enough for regular terrain and the curved handles are aggressive for steeper routes. I tried one set of Reactor last year and felt in love with the swing. The pure ice blades penetrate well with less ice diversion than my Grivel. Now so happy to own one. So eager to try it this winter!
Review after 30ish pitches.
I’m falling in love with these. My hands are not large but wide and don’t fit into some other tool handles. I can accurately place these tools and the thin pick is amazing in dat fat ice. Kinda heavy for some but great weight for me to make good sticks.
Bravo to Black Diamond / Reactor
The Reactor is one of the best tools I've used on pure waterfall ice when paired with the new Natural Ice picks. The tools have a perfect swing.The adjustable handles work great when changing gloves to accommodate cooler or warmer temps. Used without hammer heads in softer ice and the addition of hammer heads for boiler plate ice was perfect for penetration. I prefer the weight with the addition of the hammer heads. The angles on the shaft and pick worked flawlessly when hooking cauliflower or pulling overhanging bulges. Just love hearing that “thuck” every first swing.
Outstanding Tools!
I have big hands and sometimes struggle to find tools that fit me. Once I changed out the shim, these are great for me, even if I am climbing with heavier gloves. Fit aside, these are really outstanding. The new picks penetrate really well, especially in hard ice, and I had no issues with cleaning them. I have used a lot of tools in my 20+ years of climbing ice and these are right at the top of the list for me. I'm not a big mixed climber, so there may be better things out there for those climbers, but for me, these tools are tip-top.
Great pure ice tool
The Reactor is one of the best pure ice tools I've used. When paired with the new Natural Ice picks, I find I'm able to get good placements on the first swing almost every time. The open shaft geometry makes for a very natural swing, no funky wrist flick required. This geometry also makes the Reactors perform well even on less than vertical ice, unlike many more steeply drooped tools. The lightweight construction and even weight distribution also make it easy to accelerate the head of the tool, no big windup needed. Unless the ice is really cold and hard, a fast, short swing is enough. When paired with the Mixed picks, the Reactors perform well on rock as well, though for extensive drytooling the Fuels are still the way to go. But for pitch after pitch of ice, the Reactors are my first choice.
LIght & Precise
These tools are better than I am. I upgraded from gen.1 Quarks, which I've used for about 15 years. These come with a learning curve. It's hard to swing them straight at first, plus I kept hitting the handle. But with practice, they place easy and secure. They're light and have a super comfortable grip. I've tried the Nomics and find these to be about the same, and maybe even better for my grip. It takes longer to get pumped for sure. Definitely a worthy upgrade.
Fuel and a X-dream had a baby
So my first set of tools was a old pair of leashed cobras sans pommel, then i got a set of fuels and it was life changing, X dream never felt right...Nomic Never felt right. At the end of the day you gotta find the right tool for you. If you like fuels...you will like these more. Love the swing and it’s just fantastic hanging on this big meaty handle on a steep piece of ice.
Sticks great
These really have a great swing and feel natural when placing. If you have xlarger hands (with gloves) even with the large adjustment, it can seem a little snug but nothing that gets in the way of a good stick. Angles great and seems to help you from getting pumped as fast. Well worth it! Great Job BD!