How to use Revolve Steel Screw correctly, maintenance and storage with instructional pictures.
Revolve Steel 15cm
Description
Innovative tubular hardened steel ice screw including the patented fast screwing system:
it allows you to wind-in the screw into vertical ice, keeping the arm outstretched, thus granting a considerable saving of energy;
the shape of the head allows you to wind-in the screw keeping a constant pressure with your hand;
four split end outside teeth, conical threaded screw ensuring a firm bite into the ice;
foldaway ergonomic handle to allow an easy wind-in and unscrew maneuver;
equipped with a dyneema quickdraw Ice Hook without carabiner.
Weight (grams / ounces) Weight (g / oz)In grams and ounces, the weight, as stated by the manufacturer / brand. | 170 g / 3.00 oz |
Length (cm)Length (cm)Ice screws range between 6 - 30 cm. Generally speaking the sizes can be thought of as: Short - 13 cm and belowShort screws (“shorties” or “stubbies”) are for thin ice found on harder ice climbs and/or in crappy conditions. Medium - 14 - 17 cmWith ideal conditions climbers will be able to plug medium-sized screws with no problem. They have a nice weight to length balance. Long - 18 cm and aboveLong screws are most often used as anchors or in crappy ice conditions where they can go deep to find the real ice below. Mountaineers may also prefer long screws as they can gain better purchase in less than ideal ice and have less chance of melting out. How Many To CarryThere is no standard of how many screws to carry of each size. It will vary depending on where you’re climbing, your style of climbing and what level you’re climbing at. Some climbers will get a variety of the sizes, while others might get a majority of medium screws, a few shorties for thin spots and some long screws for anchors and bomber placements. Note: The amount of threading on each screw does not change even when the overall length changes (exception: e-climbs screws). |
15 cm |
Feature(s)FeaturesNo Handle / KnobAbout 30% of the options 
Pros: Cheaper Cons: No “speed” handle/knob for faster threading Note: This is not currently a feature to filter on (coming soon), but is important to see the difference. Handle (non-fold)About 24% of the options 
Pros: There is an extra “handle” or “knob” for faster screw threading. Cheaper than folding versions. Cons: Some of the knobs stick out substantially and could cause the rope or draws to get caught on the lengthened handle. Handle (folding)Around 42% of the options 
Pros: Foldable handle allows for quick threading and reduces snagging potential by folding out of the way. Cons: More expensive. Color CodingNearly 70% of the screws are color-coded, and this represents nearly all of the screws that have handles/knobs (color coding can also be on the hanger or the tube itself). 
Pros: Like on cams, color-coding makes for faster size identification. Cons: Generally color coding only comes on more expensive screws (with handles) There are 7 brands that follow red, yellow, blue, gray, green as a small to large standard, but that is not consistent across the industry. Sewn Sling (Pre-Attached to the Hanger)
Pro: You don’t have to carry quickdraws, so it saves weight and speed of clipping. Con: The length of this sling may not be ideal and it is not adjustable 2 Clip Points on the Hanger
Pro: More clipping options, especially ones that are closer to the ice to reduce leverage in a fall situation. Con: This comes standard on only a few screws so your options are limited. On some configurations this will also make the hanger much larger. Reverse Threading
This is the most controversial feature. Grivel and CAMP (which make up 30% of the ice screw market) use reverse threading on all of their screws and claim that this angle is more effective at spreading an impact load across ice. If you are interested in the merits of the “reverse thread” design, click to see photos of the concrete tests (reverse threading pulls out more concrete than standard threading) and read about the concerns of testing in concrete. Read discussion of the engineering that goes into thread design and the questioning of straight pulls while testing to judge if reverse threading would make a [significant] difference in the event of a fall on ice. |
Folding Handle Color Coding Sewn Sling Attached |
Strength (kn)Strength (kN)In kilonewtons, the strength as stated by the manufacturer / brand. |
10 kN |
MaterialsMaterialsHangerThe material of the ice screw hanger (what you'd be clipping a carabiner into). Expect Stainless steel or aluminum here. TubeThe material of the tube of the ice screw (aka shaft). Most often it'll be Chromoly or steel but Grivel, Petzl and e-climb (and perhaps others) offer an aluminum tube ice screw option. Nearly 90% of ice screws are made from steel because steel is stronger and more durable. Aluminum screws will dull and wear out much faster and are not designed for crag-style ice climbing. They are specialty ice screws best used for fast and light ascents. TeethThe material of the teeth. Most often the tube material and the teeth material will be the same (e-climb and Petzl are exceptions). Often, screws with aluminum tubes will have steel teeth to help with durability. | Hanger: Steel Tube: Steel Teeth: Steel |
CertificationCertificationsThe main climbing gear certifications are CE and UIAA--and normally the UIAA creates the rules that the CE body also supports. When possible, we try to list all the certifications the product carries. To sell a climbing product in Europe, the device must be CE certified. There are no official requirements to sell climbing gear in the US. The UIAA certification is a voluntary process. Ice screws are not certifiable below 10cm. Learn MoreRock and Ice Certifications Guide |
CE, EN |
No reviews yet.
The major downfall for us was the ice-hook quickdraw system. The Revolve screw has no clip in point so it is essential to use one of the Ice Hook quickdraws, and as we have said in other parts of this review, we found these pre-attached quickdraws to be difficult to rack neatly (too long), and too limiting in terms of having predetermined quickdraw lengths, and the Revolve was no exception, however as with other similar systems it stops you dropping the screws when removing them from the ice.
Summary: A truly novel design that does work and with no major flaws. They look funky, so will love it some won't. If you are a fan of the pre-attached quickdraw system then these are a cool alternative to other leading brands. If alpine mountaineering and versatility is your thing, then these are perhaps not for you. The RRP is quite high in comparison to other screws.
Sharpen and maintain Ice screws