Screw That Ice
by KrisBrauer on 04/4/2020Pros
Screws In Fast
Two holes make rigging easier
Cons
Heavy
Familiarity
I’ve used it a bunch
Express 22cm
Description
The easiest and fastest placing ice screws on the planet, the Black Diamond Express Ice Screw features a tapered tube where the teeth cut a hole just larger than the tube itself, for less friction during placements. A large, color-coded crank knob makes for easy size identification and uninterrupted 360-degree motion.
Retail price
US$ 69.95
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Weight (grams / ounces) | 168 g / 5.90 oz |
| Length (cm) |
22 cm |
| Feature(s) |
Folding Handle Color Coding 2 Clip Points |
| Strength (kn) |
10 kN |
| Materials | Hanger: Stainless Steel Tube: Chromoly Steel Teeth: Chromoly Steel |
| Certification |
CE |
On a stance, due to its two carabiner holes Express is obvious choice. I’m grabbing it also on cold hard ice in a difficult situation where I need a fast placement, especially if the placement location is suboptimal, i.e. I need to reach out further than I’d like (or thought due hollow spot).
Easiest to get started, harder the ice, bigger the difference
Has two carabiner holes (handy at stance)
Though the knob in the new model is larger, is still kind of small
High quality finishing
Racks well with other “standard” shaped screws
Set of these with appropriate amount of quickdraws weights about 200g more than the lightest alternative (provided that you use light quick draws, i.e. 70g each)
The Express is a classic design that looks very simple and yet works brilliantly. The hanger has been updated recently; most noticeably by the addition of a secondary clip in point for belays. The hanger is now also made out of stainless steel which won’t rust, and should not heat up as much as the old black hanger in the sun, thereby reducing melt-out (I’m not sure if anybody has ever experienced this in Scotland though!). The knob has also been made bigger, making it easier to use in thick gloves and less likely to be dropped. Less obviously the tube is now tapered so that it is wider at the tooth end than the hanger end, making the final turns quicker and easier. Thanks to the neat design the Express racks very well. Overall this screw is still one of the best and makes a great base for any winter rack.
Finally the screw itself is lighter, presumably from the reduced hanger weight. A 16cm weighs in at 5.2oz compared to the old model at 5.5oz. Not too significant: 17 of the old screws weigh as much as 18 of the new ones, to put it in perspective. BD's web site also notes that "all sizes of screws are now CE-certified," although their own comparison table still lists the shorty 10cm without the CE logo.
The Express ice screws bit exceptionally well in to the ice, meaning that they were amongst the fastest and easiest to place in the whole test. Once they have bitten, they were also very easy to wind in, with the handle and shape working exceptionally well.
Black Diamond Express - Ice Screw, 37 kb The threads were of average size, with a good design being angle on the entry size, flat on the rear side and of average size in terms of thread depth. We had no issues with the threads not biting and they gave confidence inspiring placements in old and new holes.
The heads racked quickly and neatly on ice screw clippers and were generally very easy to rack, un-rack as well as easy to place and remove from the ice.
Summary: A brilliant, well designed, well polished, easy to use, strong and simple ice screw that comes in a large range of sizes. Strongly recommended by the UKC test-team.
In hard ice, you can place a Black Diamond 22 cm Express Ice Screw in under 20 seconds, and sometimes half that. The Express Screws with aggressive teeth that are longer and sharper than those of a piranha, are easy to stab into the ice to get them started. Once you've set the screw, you unfold the small coffee-grinder handle that is integrated within the hanger, and spin in the screw. When you are done, you fold the knob back up and clip the stainless steel hanger. Color coding on the handle makes it easy to visually identify each length. After you remove a screw, a puff through the tube usually suffices to clear the ice core. The Express Screws are standard on my ice rack, and are what I measure all other ice screws against. On Colorado water ice I find the 16 cm length the most useful. The 22 cm are long, but good in funky conditions, and I've used the 10 cm—and gladly—on super thin and otherwise unprotectable ice.
Testing Black Diamond Express Ice Screw
Express Review of Black Diamond Express Ice Screw
Poor camera work but you can have an idea about effectiveness of Black Diamond Express Ice Screws.
Sharpen and maintain Ice screws
Black Diamond Ice Screw Sharpening
This video, put out by Black Diamond, demonstrates how to properly sharpen your ice screws. Note: You may want to mute your speakers before watching this video, as there's no voice and the music may be unappealing to sensitive ears.
Black Diamond Athlete Conrad Anker, he's racked up with like 6 Express Screws
This isn't a product video per se, though Conrad does mention how nice the ice gear improvements are. Really, this video is just interesting to see a behind the scenes look at one of the athletes who use express screws. In addition to climbing, you'll also see Conrad Anker's gear room that includes a tribute to Alex Lowe.
A pictoral representation of the UIAA-151 and EN-568 standards for ice screws.