How to get the right Krukonogi-Titanium picks for your tools?
Krukonogi - Titanium is making so many different picks, enough to confuse even the most experienced climbers. Let me explain how to read picks!
Krukonogi-Titanium - Ice, Mixed & Drytooling Picks Guide
First, let’s introduce the brand. Krukonogi-Titanium mostly design ice, mixed, drytooling and aid products. It's also one of the very few businesses that develop titanium and carbon fibre for climbing applications. If you follow UIAA Ice World Cup you have seen the art of Krukonogi-Titanium for sure. The Russian brand, from St- St-Petersburg, sponsor many top ice, mixed and drytooling athletes. When Krukonogi-Titanium is on the tree steps of a podium and their athletes won the overall World Cup standings for both men and women, it means something. The brand is renowned for its high strength spare pick and its high-performance ice tool optimized for World Cup and other big competitions.
The first letter in the name of the pick represents the brand and the model of the tool on which it is compatible. For example, the PN from the popular pick PNS00(A,TN) means Pick for Nomic (Petzl). Notice that Nomic picks are also compatible with Petzl Quark and Petzl Ergo.
Here is a list of letter markings and the Ice Tools they fit:
PA - DMM Anarchist
PAH - Austria Alpine HU.go
PAK - Austria Alpine K.ICE.R
PAN - Krukonogi-Titanium Anchar
PB - Grivel Force
PAS - Ice Rock Aspeed
PCX - Cassin X-ICE / X-DRY / X-ALL Mountain
PDA - DMM
PER - Edelrid Rage
PF - Black Diamond Fusion / Viper / Cobra
PGC - Grivel Carbon
PGM - Grivel Machine
PGOM - Grivel Old Machine
PN - Petzl Nomic I, II / Quark II / Ergo II
PR - Trango Raptor
PSB - Singing Rock Bandit
PSV - Krukonogi-Titanium Svarog / Tvorog / Anchar 5
PX - Cassin X-Dream
Here is a list of letter markings and the Ice Tools they fit:
PA - DMM Anarchist
PAH - Austria Alpine HU.go
PAK - Austria Alpine K.ICE.R
PAN - Krukonogi-Titanium Anchar
PB - Grivel Force
PAS - Ice Rock Aspeed
PCX - Cassin X-ICE / X-DRY / X-ALL Mountain
PDA - DMM
PER - Edelrid Rage
PF - Black Diamond Fusion / Viper / Cobra
PGC - Grivel Carbon
PGM - Grivel Machine
PGOM - Grivel Old Machine
PN - Petzl Nomic I, II / Quark II / Ergo II
PR - Trango Raptor
PSB - Singing Rock Bandit
PSV - Krukonogi-Titanium Svarog / Tvorog / Anchar 5
PX - Cassin X-Dream
The number after the letters show the type of pick. An ice pick is thinner, teeth are less aggressive and the angle of the pick is less steep. Drytooling is the opposite of ice pick, aggressive tooth and steep angle. The pick is also thicker and will allow a heavier torquing in cracks. Notice in the product descriptions that drytooling picks are also not strengthened as some ice picks. It's because drytooling picks must bend or flex when torqued and not break. The mixed pick is an in-between from ice to drytooling picks.
0000 - Pure ice. Inertialess picks with tungsten and lead balls inside
00 - Pure ice (optimized for cold, hard and high-density ice). Very thin pick. Not for rock.
0 - Optimized for ice but also good for mixed
1 - Mixed (ice and rock)
2 - Mixed or drytooling
3 - Drytooling and competition.
5 - Competition (often used with titanium cheeks)
7 - Shorter pick for competition (often used with titanium cheeks)
9 - Same as 7))
There are no numbers 4,6 and 8.))
Number 00, 0, 1 and 2 have wavy teeth that get closer near the tip of the pick. This is more suitable for ice or mixed.
See PNS00(A,TN) on the next picture.
0000 - Pure ice. Inertialess picks with tungsten and lead balls inside
00 - Pure ice (optimized for cold, hard and high-density ice). Very thin pick. Not for rock.
0 - Optimized for ice but also good for mixed
1 - Mixed (ice and rock)
2 - Mixed or drytooling
3 - Drytooling and competition.
5 - Competition (often used with titanium cheeks)
7 - Shorter pick for competition (often used with titanium cheeks)
9 - Same as 7))
There are no numbers 4,6 and 8.))
Number 00, 0, 1 and 2 have wavy teeth that get closer near the tip of the pick. This is more suitable for ice or mixed.
See PNS00(A,TN) on the next picture.
Number 3, 5 and 7 have aggressive teeth for the full length of the pick. It looks like a saw blade. This is more suitable for drytooling.
See PND5(A)TC on the next picture.
See PND5(A)TC on the next picture.
Numbers are sometimes preceded by a letter.
D - Slightly shorter drytooling pick.
G - Giraffe (extent the length of the tool and change the angle of stein pull). For drytooling and competition.
S - Stas Beskin edition. If you don’t know Stas, take a look at his Instagram account. He has contributed to the design of the PXS(A) and the 00 picks. Stas describes it as the best ever pure ice pick. S version have additional teeth in the upper part of the pick, as on the DT versions to wedge the tool on difficult ice terrain
Let's see what it looks like! In the next diagram, take a look at how the G (giraffe) extended the reach. Notice the tooth difference of both giraffes picks PNG(A) (wavy) to PNG3(A) (saw blade) and how the tip is more aggressive on PNG3(A). See how 00 pick is low angle and ''soft'' tip, perfect for hard ice. Notice also how D pick is slightly shorter. PNS00(A) have the least aggressive angle, follow by PN0(A).
D - Slightly shorter drytooling pick.
G - Giraffe (extent the length of the tool and change the angle of stein pull). For drytooling and competition.
S - Stas Beskin edition. If you don’t know Stas, take a look at his Instagram account. He has contributed to the design of the PXS(A) and the 00 picks. Stas describes it as the best ever pure ice pick. S version have additional teeth in the upper part of the pick, as on the DT versions to wedge the tool on difficult ice terrain
Let's see what it looks like! In the next diagram, take a look at how the G (giraffe) extended the reach. Notice the tooth difference of both giraffes picks PNG(A) (wavy) to PNG3(A) (saw blade) and how the tip is more aggressive on PNG3(A). See how 00 pick is low angle and ''soft'' tip, perfect for hard ice. Notice also how D pick is slightly shorter. PNS00(A) have the least aggressive angle, follow by PN0(A).
The next diagram shows one more time how the G (giraffe) extended the reach. See how D pick is shorter but how number 7 pick is even much shorter.
In brackets:
(A) - Armor steel (made of). This steel is one of the main reasons why their picks are so praise. It's so damn hard! You definitively don't have to file the picks as often as other brands and the lifespan is incredible. However, if you have to sharpen, I recommend a good diamond file otherwise it will be a very hard task.
(TN) - Titanium Nitride Coating. This is a very nice beautiful pinky/purple/bluish colourful coating. It can cure cancer. I'm kidding! It's cosmetic only. Check the Article about finish coating types.
(A) - Armor steel (made of). This steel is one of the main reasons why their picks are so praise. It's so damn hard! You definitively don't have to file the picks as often as other brands and the lifespan is incredible. However, if you have to sharpen, I recommend a good diamond file otherwise it will be a very hard task.
(TN) - Titanium Nitride Coating. This is a very nice beautiful pinky/purple/bluish colourful coating. It can cure cancer. I'm kidding! It's cosmetic only. Check the Article about finish coating types.
The final letter is for accessories and additional features:
TC - Titanium cheeks. The cheeks make stein pull a lot more stable and are used mostly in competition.
E - meaning it's made from a Wire Cut EDM machine (ex: PAN5(A)E).
G - A groove to use the original hammer and shovel
H - Hammer (included)
SH - Small Hammer (Included)
S - Shovel (Included)
I - Inverse. Pick with inverse sharpening for competitions
W - Wolfram spraying
SF - Picks with large tungsten balls and CNC sharpening
A downside for Krukonogi-Titanium is every original accessory that needs an outcrop on the pick for its insertion is not compatible. It's the case with Petzl and Cassin branded hammer and adze. (except "G" edition)
The difference between I sharpening and regular sharpening
TC - Titanium cheeks. The cheeks make stein pull a lot more stable and are used mostly in competition.
E - meaning it's made from a Wire Cut EDM machine (ex: PAN5(A)E).
G - A groove to use the original hammer and shovel
H - Hammer (included)
SH - Small Hammer (Included)
S - Shovel (Included)
I - Inverse. Pick with inverse sharpening for competitions
W - Wolfram spraying
SF - Picks with large tungsten balls and CNC sharpening
A downside for Krukonogi-Titanium is every original accessory that needs an outcrop on the pick for its insertion is not compatible. It's the case with Petzl and Cassin branded hammer and adze. (except "G" edition)
The difference between I sharpening and regular sharpening
PAN77(A,TN) and PAN77(A,TN)I
W - Wolfram version. Tungsten sprayed on the tip of the beak improves strength and durability. It is used on Picks for drytooling and competitions. Often there is no "W" marking, but the spraying is easily recognized by the rough surface of the tip of the pick.
W - Wolfram version. Tungsten sprayed on the tip of the beak improves strength and durability. It is used on Picks for drytooling and competitions. Often there is no "W" marking, but the spraying is easily recognized by the rough surface of the tip of the pick.
PAN77(A,TN)IW is the most technologically advanced pick for sports ice climbing at the moment
SF version for Petzl Nomic
SF version for Petzl Nomic
PNS00(A)SF
The price
We usually believe that original parts and accessories made by the manufacturer are better than alternatives made by a third party. However, Krukonogi-Titanium is world-renowned in the competition field for the quality and durability of their picks and front point. Despite the high price tag, the very good lifespan of their picks makes them much cheaper in the long run than the original picks. In the end, the high price tag is really not that high.
Find the right picks in-store!
We usually believe that original parts and accessories made by the manufacturer are better than alternatives made by a third party. However, Krukonogi-Titanium is world-renowned in the competition field for the quality and durability of their picks and front point. Despite the high price tag, the very good lifespan of their picks makes them much cheaper in the long run than the original picks. In the end, the high price tag is really not that high.
Find the right picks in-store!