Black Diamond Express Ice Screws

These are solid and place fast. Tactile feedback upon starting, goes in fast with the lever. Two hole design has neutral effect for me. Racks neatly on both side, but is easier to take out on the left side. Have not used the petzl laser speed for comparison; you'll also have to decide on the balance of weight/cost/durability vs the UL model.

Great for abalakov systems (I think the name is V-thread anchor?) in the glacier. It goes in smooth and easy and you can recover it really fast, which is perfect when hanging off an ice wall. Sturdy construction and sharpened as hell. Worth it every penny. Have not tried other brands but I don't think I need to. Will definitely get a couple more BD screws in different sizes

The work-horse of ice screws and easy to insert in a pinch with the independently spinning capabilities of the screw handle.

Photo below take in Maple Canyon: hit me up for Ice Condition Reports in Utah/Wyoming, or I'll bump into you out there!

These are my first screws, so I don't have much to compare them to, but have had no problems with them so far. Quick to plug and pretty light. Used them for a top rope anchor and they were solid.

Probably the scariest tool I carry with me while skiing in glacial terrain. Left on my harness for easy access but rarely used. The most likely tool to stab you in a bad crash and arguably the most important tool to save your life if one was to fall in a crevasse.

In my experience 8 out of 10 times I have used this tool as a drill rather than a screw. Two holes drilled as a V into a solid block of ice make for a solid anchor in the ice to slip your rope through. (we hope) Just don't tell your mom you trusted frozen water with your life.

Have a whole rack of them. They whistle right in, are lightweight, hold an edge well...really what more do you want?

I've tried a bunch of different screws when out with friends - I always end up wanting to use mine (these).

These are great at setting, and I can often get them to set in the first turn or two, where most others I need to get 3-5 before they are in.

They have a great spinner (but definitely make sure to close it when you are done!), and drive super easily and quickly, which is a huge relief when you are pumped silly.

The color coding is handy, and so are the dual attachment points. I only wish there was an 'ultralight' version like petzl makes for these.

Put in about 10 days on the sharp end this winter using these screws. I never fell on one or had to rest on one mid-climb, but I nevertheless felt confident in my placements in solid ice and could feel the screws "talking" back to me if the ice was crap or if there were air pockets.

These screws are the workhorse on my rack--sure, I have a couple grivel screws that I absolutely love, and I think there's even a Petzl Laser Sonic kicking around--but for most of my placements, I'm sinking in BD Express screws.



I find that while they don't place as quickly as the Grivel screws, they rack much more conveniently on your harness, and the multiple clip-in points make them an ideal piece for anchors. They're solidly built, start fast in hard ice, and easy to see sizes (I just think of them as camalot sizes) Make sure to flip the grinder knob down, as having your rope catch on it can be disastrous.

Just peachy for super fast screwing. The color-coded crank nobs were what sold me on them. They are ultra easy to place and only really need to be sharpened once every ice season. I wouldn't want to take a fall on them, but that goes for anything screwed into ice. It's very important to use protection.

I climb with a very mixed rack of different brands, and BD stands out like a happy thumb. Lighter than the grivels for sure. Plus I dig the double biner access! Bites, screws fast, does everything you look for in a screw!

Look no further. I love these. They start way fast and the little knob on the hanger makes getting them in a breeze. I like these a lot because they rack nicely on your harness. They go on and off ice clippers very easily, which is crucial when you are getting pumped and every fumbled move only adds to your pump. These are just great screws

These are superb. Recommend highly! And buying through this store made for smooth shopping.

I use a full rack of these for ice climbing, and I always carry a couple of these for glacier travels. They are solid, easy to place, durable and when climbing with friends with other screws we always end up with the BDs. Only shortcomming is when placing in some concave "holes" where the relatively long and ridgid arm hits the surrounding ice before the screw is all in. Therfore I'd reccomend to bring one or two grivel 360s or similar in addition to the BDs.