Broken Gaff

[beowulf343]

About a month ago, I bought a new pair of B-ham 2-3/4" permanent
gaff hooks. Two days later as I was coming out a tree, my right gaff
hit a rock on the ground that I didn't see buried under the snow and almost
1/2" of the gaff snapped off! After alot of filing, I was able to get the
gaff back into shape but now I have some concerns.

1. Is this just a freak occurance, or is the metal in the gaff
weak? I am a big guy (6'7", 275lbs) who climbs five days a
week year around and I need to know my hooks can stand
up to the beating. Should I toss them or use them?

2. Obviously my right gaff is now quite a bit shorter than the
left one. Is this going to affect my climbing at all or should
I file the left one to match?

3. I have been climbing on Buckinghams for ten years now but
this is the first new set of hooks I've bought in nearly three
years. Has anyone else had any problems with new
Buckingham equipment?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[clearance]

I would keep them for parts now myself, but if you file or grind the other one to match do not take the temper out of it. I climb with Buckinghams. I was taught that the metal will stress fracture so I take mine off, or walk into the bush with then snapped onto my saddle. My coworkers walk with them on the logging roads that are made from blasted rock, oh well. I think the steel is a compromise between hardness and filing ability, I think if you just push on the spur it is ok, it is the shock that fractures it.

 

[jmack]

About a month ago, I bought a new pair of B-ham 2-3/4" permanent
gaff hooks. Two days later as I was coming out a tree, my right gaff
hit a rock on the ground that I didn't see buried under the snow and almost
1/2" of the gaff snapped off! After alot of filing, I was able to get the
gaff back into shape but now I have some concerns.

1. Is this just a freak occurance, or is the metal in the gaff
weak? I am a big guy (6'7", 275lbs) who climbs five days a
week year around and I need to know my hooks can stand
up to the beating. Should I toss them or use them?

2. Obviously my right gaff is now quite a bit shorter than the
left one. Is this going to affect my climbing at all or should
I file the left one to match?

3. I have been climbing on Buckinghams for ten years now but
this is the first new set of hooks I've bought in nearly three
years. Has anyone else had any problems with new
Buckingham equipment?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

yeah i would call buck tell them what happened see how and if you can fix them you might have to ship them back and pm me for a new pair of the same, we have a small dude who cannot fit the brand new bucks we are gonna change him to kleins or at least try, j

 

[BigJohn]

I had the same pair of Bashlins for about 8 years now and they were hand me downs from dad from god only knows when. The only thing I have replaced were the screws that hold the gaffs on. I was doing a crane job one day and kicked in and off came my gaff. The screw just snapped off. I made a couple more cuts on one leg and had a co-worker finish. I could't be using someone else's baby size hoooks, besides he had half his one gaff burned off from a service wire. Pretty funny actually he burnt his boot and that day. Anyway I removed the broken portion of the screw and replaced the screws on both pairs. When you buy quality they last generations.

 

[Xtra]

You should never file the "beehive" portion of gaffs (the rounded non-sharpened side towards the tree). Once it has been filed the strength of the gaff is greatly reduced.

I'd retire the spikes, or see if they can replace one.

FYI:
Buckingham recently had a recall on the stainless steel screws on their titanium replaceable gaffs . . . contact them they will send you new screws.

 

[woodchux]

You can pick up a brand new set for $170...

Your life is worth at least that much !!!

 

[pbtree]

I don't know, but if it were me, I would contact the manufacture, and see if they would help out.

Whether they did nor not, I would not use that pair any longer, seeing as my confidence in them would be, shall we say, compromised...

 

[Ny finest]

You should never file the "beehive" portion of gaffs (the rounded non-sharpened side towards the tree). Once it has been filed the strength of the gaff is greatly reduced.

I'd retire the spikes, or see if they can replace one.

FYI:
Buckingham recently had a recall on the stainless steel screws on their titanium replaceable gaffs . . . contact them they will send you new screws.

Xtra,
Please explain what you mean.I wear kliens and I was just told by an old timer the other day to sharpen ONLY the sides and not the back.Is the "back"what you're saying not to file?(I don't quite know what you mean by the "round" part)
Every one I know always sharpens all three sides and we never had problems. Are we taking a risk and not even knowing it???
Sincerely
Nate

 

[Xtra]

Nate,
Here's some info from Buckingham on sharpening:
http://www.buckinghammfg.com/linemen/Gaff Maintenance1.pdf

Here the same type of info from Klein:
http://www.kleintools.com/kleinlit/pdf/139184_Gaff_Instructions.pdf