Weaver cutting corners?

[MasterBlaster]

Received my new Weaver saddle from Sherrill today - no problems exchanging the Petzl for it. The saddle's fine, except they left off the roller on the floating dee. Crap! Thats what was wearing out on my old Weaver, and it at least had a roller on it, although it didn't work all that well.
If anything, I would have thought Weaver would have improved on that. Instead, they opted for leaving it out alltogether. That sucks!
Oh, well. I'm gonna get a Navahoe soon, and if I can adapt to their hooking mechanism I'll put this Weaver on back-up duty.

They sure are purty when their new!

 

[Burnham]

MB--Have you at all considered the Ness saddle?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hey, Burnham, thats what I meant, Ness. My heat-addled brain said "Ness" while my fingers typed "Navahoe".
I'm just leery over the hook attachment points. They DO look super - comfortable.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

If you're talking about the thin sheet metal roller on the floating dee, I think they took that off because it would wear out and then chew up the strap.

This is what Sierra Moreno found out on the Ultra LIght saddle.

Tom

 

[Mattman]

The suspension on my saddles wear out from the roller cutting into them.

Matt

 

[MasterBlaster]

After reading your post, Tom, I inspected my old saddle and it does appear that the 'roller' was what was cutting up the strap; still, they could have improved on that instead of removing it completely. A proper (larger, stouter) roller would be nice.

Brian, how does your attachment system interface with the existing dee?

 

[MasterBlaster]

I've never caught my skin like that - occasionally I pinch my shirt at about chest level. I've seen guys with holes in their shirts from that - I just pull up and get it out - haven't even torn a hole yet!

I stopped using 4 dees in the late '80s.

Still curious about that attachment system you spoke of.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Took a look, brian. It is probally something I will try, but it still requires removal of the stock dee.

I'm not too keen that type of biner - I prefer something more like item 24, pg 25.

A proper roller on the existing dee would be much easier.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Not having that floating D would be better.

one of these days I'll take the time to set up a bridge on my master to see how it works.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Those who don't use a floating dee will never understand those who do.

Where did I hear that?

 

[Mattman]

All my shirts are torn and I have caught my belly hair in the floating dee many times, and I still say the floating dee rules.

Matt

 

[NickfromWI]

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
one of these days I'll take the time to set up a bridge on my master to see how it works.

I did just that, there seems to be a lot of buzz about the butterfly lately, so I thought I'd give a rolling d another try. I spliced a 3/8ths vectran rope from two of the attachment points. It worked alright, but I didn't like the floppyness of my hitch. I like things close, I guess.

love
nick

 

[Burnham]

MB, which attachment points are you calling "hook"? I use a Ness work saddle, have for over two years; if you have a specific question maybe I can share something from that experience.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Burnham, I'm talking about the attachment dee on the saddle. From what I can tell from looking at the picture it looks like the legstrap part and the waist part have to both get clipped into the snap on the climbing rope.

It looks kinda strange to me, but I will get the Ness pretty soon. So many of you agree that it's the best I'm gonna try it out.

 

[Burnham]

MB--you're right, pretty much. The leg loops are attached to each other by a "bridge" loop of webbing. Mounted on that bridge is a small sliding D. The padded belt has a pair of webbing loops attached in front of the side D's. Under the web loops is an unpadded web belt with a nice stainless steel buckle that connects the ends of the padded belt, allowing you to cinch it down snug on your waist/hips. You fasten the sliding D and both belt loops all together with a triangle or pear screwlink. New Tribe says only use a screwlink for this instead of a 'biner to avoid sideloading issues. You clip your rope snaps or 'biners to either the screwlink or the sliding D, whatever suits your center of balance better. Don't expect this sliding D to move freely as you are accustomed to with your Weaver.

Note that you can order custom features if you deal direct with New Tribe...that's sure what I would do. I got mine with large D rings. I'll advise you to avoid the brass boat snap gear attachments: they snag on small limbs easily and often. Go with web loops or more aluminum gear rings. I cut the boat snaps off of mine and replaced them with a couple of loops of 5mm accessory cord tied through the snaps' web mounting.

I hope you are as happy with yours as I have been with mine! It's holding up real well and really is comfortable to work in. I am contemplating getting the suspenders for it to carry gear loads more evenly...it comes with small stainless rings for mounting those...otherwise I would not change a thing.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

It worked alright, but I didn't like the floppyness of my hitch. I like things close, I guess.

How long did you make it? would shorter have been better?

I got a number of delta links on my saddle allready, so it would not be a big thing to set up.

Maybe if you used a stiffer cord it would sit better?

What keeps me fro trying is that I never liked a center D attachment with a tress hitch, every thing is so close together.

 

[NickfromWI]

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
What keeps me fro trying is that I never liked a center D attachment with a tress hitch, every thing is so close together.

I agree, JPS. It was bunched up. When I normally climb on my master, I have the spliced-eye end connected to the top-middle d-ring (I think some of them have a webbing loop in this position), then my friction hitch is on the top webbing loop on the right hand side. When I was using my "bridge" when I'd go to grab for the hitch, I'd grap the whole works and that wasn't very productive!

What I'd like If I were to stick with the bridge setup, is a spacer of some sort between the two carabiners. Maybe if I put a thimble on the bridge and clipped a carabiner on each side.....

love
nick

 

[Greg]

There is a ness in that tree

I just wanted an excuse to try and post a pic taken with my new dig camera. I am wearing a ness saddle not that you can see it, so I'm not really too far off topic.
This was a good one, large broken limb up in the pine about 70ft, I was able to tie it off and lower it down in one big chunk ($450) and I was outta there in an hour.
Greg

 

[MasterBlaster]

Dang! $450 for one pine limb? Ain't never seen one like that before!

 

[murphy4trees]

Greg,
Good for you.... that one post alone could be considerred a crash course in tree estimatin'. Needed by many around these parts....
If you don't ask you won't get... and so you have to be ready to hear "no" and not take it personally.... though it still bothers me a little when I loose a fun job over a few hundred dollars...