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Review > Uncarved Block > Lucky Seven Incuts

When someone says that a hold is "hard to hold on a 45" we'll test that, when a set of holds comes enclosed with a note saying "if you can hold onto these on a 45 then you're strong" you know full well (as should we these days) that someone is issuing a challenge, someone is laying down the gauntlet  and that we're going to try to do it for good or worse.

The holds, ah the holds:

When you read the Uncarved Block website and the brief blurb they have there they offer this advice:
"Lucky 7 Incuts. There is nothing lucky about these subtlety incut holds at all, if you are using them on steep ground and hanging on, it is because your skilled and not lucky, but we needed a name and there is 7 in this set! Built in screw holes to aid in rotation prevention to boot!" and then you watch the video:

And you realize apart from one of the start holds they're not even pulling THEIR OWN HOLDS ON A 45 lol


So what this review is going to boil down to is going to be "can these holds be pulled on a 45?" and "Why aren't the makers of these holds pulling down on these holds on a 45?"



From the get go we knew what we were in for, you just touch these holds... read the note and know that you're in for a rough time on a 45, on a 30 it's plain to see that that's where the positive (if you can call it that) pulling is going to be over. These holds are incut, but not to the degree where hauling on them on steep angles was ever going to be easy! Uncarved Block as we've pointed out time and again make some of the most ergonomic shapes on the market, the only people that beat them is Teknik for finger friendly hard as hell but so nice to grab onto holds. Uncarved Block is the Teknik of the Southern Hemisphere... they both are stand out company's, and now UC has switched to urethane the climbing is so much better; but there is a small contingent of one person here that still loves their resin shapes (and that's funny as I'm writing the review :P) UC has a huge line of holds and there isn't a single line of sharp rip your finger tips off crimps in there, they have crimps but even those holds are nice to grab onto.


Whatever Uncarved Block are doing, they're doing it well... if you need further proof read some of our other reviews:

• Large Edges: here
• Blades, bolt on AND screw on: here
• Mickey Finns: here
• 30 degree set: here

I don't think the word sharp is even used in any of those reviews (Some of the reviews need to be reformatted btw, sorry about that).

So the Lucky Seven Incuts.
Incut: check
Seven: there are seven holds here
Lucky: ah that's the point is it not? You have to be lucky to hold these holds on anything over a 30 degree wall or you have mad core strength and fingers of steel... we tried, oh we tried and most of the footage hit the floor. BUT I was feeling a little bit spicy from writing this review so I decided to give it that one last go,  I decided to limit the route to something not completely mental and to not throw myself at it for hours at a time... so just 30 minutes of trying to unlock a very simple sequence on our 45... thankfully it's pulled first attempt... so the holds can be climbed on a 45 but the "oww" from me says it all, they're bloody hard

VIDEO
 SUGGESTED USES:








Fred came over and saw these, even without climbing on them he stated that they'd be great holds to use on volumes in a comp setting. That's some pretty high praise from our sponsored routesetter (he's asked to borrow them for an upcoming comp already)


So first impressions do make an impression, we'd agree, without the note saying that they would be hard on a steep wall we could see that without even bolting them up, how hard was the question... bloody hard is the answer. We'd also agree with Fred, these holds (much like the rails and the Mickey Finns) would make great competition holds but they'd also make a nice addition to anyone with shallow walls because they're small but on a shallow angle positive enough to allow most people to grab them. If your commercial gym has a wall where you top out then these holds would be perfect up there, likewise for any gym with a slab. Don't put them anywhere near a wall that's over 45 unless you're super mentally strong or they're being used as footholds!

OVERALL BUILD

• Number of holds: 7
• Type (Bolt / Screw Ons): Bolt
• Price per hold (set price divided by number of holds):
• Color: Ours are orange and blue
• Bolt placement: Middle
• Sanding: Good
• Hollow backed: No
• Soft back (Rubber backed): No
• Texture: Skin friendly
• Set size: Small / Medium
• Versatility: Limited
• Pre-drilled screw holes:
• Shaper: TBC
• Weight: 0.80kg

Every time we see new Uncarved Block holds it brings a smile to our faces. We know that we'll have to stretch to find something to pick on; in this case it's one minor detail that we'll come to.

When you get these holds the texture is just superb, grippy but not madly so, it gives you confidence in your hand placement without having to brush the route after each attempt; chalk also comes off easily when you do need to clean them a little. For us finding them on the wall isn't a problem as the colors that they came in (blue/orange backed) shows up well against what is sometimes a wall of blue holds.

The shaping is great, the holds are friendly to grab and fit well into a fairly natural position when you clamp down, even the inset logo is nicely placed so that it doesn't end up under your thumb when you're pinching down, even if the logo is under your thumb it's flush to the gripping surface and isn't a problem. These holds are also small, so they don't clutter up your wall and all of the holds have a nice pre-drilled set screw hole to stop them from spinning (these holds are pretty hard to spin)

So wheres the problem? Aha! The sanding on two of the holds isn't quite perfect, there is a small lip that if you were so inclined you could use of a little bit of extra purchase. Too be honest it's a minor point and if you're using this edge then chances are you're working hard and need it :)

All of the holds have well placed and square bolt holes and they take a normal bolt as they're nice and well sunk into the hold so there's no chance of catching anything... the holes are so well placed and drilled that when you use a normal bolt it also eliminates the hole as a sneaky cheat!

WHAT ARE THEY MADE FROM:
Urethane

PACKING / SHIPPING:
Great

RATING:
Noodles:
Every time I write about Uncarved Block two things spring to mind. Men at Work and VB oh and nice shapes... yeah yeah that's three things, whose counting?

I love a good challenge, and I love a good hold; I think that both have been well documented by now :D When these holds arrived with the challenge I figured that we'd take it up... hell, we'd crush it and laugh. How wrong was I? Pretty damn, ass kicked... kind of...................................

Uncarved Block keep upping their game they put out lots of holds and thus far they've not deviated from ergonomic shapes, friendly holds or a fair price (apart from one of the pockets on the 30 degree set that I think should be destroyed and kind of refuse to put on the wall anymore, not because it's not friendly, but because it's so friendly I want to do stupid things with it and then end up hurting myself; plus if I'm training I'd rather not play with pockets) What more could you want from a company? Hell their website seems to know that I'm from Canada and helpfully changes all of their prices to Canadian dollars and i'm not even logged in; how helpful is that??

Would I suggest people buy these holds is what these comments basically boils down to? Yes, they're small non wall cluttering holds that are great to 30 degrees. They'll test you and your skill if you want to push yourself and you'll have fun doing trying whatever you set, as per usual I'd like there to be more of these holds... can you imagine the Lucky Seven Slopers? I can envision the note that will come with that set " you'll never even hold onto these" and again I'd take up the challenge... when are they arriving? I'll chill some VB :D

Chris:
I tired the 45 route (thank god the footage got thrown away) because it was a session of ass, mat, ass, met and repeat. It wasn't fun, maybe we set too hard, maybe we weren't strong... maybe maybe maybe.
On the 30 all of the routes that i've climbed have been pleasant, super fun to climb and more importantly as I don't have time to climb so much any more.. finger friendly. Even on hard routes on the 30 when I have to reach I've always been able to clamp down

How Jeremy pulled those few moves on the 45 is pretty good, he didn't even use the side wall (read: cheating) sure he only pulled a few moves but a few moves was enough, non of the holds were huge the biggest one is the last one of the set. I'll be trying that this weekend that's for sure.

So small, well made, finger friendly holds... enough said right?

PROS:

• YADDA

CONS:

• YADDA

True North Log

Review > Teknik Handholds > NRK1 & Talons

In this review you`re probably going to see a few words like ``pure``, ``simple``; you`re probably also going to see a number of shorter more offensive words as well... because the holds we`re looking at this time will probably cause you to drop the odd F Bomb.

Let`s see the holds and lets talk about what we did:

Teknik Handholds: NKR1

Teknik Handholds: Talons

Firstly we need to explain the videos, as the Talons and the NKR1 are just three holds we wanted to set problems with just them and some foot holds, nothing else, as the holds are so clean looking we wanted to make simple pure problems. But three holds isn`t a lot, so we made a thing we call the TMP or Three Move Problem! Now lets face it, a three move problem isn`t going to really stress you out when you`re climbing... or is it?? There's one thing we didn't really take into account, that was a) the holds themselves and b) the angle of what we were climbing on... and here begins a tale of semi-epic proportions.

Ever since the Talons were set on a finals problem at The Spot a few years back, Jeremy was wanted to have a set... the NKR1, well since climbing on the original version of this hold we all kind of wanted to have it on the wall. Unfortunately the NKR1 went out of production for a while, and then it came back... tweaked and ready to kick some ass. As soon as Teknik brought this back the discussion started up again about grabbing the holds. Thankfully Jeremy's birthday was around the corner and he decided to gift himself some toys. Those toys were the NKR1, Talons, Half Fat Slopers and the Hard Mathematics. Money well spent he thought.... and then a email from Zoe over at Teknik HQ, the molds had to be remade so the holds were going to be late (Great customer service!) So the wait was extended a little, but in way of compensation she sent us a bucket of chalk stating "with what you brought you're going to want this!"

The holds arrived... oh what a day :)

They sat in their bags for about 5 seconds before they were being fondled by the crew. One thing that came out of the initial contact with the holds was this: "The Talons are bigger than I thought!" it's true the Talons are a couple of big old holds, and the NRK1 wasn't far behind them that was for sure :)

As soon as they were out of the bags, bolts were found and routes were set. In the videos you'll see the two initial routes that we played around on (there have been many more) and you're going to hear some beeping where we've taken out the language that was being thrown around the wall when we climbed... there was some contention on the first route, and well the second route... that one kind of speaks for itself.

So Route One:

Someone (Jeremy) had the bright idea of pulling from the floor on one of the Talons on a 30 degree wall, to top it off you then had to hit and match the second Talon and then move up to the NRK1. Jeremy set the first move and left the rest up to Bobby and Mark. What turned up was a pretty hard three move problem that had a few arguments attached to it! The argument was that Jeremy was able to pull off of the ground using a foothold and by smearing his other foot just underneath it and then basically pull / hop off of the floor, kick his smearing foot up and get to the next move.... everyone else was kind of stumped for a bit. Therefore he must be cheating because he was able to do the move, it even came down to Mark laying on the floor watching Jeremy's feet to make sure he wasn't cheating!

Needless to say once you have the moves it's easier than it looks. Jacky once he saw someone climb it got it on the second go and Chris managed to work out the moves within three attempts.

Route Two:
If you were to coin a phrase for this route it'd come from Monty Python... "And now for something completely different" :) Pull off of the NRK1 on a flat wall (use a back step) and then go and hit the not positively incut Talon on the 45 degree wall which is upside down and then move out to the final Talon on the 30 degree wall. Did someone say wedge yourself in the corner backwards and then try to move UNDER the Talon to be able to get to the final hold? Lets face it, pulling off the the NKR1 is hard enough already, hitting a Talon on a 45 even when it is set nicely is brutal and then matching from an awkward angle was the easiest it of it. We didn't film too much on this route, the main session was Mark and Jeremy just playing around one night.

Oh this route is a $5 and a hug route, whoever gets it first gets $5 and a hug from everyone else :)

So what do we think of the holds? These holds are more competition holds than anything else, but even thou the Talons have only been out for a short time both sets fall into the classic holds category from the get-go. Teknik always have nice shapes, they`re always friendly to hold onto and they will always put a smile upon whoever is climbing the routes face, ok that`s a lie, once the person has been brutally spat off of the wall a million times and then manages to get the route done they`ll have a smile on their face

The reason Jeremy grabbed these holds is because when you see them in a competition setting you know it`s going to be hard. Most of the climbers here climb in the Tour De Bloc on and off and at some point we know that these holds will turn up so it`s better to be armed with what you`re up against than to not kind of a ``know your enemy`` kind of deal :D Plus lets face it, why would you not want these holds, the only factor that we can think of is space, maybe your wall is too small to really have any fun with these holds; well what we suggest is you strip the wall get these holds and make a Three Move Problem out of them, you`ll not be sorry and you`ll know your enemy and that enemy is some serious sloper pinchy fun


SUGGESTED USES:










We would say ``hey put these on a 60 degree wall`` but you`d just end up on the floor looking up at the holds. The Teknik site actually suggests that the NRK1 is best used on vertical to slightly overhanging walls and we`d agree, this hold is hard on vertical and brutal on anything over a 15 degree wall (although we did have some fun on the 30 degree) and the Talons well they`re in different league of their own, you can get these guys on some steep stuff and the roof if you`re REALLY strong, like REALLY REALLY strong but on a 45 they`re a bunch of fun. If you have a big enough 45 degree wall then the moves and problems you can set with just these three holds are going to range from hard to really hard, the holds even though you know where exactly to grab them will always surprise you... a slight turn one way or another makes your problems harder.

OVERALL BUILD

• Number of holds: Talons are a two hold set the NRK1 is a single hold
• Type (Bolt / Screw Ons): Bolt
• Price per hold (set price divided by number of holds):
• Talons: $90/2 = $45 per hold
• NRK1:  $60
• Color: Our NRK1 is a awesome deep purple and the Talons are green
• Bolt placement: Good
• Sanding: Perfect
• Hollow backed: Yes
• Soft back (Rubber backed): No
• Texture: Classic Teknik, just enough for long sessions
• Set size: These are XL
• Versatility: Great
• Pre-drilled screw holes: No, and they really want them
• Shaper: Seth
• Weight: TBC

Teknik Handholds: Talons

TALONS: What the Teknik site says about the Talons: "A deadly cool pair of slopers/pinches. Each has a subtle incut along one side of the pinch claw feature, the other side is slopey. Turn them vertically for long tufa like features crowned by a sick sloper." For once that description is bang on!! To say that the incut is subtle is so correct, you have to be in the right position on these holds or you're heading to the mats very quickly

These holds are hollow backed and at first glance you think that they're opposites of each other, but they're not, they are slightly different from each other with one hold being slightly more incut than the other and we mean slightly more incut. The shaping as per usual with Teknik is sublime, these holds have been on some many finals problems since they first came out it's not even funny. If you look at the finer details of the holds the bolt placement is good and square, the sanding is awesome and the texture allow you to grab all day long, well until your pinch strength gives up. You do need to find that fine line of how much chalk is enough (case in point watch Jeremy when he completes the first route where he chalks one hand) and you will find that they do suck chalk up... so then you brush them and then realize you need more chalk on them again :) It's a funny little circle of brush, chalk, brush, chalk with these guys.

Teknik Handholds: NKR1

NKR1: "This is Nels Kristoff Rosaasen's pro-model hold. It has been a fixture at many comp finals since 2003 filtering out the best of the best climbers over and over again." Again another succinct description of this hold, it will spit off the best climbers in the World who don't take it seriously.

This hold has a really well made hollow back that makes it much lighter than you'd at first think but doesn't compromise it's strength at all. We know this hold from various gyms and as it's been climbed on a lot every time the texture has been ragged to all hell... this time it's new and you can find the good spots pretty easily and the texture is just enough to let you pull, but if you pull in the wrong direction then again it's a trip to mat land :)

Again the shaping is great, even with the slightly sharp lip (which you'll never notice) anyone can haul on this hold all day without wearing out their skin. The bolt hole is again placed well and is square, the sanding is perfect and the color is a really nice purple

BOTH HOLDS OVERALL: The one downside of these holds for home climbers is their size, some peoples walls may just be a little too small to really be able to get the best out of these holds. One other point (and we'll agree to disagree with Zoe here, because we know she'll send us a email about this next comment) is set screw holes. These holds, especially the Talons, need set screw holes to be pre drilled and when we say pre drilled we mean when the customer gets the holds there should be a screw hole in the hold. Teknik have a bomb proof mix and they say you can put a screw anywhere you want because their material will take it, and it will, but we'd still like to see these little details to be included. Yes we pre drilled our screw holes, we always do because no matter how strong a material is we don't like cracking holds, we'd rather be safe than sorry :)


WHAT ARE THEY MADE FROM:
Super strong urethane

PACKING / SHIPPING:
Great, the box was bigger than it needed to be. All of the sets we ordered we bagged separately and no damage / scuff were present

RATING:
Noodles: Which name am I going under today? Noodles for Jeremy? So I Jeranoodle brought these holds and a bunch of others. Why you may ask! Because I've wanted the NKR1 since I saw it and the Talons, well I just wanted the Talons because they look awesome. Was it money well spent? Yes it was. I have a running list of holds that I want to get from Teknik and if you like you can read between the lines of that comments and if you do you'll find that that list is everything on their website. Slowly but surely I'm getting there, as a self confessed hold whore there are holds that to me should be coveted. Lets run through some of that list:

• The Boss: because it's the Boss!
• NKR1: because it's evil
• Some Etch holds... (their website is down again): UFO and the Egg
• The NKR1: it is that good

The list does go on and on, I have an excel file of stuff to buy so we can review it and that list gets longer and longer every month.

So the NKR1, I was once spat off of this hold on a comp problem, I was also thrown to the ground by this hold at the gym when it was the starting hold on a route. Never again, I am going to master every which way you can hold this hold so I will be triumphant. It's a subtle beast this one, one minute its smiling at you the next it's punching you in the face and laughing at you... base line is it's hard to master this hold, subtle movement is key and rock solid body tension is what you need to be able to play. It's a bastard of a hold but in a good way. One thing I'd like to see is the NKR2, the same hold but the opposite can you imagine trying to hold onto two of these things at the same time on an arete or a steep wall? It's be wicked

The Talons, I did actually think these holds were opposites, but they're not, they're slightly different from each other and thank god for that! If they were both the harder one of grab then they'd be so hard to use, but as they are they're just hard to use rather than so hard. And it is hard in a good way, again it's the subtle body placement and grip that allows you use these holds... crank the angle and work your pinch strength because that's what they really work out. Double heel hooks on these on a steep angle is fun and just playing with movement on these holds is one of those things that  enjoy about climbing and especially about climbing on Teknik's holds, it is always a pleasure and never a chore

Final note: I agree with the group consensus about having pre drilled set screw holes included on these holds, I spun the starting Talon on the first route twice and that hold was bolted to the wall as tight as a wrench could make it.

Chris:
I only climbed the first route, and I have to admit that it took me longer than I wanted to pull the first move... once off of the floor the rest of the problem was simple and just a matter of putting yourself into the correct position to be able to hang on.

I've run across the NRK1 at the gym numerous times and as it's an old version (old material) the texture has gone completely and it's like glass making it super hard to pull on. We showed Fred the new NKR1 (he's the head setter at our local gym) and it's not going to be long before he orders up a new one. To say that people like the NKR1 is an understatement, Jody Miall has an original MINT NRK1 that he only uses a couple of times a year for competitions... after that it goes back into it's hiding place and the setters at his gym know to never touch it under pain of death; yup people take that hold pretty damn seriously!

The Talons, man those guys are big, I didn't think that they were actually that long. You can probably put six hands onto the pinching area of these guys and still have room left over for some sloping action. Once I finished the first route Noodles and I played about with these guys, changed the angles on them, put them upside down, tried hanging on the slopers and generally seeing what you can do. The down low for me is this: If you're on an angled wall it's pinch time, if you're on a flat wall you can use the slopers. These holds are more technical than I expected and will make you think and work your hand placements... I love em.

Mark R: The first route kicked my ass pure and simple, the second route I was getting and then I just ran out of steam. What kind of gets my goat is that I'm away for the next two weeks and I know that the second route isn't going to be there when I get back, I will have to reset it when I return and see if Jeremy will post another video.

It's hard for me to judge these holds because I'm new to climbing, I went to my first competition a few weeks ago and when these boys are playing nice the routes for me are still hard. I'm getting there slowly but surely, I liked the pinchy holds more than the purple one as I could grab them and could just about hang on. Mind you the purple one on the second route I did manage to get off of the floor it's all about leverage

Martin: Really cool holds. The texture was just grippy enough. It really depends on which angle you set the route on. The force you need to pinch them exponentially increase with each degree the wall gets steeper! You can also set them without the pinching option and ask for the climber a really good body tension mastery.

We would have appreciated a pre-drilled set screw as it was obvious these big 1 bolt holds would spin. They do make a classic 2 or 3 holds bouldering PROBLEM for a comp, as the problem is really figuring out a way to maximize each chance you grab it to find THE sweet spot, because yeah, there's always a spot better the the others and by 1 or 2 inches you can miss it pretty easily

Mark D: These holds were really nice, granted the large purple (NKR1) is just a size up from its former self, it still has the nice texture and style of its former self, just bigger and better. The two grade A pinching sloping green holds had the same quality to their make, with plently of possibilities of how to place them on the wall. You could put them vertical to horizontal to upside down and depending on which angle you were using them on they can always be a riot. Friendly texture, not too much bend or give considering their sizable length and girth.

The only thing as already noted is their lack of a set screw hold, which they really needed as soon as you put any weight on them. We tried once without and then right away pulled out the drill and put some holes in since it was quite simply impossible not to turn these.

They feel great though, and were a pleasure to use, able to pull out great hand to heel moves or just swing around on. I wouldn't go and rate these holds as beginner holds unless you put them on a slab, but I don't think beginners were in their intentions when they built these. These are classic holds that every gym should have, they look good, feel good and have plenty of potential for any gym or cave.

Dustin Curtis: So the NKR1 and the Talons. I should start by saying that I've always been a fan of Teknik. They came on the scene about 12 years ago, more correctly exploding on to the scene with fat pinches. Lots and lots and lots of fat pinches. Yes yes, I know, there were some edges and maybe a couple of crimps but I'm sure that everyone remembers the PCAs and Tour De Bloc finals consisting solely of those white and one colored fat pinches. They've come a long way since those days and the NKR1 is probably the most recognizable of their entire line. Although this isn't the original, the original was a little bigger and far less positive, this is still one of the coolest holds in their line up. Nothing says "I love you" more to competitors than a big sloping rail. Granted there are a couple of wraps, and I have seen Tonde do some pretty amazing things at the world cups with the NKR1 but when you boil it down, thing is just one evil.

We've had these holds from the day one of the gym, and I can't keep my setters grubby mits off of them. The Talons, the NKR1, they're calssic holds from a classic hold company. These things come off one wall and before I've changed the battery in my drill, I turn around and the monkeys have the things back on the wall. The talons a find work best together, although good seprately, the blocs that I t'hink turn out the best usually include both of them, close to each other, usually involving some sort of stemming knee drop shanannigan or the ever classic double clutch dyno.

One thing I will warn to all those wrench warriors out there that are eager to get their mits on these holds, all three these holds are the biggest spinners you will ever curse night and day. As soon as they get out of the packing, get your drill and add a set screw hole otherwise you will be cursing these holds everytime some big oaf puts his hoof down on these holds.

Aside from that, these holds are sick. The texture is that super friendly, low friction texture that has become the staple of Teknik's line, making these holds hard, but letting you climb on them for hours without trashing your tips. I have to give it up to Teknik, still makin dope, simple shapes that are a staple for gyms. If you're the head route setter of any gym, anywhere, and you don't have these holds, what are you doing?

PROS:

• Awesome comp holds
• Amazing quality, with great hollow backs
• The texture won't destroy your skin

CONS:

• No set screw holes
• Maybe a little big for some peoples walls

flatholdlogo

Review > Blank Slate Climbing > Blank Slate

This review is a long one, we've had some back and forth with John about the review and because we had many questions that needed to be answered. So this one is a little different folks... here's how it went.

We wrote the review as usual, we had questions so we had John answer them before he read the review; so the interview we have with him lower down on the page is with him not having read the review, anything that is in the main body of the review in italics are Johns comments after he answered the questions and when he'd read the review, he helpfully points out some stuff that we didn't ask


Here we go:


Blank Slate is a phrase that means "Something that has yet to be marked, determined, or developed" so what are we looking at here? Well to avoid confusion I will refer to Blank Slate Climbing as BSC and the product that we're looking at as the Blank Slate. It's kind of tricky when the name of a product and the name of the company are the same :) Here’s why we like Blank Slate as a name: In one sense, Blank Slate refers to a blank canvas for the owner to determine how they want their board to be, it’s up to them. In another sense, Blank Slate is about breaking through to the next level.

When you’re at a plateau in anything—climbing, work, art, life—our philosophy is that, to break through that plateau, you need to go completely back to the drawing board and re-evaluate everything, not just continue the same old things expecting different results. To break through, you must start from a Blank Slate, in every possible contributing aspect.

So now you are now wondering what we're looking at here... well they say a picture speaks a thousand words so here you go:

Yup that is pretty much it, need we say more? Ok, it's a board with some holds on it... but what's that bit at the back? Aha! The bit that looks like a pull up bar... you know, this bit:

Well that's the bit that attaches to your door frame, that attaches to the board and then.. and this is the genius part... it hangs like so:

So now don't have to drill holes for when you want to put up a hang board in your parents homes, rented apartment or new home. The argument your parents gave you to not have a board is done, finished and well and truly kaput! To say that this product is genius is like calling Einstein "a little bit smart", also to say that this is a complete product would be remiss from our part. The product is great, truly great but there are some short comings, really really minor points and something that if you get one should be aware of.

Before we get into the full on meat of the review, let us walk you through the day we got the board and what we did... and then the next couple of days. There is a resounding theme over these days that is quite amusing, but a very important message for anyone that buys a Blank Slate.

Arrival And Building:

We were waiting for some people to come over for dinner, the doorbell rings and instead of dinner guests it's the UPS guy. He's struggling up the stairs at the end of what was a miserable day outside with a huge box. Seeing the size of the box we knew what it was... dinner was going to be late. After paying the good man some money for import fees (one day people will remember to put lower declared values on packages that are international) the box is dragged to the living room and is unpacked.

Now if you're at all normal in any way shape or form you will discard the instructions, or take a fleeting glance at them and then build away. Thankfully BSC being a forward thinking company didn't include any instructions!! This isn't them not packaging their product incorrectly it's them being green, you can get the user manual online. Now, if you don't have say a handy iPad etc then you're either going to be sitting on the floor where your computer is building this, or in our case using my iPhone and then running back and forth to my computer screen because we sometimes needed a better look at what we were doing. The whole ethos behind no instructions is to save the planet, so don't just go and print them, do it the slightly longer and harder way.

What you're going to get in the box is this:

• Blank Slate Panel with pre installed t-nuts
• J bars
• J bar plugs
• Crossbar with foam grips
• Back support
• Back support felt
• 6 x 2 1/4" counter sunk bolts
• 2 x 2 1/2" socket bolts
• 16 washers
• 8 nuts
• 17 teeth washers
• 2 silicone bands
• Hex tool

Basically if you don't like Ikea furniture, but you do love climbing then get some friends over :D Remember how we said if you were normal you'd only glance at the instructions? Well don't! Actually read them because although with a combined education of 4 degrees, one masters and jobs like video game designer, train driver, machine designer and biochemist in the room you will miss something... and we did (more on this later) Don't get us wrong here, with the quickest glance at the screen we were able to put the Blank Slate together, it's easy, it's easier than the last piece of furniture you built. All of the parts were there, the instructions are through.. it took us all of five minutes to put together. It was so quick and easy it was almost crazy.

As we were building it we got to play with the bolts etc that hold this board up and it's a list of high quality parts. All of the bolts are hardened steel, same with the nuts, the hex tool is like the one Metolius sent us when we reviewed one of their hold packs (but waaay better) and then you look at the wood, it's good quality and the finish is superb, same with the matching back support; these pieces are just really well made and pretty. The cross bar that we received well it was pretty obvious that it'd been used a little the finish was scratched up in a few places and despite this minor fact everything was just beautiful

So it's built... and by now we have it hanging on a door frame... and thus far you've not heard what we did wrong. Wait.

Tweaking:

Putting the Blank Slate together takes no time. To put it onto a door frame is quick as well, you just swing it up, put the back brace over the top of your door frame and the foam pads of the crossbar rest on the front of the frame... it's that simple. What you need to do now is play around a little bit to get the board as vertical as possible, playing with the back support and the adjustments on the J bars will take a little time, you'll need to put up and take down the Blank Slate a few times. Overall, this took us about 30 minutes, so we've spent 35 minutes of our time and we're ready to rock. All you need is some holds... or a board.

Holds and Boards:

Now the Blank Slate will take two boards, the Grill from Revolution Climbing and one from Axarte that is being designed as we speak. We'll be looking at the boards in a separate review later on. The holds you can get from BSC are these:

Easy Rocks

Hard Rocks

Both sets of holds are again from Revolution Climbing, if you have a keen eye one of the images at the start of the review has grey holds, which are from Metolius (Yeah we have a keen eye) So this basically means that you can put whatever holds you want onto your Blank Slate, hell this thing is a BLANK SLATE so you can screw any board you want onto it, here's what our board ended up looking like by the end of the evening:

 

That's right, the Metolius 3D Simulator and the DRCC V3 Hangboard are installed and ready to rock above the kitchen door frame.

What We Did Wrong!

We didn't read the instructions. We glanced at them but we didn't read the really quite comprehensive instructions on use of the product... oh read them people read them. Here's a quick list of the stuff we didn't read and some thoughts on them:

Ooops, we've been doing pull ups on the bar like a bunch of monkeys that we are. The way the board works is the force of the climber pulling down torques the board into the wall above the door trim and keeps it in place. It's a shame that most peoples door frames aren't like ours here at CHR... massive and bombproof) so we don't have much of an issue doing this, but we'd not recommend it in any way shape or form

Well we skim read the instructions and looked the the images as we built it. Thankfully it's simple to put together so we had no problems

Well here we have a problem as we've been campussing from one board to the other :( Now we've had no problems doing what we've been doing BUT there was an instance where I (Jeremy) was static hanging from the board on one side only and we heard a very loud crack. What that was was our back bolts sliding a little from having four people bounce around on the board like lunatics for an hour, needless to say I dropped the floor pretty damn quickly and then took the Blank Slate down and re tightened the bolts so they were really really tight, since then there hasn't been a problem

Yeah right :)

The Blank Slate and Use:

Here is where we fall into the real meat of the review, there's good and bad and there have been lots of comments from the people that have used this board over the last week... this is a review that we will keep updating as we use the Blank Slate more and more.

1. The Blank Slate is great, there's no doubting that but there are some issues that we can see. No matter how you set the board up and no matter how tight you put everything together this product relies upon your door trims being pretty solid... to a degree, why do we say to a degree? Because the board when in use pulls against the wall ABOVE the door frame and not no much on the frame itself, so the load is distributed across the frame above the door and a little on the trim itself. So if this product is your answer to drilling holes in your parents or landlords walls then it is only a partial solution, check that your wall / frame is solid beforehand. Now we went back to John on this point and we asked about the door frame / trim issue, he in turn went to his engineer that helped design the board and got us an answer... see Question 4 of the interview for the answer!!
2. The Blank Slate does move slightly when in use. It's not much but there is some flex, we've had people from 100lbs to 200lbs on the board and it does move. Now this is when were were going from board to board so after seeing the warnings we did the same test with just hanging and pull ups, our board is totally vertical and there is still some flex. It's not bad and it is something that you'll have to get used to.
3. When you put a climbing hold onto the board you have to use (or it is suggested to stop spinners) washers so they are locked to the board. No real problems there, but it does become a pain in the ass over time as if you rotate the holds you use from one set to another then you need to get more washers. Blank Slate will send you more washers, we checked so you can avoid that pesky trip to the hardware store
4. The holds (we don't have them) aren't mirror images of each other. Look at the hard set, the pockets are the same, what happens if you want to do pull ups? You'll be pulling up on the same pockets... on a single angle bias and that kind of sucks. Why in hells name don't BSC use a system set of holds rather than just a random selection?? Revolution Climbing actually make system holds and they have holds that are no biased or left right biased so they should have used them instead... hell Revolution Climbing and Pusher are the same company, so there is so many holds to choose from from so many sets that it seems like a simple fix :). Again, John who is super happy to answer questions pointed out that "you can put any holds you want on the board" so you can have what you want, and that Blank Slate will be offering more holds in the future
5. The Blank Slate is made for static movements only... no dynamic movements, so what you have is a way to get your hang board onto the wall safely (awesome) but you can only do pull ups on it, no training regimes on your board where you move dynamically between holds, you'll have to drop off of the board, replace your hands and then continue. So basically this means that when you have climbing holds on the board you're using them for pull ups, you can't monkey around between the holds, you're just doing pull ups... it's not a bad thing but it's something that people should be aware of. You can bounce around as much as you wish, or wait for the stool to be released... it's a question of how comfortable you feel doing this. We have disregarded most of the suggested uses and apart from flex we've had no problems

NOW lets looks at point 5 here. Lets face it, unless you've got something like the DRCC System Holds kicking about the place (or any other system holds for that matter) so you can have a board that is symmetrical then there isn't any point in putting holds onto the Blank Slate, get a hang board and get it on there and then use it as your mount.

So pull ups are fine... what the Blank Slate is more intended for is STATIC HANGING... aha! Reading section 3 the Intended Use section gets you to the training section!!! Controlled pull ups, static hangs and eating salad is all covered here (Whoever wrote the manual has a sense of humor and they LOVE salad!) Now that we've found the intended use of the Blank Slate we're better informed about what we can and more importantly what we can't do on it, it's something that should really be included on their webpage so people can make a more informed decision on their purchase.

We were so perplexed by the instructions and what we thought it was going to be intended for that we sat down with John Reed to ask him about what the board was designed for...

And Now A Quick Interview With John Reed

1. Name and position
John Reed, Founder, Outdoor Soul, parent of Blank Slate Climbing

2. You designed the Blank Slate, what was it's intended purpose?
The original purpose was to remove the construction phase (measuring, sawing, re-
measuring, obligatory-return-trip-to-the-hardware-store, re-sawing, stud-finding, etc.) out
of having a home hang-board.

In creating the Blank Slate, we wanted to also have an adjustable height board so that
taller and shorter climbers could use the same hang-board without having to hold their
feet off the ground or use a stool. Lastly, we added a mount for a smart-phone to ward
off the boredom of long hang-board sessions.

Back Story:
Before moving to the mountains, I lived in an apartment in San Francisco. I was
climbing 3-4 times a week and trying to get better and, like a lot of people, decided no
matter how big of a pain, I needed to install a home hang-board. 6 hours, 20 screws into
my rented apartment’s doorway, 1 can of paint, and 1 sore arm from hand-sawing ¾”
plywood, I had a hang-board over my doorway that looked nice-ish.

About 18 months later, the hang-board had delivered and I was climbing almost two
grades higher, but it was time to move to the mountains, so it needed to come down. 4
hours, 1 can of spackle, and 1 can of paint later, I was ready to get at least half of my
deposit back, hopefully.

Given this experience, I decided to figure out a better solution in my next place, and the
Blank Slate prototype was born. It allowed easy install and remove, and it sit at a better
height—my girlfriend (now wife) could reach it without a step stool.

3. How does the physics / mechanics of the board work? (feel free to geek out here)
You’re basically taking advantage of the structural integrity of the door frame, which is
built to standard building codes, and will support up to 300 lbs of Blank Slate. The force
down on the board creates a torque against the wall called the cantilever effect, and this
torque holds the Blank Slate and user up.

The trim on the back side of the doorway only supports the weight of the back half of the
Blank Slate (the board and holds are held up with the cantilever effect, even without
someone hanging). These physics create a very secure board when installed correctly.

4. We're guessing that you need pretty strong door frames / trim to use this product?
We have installed the Blank Slate on a doorway with very week (tack nail, thin as it
comes) trim that was actually broken on one side, and it works flawlessly. According to
our engineer, it’s the cantilever effect, the pressure against the doorframe, that provides
all of the support. As long as the trim can hold the weight of the Blank Slate in place
(more accurately, just the back half of the Blank Slate), then it can support 300 lbs.

5. Was there no way of making the cross bar into a functional pull up bar without screws?
Screws into the wall or trim were out of the question because we wanted to avoid damage
to the wall or trim.

Many home pull-up bars, such as the popular P90X, allow pull-ups directly on the cross-
bar. Our original engineering calculations concentrated on the board
force, so until we’ve verified with our engineer, for liability reasons, our manual states
clearly not to hang on the crossbar.

Theoretically, because the force is downward, you should still have the cantilever effect
pulling down on the cross-bar. In our view though, doing pull-ups from the bar is less
than ideal because 1) you’ll have to hold your feet up, and 2) you might whack your head
on the board on the way up, possibly reminding you you’re a climber, not a meat-head.
Ha, ha.

6. Now the flex. Is there a way of making the system so it doesn't flex when in use or would
making the J bars shorter mean it'd be harder to put up and down (Note to the readers:
The Blank Slate is easy to put up and down once configured so you can still close your
door) or was the design a compromise between the two?
The original prototype was one piece of monstrous, unnecessarily thick, welded steel
that, once you heaved into the doorway (meat-head style), still flexed noticeably,
although it was likely the wood doorframe was doing all the flexing. Using that thickness
steel in the production version would 1) make it unnecessarily difficult to put in the
doorway due to increased weight, 2) cost more, and 3) not reduce the flex noticeably.

The j-bar lengths were calculated based on the wide variety of ceiling heights, doorway
widths, trim widths, and user heights.

7. Now lets talk about the boards
1. The first board is the Grill from Revolution Climbing? Has it been redesigned?
Yes, Revolution has re-designed the board.

2. Because of the redesign that's why the price difference is so huge?
We're still waiting for the board but the price will be adjusted as needed

3. When is the Axarte board coming in and when can we see it as it's their first
board?
It'll be here very soon

8. So holds. Why didn't you go for system style holds or left hand right hand bias holds so
people could make their own hangboard?
We have different offerings in the works. Our first thought was that hang-boards would
fill the need of left/right exact matching, but for holds, most would want a little more
variety. We’re open, it’s all about what customers want, and we have some training
specific holds in stock we plan to sell soon, among other holds sets. This is the Blank
Slate, it’s up to the customer what they want to do with it.

9. We spoke about the kick stool that you're designing that will work with the Blank Slate,
do you feel that having the two will enable people to be able to move between the holds
safely?
Yes, after testing the Blank Slate for a while during the prototype phase, I found that
having a little stool to put my feet in better replicated climbing—it got my back, legs, and
feet in on the training, rather than just my forearms and fingers. I think a dedicated stool
that won’t move around or tip over, and that has foot holds, will be ideal.

It’s interesting that I only came up with the stool idea after having the prototype for
years. The difference is the recently created smart-phone holder. With a smart-phone
there, I’ve had many hour plus sessions to think about things like a stool. Before having
the watch-a-movie option, I could never stand to use a hang-board for long periods of
time, and now, I look forward to it.

10. So the stool will make the Blank Slate into a more rounded climbing system?
Yes, definitely, and the stool will also work with the Solution Climber’s desk.

11. What else do you have up your sleeve? I've seen the design of the desk and I'm intrigued!
In this whole process of creating Blank Slate, I had moved to using a standing desk to
alleviate back pain (which worked marvelously, I’ll never go back to sitting). So, I’d be
at a standing desk in one room, working or surfing, and then go to the other room to hang
on the Blank Slate.

This lead to the invention of the Solution—a standing desk that doubles as a climbing
boulder. While you’re working, you can get a hang in while you’re on a call or just
taking a break. While you’re working out, you can put on a video to keep your mind
occupied.

The Solution lead to creating the mount for a smart-phone (and future tablet mount) for
the Blank Slate.

As far as other things up our sleeve, that’s a big YES. Our next big thing will do no less
than revolutionize the sport of indoor climbing! You heard it here first, folks.

12. We think you've done a stand up job of making the Blank Slate and bringing it to market.
Anyone you want to thank for making it happen?
Thanks, we’re glad to hear that! I would definitely like to thank Brett Boeckel, who has
run Blank Slate Climbing from the beginning in addition to working on other ventures for
Outdoor Soul. Also, thanks to Dustin Buckthal of Vertical Solutions, who has done
invaluable work on product design, among many other things, including work for
Outdoor Soul.


SUGGESTED USES:
We don't have a symbol for what this is :) The suggested use for this product is as a hang board mount and if you're using holds then as more of a climbing simulator but in a pull up way not in a door mounted monkey about from hold to hold way.

Either way, if you don't have time to get to the gym or you're in a office and you're allowed to put this up then do so, its a good way to get a quick fix and a quick pump on. The one problem you may find like some of us over here is that having a mounting platform that is vertical kind of sucks, we don't like straight up and down pull ups... pretty much ever, that's why we like the Metolius board on there because it's angled and it's nicer on the ol' elbows; thankfully the Blank Slate does flex a little so you do get a slight angle when you're on it. Now in the future there will be a variable version of this board available... stay tuned we'll let you know when it's released

OVERALL BUILD
We'll list the parts that come with the board:

•  Price: $129 + shipping
• Board: The Grill: $59
• Holds:
• Hard: 6 holds $29
• Easy:  8 holds $39
• High-quality stained and treated birch wood board: 30″ x 19″ (light or dark stain)
• Looks awesome in dark stain which is what we have
  
• Assemble with 8 burly bolts
• Hardened steep bolts
• A combination of foam padding, plastic and felt prevent door trim damage
• Good quality
• 17 holes with standard t-nuts for holds and fingerboards
• The t nuts are screwed in which is a nice touch
• Powder-coated high-grade steel components
• Very good quality
• Climbing hold hex tool
• Two keys welded together, nicely done
• Crossbar smartphone mount kit
• We call them rubber bands :)
• To be accurate : ), they’re the same as those yellow Lance Armstrong LiveStrong bands. And, man, they work perfectly and add no additional cost to the customer.
  Honestly, we tried many different methods to attach a smart- phone and this was easily the best, most universal, and cheapest for the customer! I love them, and they won’t wear out.]
  
• Crossbar: 42″ Board: 30″ x 19″
• Nice quality, ours arrived with some wear on it

The Blank Slate, you know it's intended uses and you know it's limits. There's not much to write here because every single piece of hardware that came with it is superb, the finish on the board itself is great and once it's put together (which again is easy) it does exactly what it's made for! There isn't anything to complain about apart from the crossbar that looked like it'd been used before but that's forgivable because it could have been from something in the packaging.
 
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM:

• High-quality stained and treated birch wood board: 30″ x 19″ (light or dark stain)
• Assemble with 8 burly bolts
• A combination of foam padding, plastic and felt prevent door trim damage.
• 17 holes with standard t-nuts for holds and fingerboards
• Powder-coated high-grade steel components
• Climbing hold hex tool
• Crossbar smartphone mount kit (rubber bands)
• Crossbar: 42″ Board: 30″ x 19″

PACKING / SHIPPING:
Not so good, everything was loose in the box, this is due to the board being so big.

RATING:
Noodles:
Our hats are off to BSC for getting this product to the market, I've had something like this kicking around for a few years... it involves two pull up bars some wood and some brackets. My version isn't anywhere near as user friendly or well designed, but it did get the job done; as does the Blank Slate. When you're in a fix and you need a fix then this could well be the cure, it's a jack of one trade right now and that's pull ups but it does master that trade pretty darn well if your door frames are up for it.

Now I'll be honest (like always) and I wrote this review with a lot of input from the usual crew. This is going to be an ongoing review as we use it more and more and as we put different boards onto it, we've done a week with it now and so far things are going good. We've pointed out the flaws and problems that we've seen as we've built / used and have moved it about from door frame to door frame so if you're thinking about getting one you know what we've found; hell if you get one then post a comment on this review (good or bad) and let us know what you've found.

Look despite what we've said above lets face it, it's either the gym or a pull up bar and pull up bars suck. Christmas is coming and your parents, girlfriend etc is looking for what to get you for a present. The Blank Slate feels the void (for me) between that dreaded bar, work and not being able to get to the gym and having your own (larger) wall. I'm lucky, I have a wall where I can climb to my hearts content but I like having this above my kitchen door so when I'm cooking or talking to guests I can get a quick work out in without locking myself in a room and thus being anti social.

Sure we should have sat down and read through the instructions before we jumped about on the board, but then again Blank Slate should have mentioned on their site what this product is really for. Now, even though we know what it's for we'll be CHR about it and we'll use it as we wish, we know the risks and we'll push it as far as it'll go and we'll report back. For now we're using it as a hang board mount, once our DRCC S Holds turn up then we'll use it with them and then we'll report back... if we don't break it then all the hang board reviews will probably end up on this board... so lets face it, I love it and you're going to see a whole lot of it before we're done :)

Now as always would I suggest you buy one?

You now know what the Blank Slate is for... chances are you have a door somewhere just begging for this.... I love it, I love that I can watch TV whilst hanging in my kitchen doorway... get one for your loved one for Xmas, they'll love you for it :) Just remember to eat lots of salad :D

Chris:
To say that I was excited about the product is an understatement, I told Jeremy to tell me the second it arrived so I could bring some people over who have the "parent" issue so they could see it and see what I was talking about :) I'll be honest the flex takes some getting used to, but once you do you suddenly have this training device that can be moved about the house in minutes and it means I can train when I like... I don't have the wall like Jeremy and my schedule is tight these days for getting to the gym :(

I'm going to see if I can steal this one without Jeremy noticing, chances are I'll be caught read handed once it moves. I've wanted something like this for many years and now it's here, so I'm happy and I know what I want to get for the holidays, it's simple, elegantly designed (although I think the J bars are too long) and it does it's job... job done!

PROS:

• Fits any door frame
• Takes holds or hang boards, it's an elegant solution
• Your parents / landlord can't complain because you can take it down
• Looks pimp

CONS:

• You have to get used to the flex
• Slightly heavy and bulky for shipping (but it IS a board)
• Not all of the holds are available right now (Minor because you can get holds from lots of places)

Review > Kando Holds > Smoothie

As the name of the review suggests these guys are smoooth... or are they? That's really the question... this week we're looking at Kando Holds Smoothie set. We've had them a good long time and it's time to put them through the Climbing Hold Review wringer :)

What you're going to get when you order these holds are these:

They look pretty inconspicuous right? And you'd be right, they are! These guys are some nicely shaped smooth radius holds that either double as slopey edges or as pinches... you're getting a double whammy with these guys... hell some of these holds are so positive that you can use them as some tenuous mini jugs... but that last sentence does come with an interesting mini warning. You know when you're leaning back, reaching for a hold... really reaching and your body hits that angle where the hold doesn't end up being that good? Well that's what these guys do, check the video with Jeremy reaching out, his feet rip off of the wall because that happened, somehow he hung on and finished up the rest of the route but we were kind of worried about the head smashing fall he could have taken, ah, just another day at CHR :P

So these holds are a mix of edges, sort of mini jugs and positive as all hell pinches... they have a lot going for them but there (as always) is a but. Let us explain:
When you look at the holds we first reviewed from Kando Holds (The Erosion) we never complained about the texture too much, because the shaping kind of worked around the smooth texture... we did complain about the brittle sounding holds but overall it was a good first review... here we have a weird flip side of the coin. These holds are solid, they don't sound brittle at all despite being made from polyester resin... infact they sound and feel really solid. So that probably comes down to the holds not being pockets, but what's weird is that there were some similar sized holds in the Erosion set that sounded brittle but the Smoothies don't. Maybe it's down to the mix, who knows, but there is a totally different feel to these guys than the others.

Next, lets look at the texture, the Erosions were pretty smooth on the texture front... there's nothing bad with that but the Smoothies are like sandpaper and you'll notice that after some really hard moves and a couple of good trys on whatever you've set that your skin is a little flayed. These holds are kind of emery boards, you can climb and sand your skin at the same time. Now, the Grit Stone from Dream Holds was way way worse, but those holds were made to imitate real rock so we kind of expected that, with these guys it's just a side effect from the texture. It's almost like these holds want the Erosion texture and the Erosions want the Smoothie texture :) Then, apart from the smooth radii of the holds, then they'd properly live up to their name.

Ah complain, is that all we do? We have had these holds on and off of the wall for over six months. We've set easy routes, hard routes and just bloody stupid routes with them. We've thrown them in buckets, dropped them and just abused them. Now something we'd not have done with the Erosions is drop them because they'd break, these guys... nah, these guys are solid and despite our (purposeful) chucking them into buckets and throwing holds on top of them all of the edges are fine... so we know that the holds are solid, maybe a little too solid because they are slightly heavy but nothing you'd really complain about. The texture is a little rougher than needed but these holds to inspire "I can do that" out of a climber because of their level of grip, sure people with new skin won't be able to climb on them for hours at a time, but anyone that's got good skin will notice a little wear, will shrug it off and then just continue without worrying too much

So a good bunch of pinches and edges that are a little heavy; nothing to really complain about


SUGGESTED USES:







If you use these holds in pinch mode then you can put them onto a roof, they're not bomber in anyway shape of form but you can use them. If you're playing in edge / jug mode then you can get a lock on them but it's hard as all hell.


Where these shapes really shine is steep angles up to 60 degrees, you can really clamp down and haul ass on them. On anything below 60 they do seem pretty easy... so you know us we set low and hard on flat and slightly angled walls and you can match all of the holds no matter which way they're placed. These holds are a strange mix of a "Lot of pinch" and "A little less jug and edge", it comes down to how you set and how you want to climb to see how far you can go and how much potential you can milk from these guys. At first we were totally meh on these holds, but after a few times setting with them you can really start to see what you can do with them... just beware of the slightly sand papery texture

OVERALL BUILD

• Number of holds: 10
• Type (Bolt / Screw Ons): Bolt
• Price per hold (set price divided by number of holds): 35 Euros / 10 = 3.5 Eur0s per hold
• Color: Ours are dark green
• Bolt placement: Centred and good
• Sanding: Great
• Hollow backed: No
• Soft back (Rubber backed): No
• Texture: A little sandpapery
• Set size: Medium
• Versatility: Great
• Pre-drilled screw holes: No
• Shaper: Kando Holds
• Weight: 2.5kg
• Distribution:
• US: None
• EU: http://www.kandoholds.altervista.org/joomla/ 

Lets get the nagging things out of the way right from the start, these holds are a little heavy for their size because they're polyester resin. Ah resin you say, then they'll chip! Not these holds they're super strong which when you read our other review is a little strange as the other set of holds feel like if you look at them wrongly they'll break as well... NOTE: the other set has chipped up a little.  That's it for nagging issues

Sanding on these holds is great and you can see that all of the holds have seen the angry side of a sheet of sand paper, the bolt holes and washers are all flush and nicely placed, all of the holds have an engraved "K" for Kando Holds so you can find them when they're mixed in with other holds

All of the shapes are really well shaped and are tendon friendly, the texture is the only thing that might give your skin a little grief, they are a little grippier than you may want for a home wall, gyms will find that it beds in well after a period of time. We've had these holds on the wall for six months and we're yet to brush one of them, that's a good and bad thing, the more chalk they get onto them the better they will feel! They make great pinches and if you use them horizontally then there are two edge options so you can get a lot out of them without too much trouble,

None of these holds have pre-drilled screw holes, which they need as you can spin them when they're weighted on one side.

WHAT ARE THEY MADE FROM:
Polyester Resin

PACKING / SHIPPING:

RATING:
Noodles:
Did we say this last time? When you go to Kandos site they have music, when you click on a set and then browse you're all good and then, and then you click on catalog and the music restarts... it's almost as annoying as having to install all the bloody Apple updates. If you're wise you'll turn the music off, oh but wait browse a set of holds and then click on catalog... and fuck me the music starts again... argh!! Imagine how annoying that is when you're looking for holds, trust me it's enough to drive you mad

Right, rant over!

Kando, they're in a funny place for me. I've seen a lot of holds, I own a lot of holds and sometimes there are companies that kind of make me sit back and wonder. The difference in the feel and weight between the two sets of holds we've reviewed has me wondering if they really have their mix dialed in, they sound when you tap them on a wall so different. Take two holds from any other company and knock them on a wall, they'll sound the same, take two of Kandos holds and do the same and you have something that sounds brittle and something you could use as a weapon.

 I prefer the weapon sound, the brittle sound kind of unnerves me a little.

Then look at the texture, these guys are called the Smoothies. The shapes back that name up but the texture doesn't. But the texture on the Erosions is smooth(er), it's like they're the wrong way around.

I_just_don't_know

Both sets climbed really well, the Smoothies being the better of the two sets that's for sure, but I feel that we'd need to see more shapes to really get a feel for Kando. Does that make sense? Let me explain.
Lets take Teknik, when I order Teknik holds I know what I'm getting and I know what to expect, I know the quality and I know EXACTLY what I'm getting into, same with Climb It, E-Grips and a whole bunch of other companies. With Kando I think I can be surprised by what I'd receive, I'd not be sure if I'm getting great but brittle sounding holds or super awesome holds that sound bomber. I'd like to suggest that whatever the mix the Erosions was made of be totally thrown away and to use the Erosion mix and stick with that, it's got a better weight and those holds feel like quality.

People send us holds for review and for our unbiased opinion, and I know that writing the above I'm going to get into a little trouble, but do I rail it back... HA, god no! We blind order peoples holds, they get the same treatment, I am the Canadian rep for a bunch of companies and I give them both barrels on here sometimes... know what they do? They go and fix the problems and then continue on making holds that are a better quality. Kando, hopefully will do the same.

Would I buy and / or suggest to you, dear reader, that you buy the Smoothies? I'm totally torn. They have a lot to offer but you have to really play with them to find it, they're not just "plug and play" (or in this case "bolt and climb") they do need a little thought when you're setting because there are options: default being pinching them; but if you do sit and fondle the holds a little, if you do sit and think about what you want to set and what you want to get out of your route then sure go and grab a set, the price is alright and shipping won't cause you to have to take our a second mortgage on your house... BUT if you want something to just chuck up onto the wall then sure buy them, BUT you're wasting a set of holds that could be used for so much more.

Chris:
I agree with what Noodles says, except I prefer to climb on the Erosions more than these guys. Why, because I like the smooth texture, sure they're not as versatile as these guys but I don't know (brittle sound aside) I just like them

There have been so many routes that we've set on these holds it all becomes a blur of movement for me. The one thing that does stick into my mind is that out of the box these holds hurt your skin and that's coming from someone that climbs a lot, I dumped these holds into chalk and just chalked and chalked and chalked to try to lessen the texture so they were comfortable for sessions and only now after 6 months has the texture got to a point where I'll hit a route set with them more than just a couple of times. If someone goes near to the holds with a brush then I tell them to stop because the texture is there no matter what!!

Gyms will love these holds, because they are a weird mix of shapes that can be used in a variety of ways and because they will last a long time because of their texture. Home wall owners will find the same problems we had and might end up sanding or etching down the texture down a degree or two. I don't mind these holds, they could do with screw holes because we've spun them a bunch of times but other than that I have no problems

PROS:

• Versatile
• You don't need to brush them because the texture is always there
• Super strong material

CONS:

• Texture takes a long time to bed in
• They're a little heavy
• No set screw holes