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Cam failure discussion 21-Apr-2015 At 8:35:01 PM jezza

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On 21/04/2015 White Gold wrote:
>Q: Do cam teeth do anything?
>
>A: Maybe. Manufacturers add them because, while few of us can grasp the
>real magic that locks a cam into place (the “constant angle”), we think
>that teeth help. But it’s mostly marketing, as cams without teeth would
>hold just the same.
>
>When Ray Jardine rolled out the first commercial camming unit, the Friend,
>in the mid 1970s, he tried to be practical by making smooth-faced cams.
>But the first climbers to see the units scoffed and said they’d never hold.
>Only after Jardine added teeth did climbers begin to trust them.
>
>Some people claim that teeth help the cams bite into grimy placements.
>This makes sense, but there’s no data to prove it. Still, since confidence
>breeds safety, the psychological advantage afforded by cam teeth justifies
>their existence.
>
>http://www.rockandice.com/gear-guide-tips/cams-frequently-asked-questions

I have an annoying set of pliers that don't have teeth! They are often useless, because they slip even if I'm gripping hard. Doesn't happen as much with 'toothed' pliers. I suspect that is because many of the things we grip with pliers are reasonably soft. The material deforms under the higher pressure of the teeth, and they dig in. That helps prevent the material slipping.

I guess this doesn't apply to rock that's good for climbing (because it isn't soft). By the way my toothless pliers are about as good as the toothy ones on harder surfaces, maybe even better sometimes.