Design
The physical designs of ice tools differ more widely than those of other ice axes.
- Modular: Ice tools are extremely modular most have the ability to change picks and adze/hammer. Many ice tools are designed to accommodate shaft modifications to change the position of a hand while hanging. This is distinct from mountaineering ice axes which are usually produce as a single axe, adze, and shaft component with limited variation in leashes.
- Pick variations: Most ice-tool picks are flat, with a (shaftward) "drooping" direction and a serrated lower edge, but some of these are straight or concave on their upper edges, instead of convex as other ice axes are. With the same kind of design, picks may vary in degree, as to number of teeth, depth of teeth, or thickness, and some are field replaceable, to deal with point damage or to accommodate more than one pick design on the same tool. There are also ice tools with round tubular-nosed, instead of flat, picks.
- Adze-end variations: As with non-ice-tool adzes, those of ice tools vary in several aspects; other ice tools have a hammer head in place of the adze, or are modular, permitting switching styles of adze or hammer, and/or between adze and hammer.
- Shaft variations: Shafts may be straight, as with shafts of non-ice-tool axes, or have one or two bends or curved sections. Ice tools generally range from 40 to 60 cm in length, with 50 centimetre being by far the most common length.
- Spike variations: Non-ice-tool spikes are generally flat and symmetrical, with straight or convex edges meeting at a point. Ice-tool spikes vary widely, including also asymmetrical flat shapes with teeth on one side or two points of different lengths, conical or oval tubular ends, or slightly hooked ends. Many "leashless" ice tools have abandoned the spike altogether and end with a smooth handle.
- Indoor Ice tool: Ice tools are now available for training indoors at the local climbing wall. They follow the leashless design principle with dual position grip but have a rubber strap instead of a steel spike at the end of the shaft. This design allows them to be used on the existing climbing wall alongside other climbers without causing any damage and without any changes having to be made.
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