[Kingy]

It may be my imagination but I have noticed the BM 2000 lower central slot seems to be slightly sharper and easier to hang on old BM 2000's compared to newer ones where the same hold seems a little more rounded. I was doing one arm hangs on my own one at home and barely managing it without some weight taken off. Then I went to Rockover and did the same hang for 10 seconds and it felt significantly easier.  Anyone else notice this?

This is aside from the coating of grime and chalk on older BMs that seems to make hangs easier.

[dpb]

I had my 2000 on pre-order and so it is definitely an early model.  I totally agree that the slot is more incut than newer versions.  in fact I've not come across another board that isn't a lot more rounded than mine.

interestingly though I find the incut quite awkward and uncomfortable and so harder to hang than the newer/ more rounded versions.

[Kingy]

I thought so. They must have tweaked the design of the edge. I'll stick to the old one for my ego massaging PB's then! Funny that you find the newer one easier...

[JohnM]

Usage does make a big difference on the Beastmaker. I used to fire of everything on my home Beastmaker and could never hang the 45s. However, at well-used climbing wall ones I can/could hang the 45s and the central slot one armed for 10 secs plus until I start spinning round. It turns out skin cells and whatever peoples' skin secretes is pretty grippy. I now only hand the central slot engaged in half crimp and frictions makes less of a difference and the hang is harder.

[User deactivated]

Outside edges on the bottom row vary on these things quite a lot too in my experience.

[Kingy]

Yes the grime makes a big difference. I agree half crimped is better training. Why open handed is no good for fingerboard training I couldn't tell you. Seems to be plenty of open handed grips on the grit...

[User deactivated]

It isn't "no good' just doesn't have the same crossover to other grip types as half crimp.

[Oldmanmatt]

I’ve got two BM2000’s side by side.
Same order and delivery direct from BM. They are totally different from each othe (particularly the 45’s to my mind, one being significantly smoother than the other).
One remains “new” looking, the other looks almost trashed (after five years of public use).
It’s much easier to hang the lower slot on one than the other (the opposite onthe 45’s, funnily enough).

The following is subjective opinion, so I will (of course) phrase it as if it were incontestable fact.

It’s pretty obvious, when you stop and think about it (which I have frequently) that the principle difference it the grain pattern. This affects how it feels new, how it will weather over time and is always going to be unique to each board. They will all have their own character. The feel of each slot (not just each pair) will be different on every board. Mostly the differences will be subtle and below your “notice” threshold, sometimes it will be distinctly different from what you are used too.

Of course, they may also have changed design over time and the above might be bollocks.

[Kingy]

It isn't "no good' just doesn't have the same crossover to other grip types as half crimp.

That is good to know, yes I suppose open handed is pretty specialised but at least you're not wasting your time training this grip type.

Matt, yes I suppose wood is not a perfectly uniform medium to work with. Sure makes great holds to train with though. I guess some irregularities is the price you pay. I still reckon they've tweaked the rounding though!

[Paul B]

I've got one of the really early boards and I think at the time they were finding out how many units a wood bit could handle, the monos varied in size quite considerably on the boards I fondled before selecting one.

Outside edges on the bottom row vary on these things quite a lot too in my experience.

So it's not just me!

WRT to the middle rung I was talking to Teaboy the other night re:lattice benchmarks hangs and the fact I thought I'd 'measure up' weak in this aspect from what I've seen online (based on my BM at home; this is now made worse as I steepened the board and haven't corrected the wedge it sits on); shortly after I was fairly comfortably hanging it at BuK at the end of what had been a fairly hard session (these days).

It isn't "no good' just doesn't have the same crossover to other grip types as half crimp.

I thought this had settled to "there's limited crossover between grips, so better train them all just to be sure" (although can't currently find my source so I could've imagined this)?

[abarro81]

New or old, one BM is definitely not the same as another... the lower outside edges on my old one (from when they first came out) are freakin' nails compared to the foundry or the works.. but it doesn't matter, you just can't convert your sessions straight from one to another.

I thought this had settled to "there's limited crossover between grips, so better train them all just to be sure" (although can't currently find my source so I could've imagined this)?

That would be my take. Half-crimp has the advantage of being more 'active' than crimp or drag which I think converts better to pinching though.

[Nibile]

There are indeed differences between a BM and another, but being strict about the prehension and sticking to a proper half crimp (limiting drag at the bare minimum, just due to relative fingers length), quite reduces these differences.