Chisel

Looking for a recommendation on a chisel for safety (checking ice depth). Will I regret the shorter length/weight of the budget frabril or eskimo ones? They are about $20 and it seems the step up is $40. Or any leads on sales.

My buddy just bought the eskimo for 35$ it works great super sharp went through 4″ of ice with one chop it freaked me out to be honest. i drilled a hole with my auger just to make sure we were safe and measured 4″ with my skimmer

Any one have any input on the ones that Everett (not Everest’s) sells?

I just bought a frabil and regret it. It is heavy as chit.

The best spud I ever bought was from a baitshop in LaCrosse-it had a baseball bat for a handle and was perfect.

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I just bought a frabil and regret it. It is heavy as chit.

The best spud I ever bought was from a baitshop in LaCrosse-it had a baseball bat for a handle and was perfect.

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I think I saw those recently on Lacrosse Craigslist.

I MAKE MY OWN!!!!!

Don’t know the name/brand of mine.

Heavy, Solid STEEL, Very SHARP.
Painted Orange approx 3 1/2 ft long, chisel on one end with solid steel bar and a solid circle loop welded on other end.
Found in in an intersection late one night in St. Cloud about 10 years years.

Great price, but heavy

Does it need to be heavy if its main purpose is checking ice (as opposed to opening holes)? If so, the economy ones are a bit over half the weight of the normal (?) ones for frab and esk.

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Does it need to be heavy if its main purpose is checking ice (as opposed to opening holes)? If so, the economy ones are a bit over half the weight of the normal (?) ones for frab and esk.

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Heavy is more safe. The Frabil collapsible spud bar James uses is ideal. He was able to detect a weak spot before I was with my lighter weight bar a few weeks ago. I would highly recommend the Frabil bar for checking ice safety after I saw it in action. The extra weight and the teeth help reduce the amount of thrust you need to put into each spud. With the lightweight bar, my shoulders get sore faster because of the extra effort I have to put in to make an impact… I’m going to upgrade to a Frabil as the extra $20 is a drop in the bucket when it comes to a safe return home.

heavy is safer X2 don’t try to skimp on safety equipment. 20 dollars more is worth the peace of mind in knowing you can walk safely on the ice. costs a lot more for a casket than a good spud!!!!