A short while ago I got a PM from a friend asking what I thought of this new shaft he found online. It was a SalviMar Torsion 2 (Salvimar home page). I had never seen it, but I was curious. I loved the idea and how low profile it was. I started searching for information right away. I contacted SalviMar directly to see who sells the Torsion 2. It turned out that they do not have a direct US distributor. OMER distributes some of their stuff, but they are looking for a US distributor for the rest of their line. SalviMar allowed me to order from them in order to try their Torsion 2.
I'm going to start with a couple of their tips. The first is the OMER Tahitian tip. I've been using this tip for just over a year. When I ordered it, I thought it would be a little to big for the type of fish we hunt in Wisconsin. Once I got it, it was smaller that the tips on the JBL's guys were using at the time. It's done really well. The main body of the tip slims down and the floppers lay in very tight making the penetration small. The floppers span out to about 3.5" - 4" and hold strong. The tips can be straightened and repaired if you hit a rock. You still have to be careful not to snap it.
The tip I ordered from SalviMar was their Martin tip. It looked like it was an update to the Tahitian tip. Well, it is about 1.5 times as big! I was a bit worried, but I thought it would work on carp, so no worries. A very nice feature is that the point of this harpoon is replaceable. SalviMar sells both stainless and tempered tips. The first dive out I mounted it to my 6.75mm shaft on my 55cm gun. I was in the water 10 minutes and came across a freshwater drum. It was about a 12" fish. I placed a shot right just behind the gill plate and slightly into the meat of the fish. I was impressed with the tip. It barely made a hole in the fish, it was the size of the 6.75mm shaft, even after I pulled the tip back through. The hole was the same size ad the Tahitian tip makes. The barbs span about 5" and held the 14lb carp with ease. This tip will hold a 50lb + record carp! The tempered points hold up to glancing blows off of rocks too. The tips got scuffed but did not distort like stainless points do. Tempered tips are probably more likely to break it they hit a rock at a wrong angle.
It will be tough to choose which tip to use now.
The next item is an accessory. SalviMar makes a tip holder that you can carry on your float. It will carry two extra tips along with you so you can replace a damaged tip or switch to that 4 prong you've been wanting to try on pan fish when you come across them. I put my Tahitian tip and a spare tempered Martin point on the holder. They were dangling in the water. At the end of the 3 or 4 hour dive in 50 degree water I pulled my float into the shore. The Martin point was gone and the Tahitian tip was loose. So I'm assuming the low temperature slightly shrank the metal allowing them to come loose. So in the future I'll have to check them after I'm in the water for a bit, also I'll probably put them in points in the velcro bag on top of the float, and clip them on the outside so I can get to them easy.
Finally, the Torsion 2 shafts, the reason for this whole review. The shortest shafts they sell are for 90cm guns, so my choice of gun is driven by the visibility. So I have not been able to use the Torsion 2. However I will give you my initial impressions.
So far my favorite tip to use on my 90cm gun has been my Mori Slip-Tip. It's supper low profile and sleek design is great. So when I was shown the Torsion 2, I was definitely curious. The barb is a cut tube that has a notch purpose cut into the shaft for it to rest. It's not hinged on with a rivet like a standard flopper. The flopper sits on the top of the shaft when the shaft is in the gun so the flopper remains stowed. Once the shaft as come to a stop after going through your fish the flopper deploys with an unrelenting grip. Getting the spear out of your fish is easier than getting it into the fish. Stow the flopper back into it's groove and it slides out instantly.
The shafts come with three different configurations for the notches. A recessed shark fin, a recessed pin and the standard notches.
I hope to have word on the shafts preformance soon, but no promises on a time frame. I will be sure to give my full impressions. I have to think I'm going to love it based on what I can see. I have a few things I'm wondering about, but I don't want to comment on those at this point. Once I find out who they get to distribute in the US for them I'll pass the word on.
I also did a video review:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI2Kgh0iBaY]YouTube - SalviMar Review - Torsion 2 Shaft (plus other bits)[/ame]
I'm going to start with a couple of their tips. The first is the OMER Tahitian tip. I've been using this tip for just over a year. When I ordered it, I thought it would be a little to big for the type of fish we hunt in Wisconsin. Once I got it, it was smaller that the tips on the JBL's guys were using at the time. It's done really well. The main body of the tip slims down and the floppers lay in very tight making the penetration small. The floppers span out to about 3.5" - 4" and hold strong. The tips can be straightened and repaired if you hit a rock. You still have to be careful not to snap it.
The tip I ordered from SalviMar was their Martin tip. It looked like it was an update to the Tahitian tip. Well, it is about 1.5 times as big! I was a bit worried, but I thought it would work on carp, so no worries. A very nice feature is that the point of this harpoon is replaceable. SalviMar sells both stainless and tempered tips. The first dive out I mounted it to my 6.75mm shaft on my 55cm gun. I was in the water 10 minutes and came across a freshwater drum. It was about a 12" fish. I placed a shot right just behind the gill plate and slightly into the meat of the fish. I was impressed with the tip. It barely made a hole in the fish, it was the size of the 6.75mm shaft, even after I pulled the tip back through. The hole was the same size ad the Tahitian tip makes. The barbs span about 5" and held the 14lb carp with ease. This tip will hold a 50lb + record carp! The tempered points hold up to glancing blows off of rocks too. The tips got scuffed but did not distort like stainless points do. Tempered tips are probably more likely to break it they hit a rock at a wrong angle.
It will be tough to choose which tip to use now.
The next item is an accessory. SalviMar makes a tip holder that you can carry on your float. It will carry two extra tips along with you so you can replace a damaged tip or switch to that 4 prong you've been wanting to try on pan fish when you come across them. I put my Tahitian tip and a spare tempered Martin point on the holder. They were dangling in the water. At the end of the 3 or 4 hour dive in 50 degree water I pulled my float into the shore. The Martin point was gone and the Tahitian tip was loose. So I'm assuming the low temperature slightly shrank the metal allowing them to come loose. So in the future I'll have to check them after I'm in the water for a bit, also I'll probably put them in points in the velcro bag on top of the float, and clip them on the outside so I can get to them easy.
Finally, the Torsion 2 shafts, the reason for this whole review. The shortest shafts they sell are for 90cm guns, so my choice of gun is driven by the visibility. So I have not been able to use the Torsion 2. However I will give you my initial impressions.
So far my favorite tip to use on my 90cm gun has been my Mori Slip-Tip. It's supper low profile and sleek design is great. So when I was shown the Torsion 2, I was definitely curious. The barb is a cut tube that has a notch purpose cut into the shaft for it to rest. It's not hinged on with a rivet like a standard flopper. The flopper sits on the top of the shaft when the shaft is in the gun so the flopper remains stowed. Once the shaft as come to a stop after going through your fish the flopper deploys with an unrelenting grip. Getting the spear out of your fish is easier than getting it into the fish. Stow the flopper back into it's groove and it slides out instantly.
The shafts come with three different configurations for the notches. A recessed shark fin, a recessed pin and the standard notches.
I hope to have word on the shafts preformance soon, but no promises on a time frame. I will be sure to give my full impressions. I have to think I'm going to love it based on what I can see. I have a few things I'm wondering about, but I don't want to comment on those at this point. Once I find out who they get to distribute in the US for them I'll pass the word on.
I also did a video review:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI2Kgh0iBaY]YouTube - SalviMar Review - Torsion 2 Shaft (plus other bits)[/ame]
