Dark Machine

High altitude performance

Grivel, attrezzature tecniche da montagna da oltre 200 anni
Grivel has been producing equipment for mountaineering, trail running and rock and ice climbing since 1818.
Innovation has always been its aim right from the start to improve its products in the name of safety and performance.
The company’s new showcase product is Dark Machine, the first axe with grip directly integrated into the handle, to ensure a secure grip during the entire climb. A real revolution that eliminates the tape and overmoulding that are subject to wear.
Impugnatura nello stampo per fibra di carbonio
The first axe with non-slip surface
Dark Machine is a top performance product, used in situations that can be defined extreme. That is why the grip of the handle is so important.

ML Engraving proposed to the brand a two-way texture with offset lines, which provide an excellent grip from any position that the axe is handled.
The surface finishing ML1576 was the inspiration for this grip effect. This texture is part of the Texture Collection, the ML Engraving catalogue with already industrialised solutions.
 
D.R.E. Render of the integrated grip
Lightness and resistance thanks to the carbon fibre
Dark Machine is completely built from carbon fibre, which makes it light-weight and resistant.
 
The choice of this material also represented an added value for ML Engraving, allowing the company to improve its knowledge of the carbon moulding method. The tests led to the definition of optimal parameters for obtaining a perfect moulding of the surface finishes.
 
The cooperation with the Merelli Compositi company made it possible to fine tune the procedure. With a few “tricks” even moulding defects caused by residual resin trapped in the grooves of the two-way texture were successfully resolved.
La fibra di carbonio conferisce al prodotto leggerezza e resistenza
The most important challenge for Grivel is respect for its territory.
Vivere la montagna implica prendersene cura
Positioned at the foot of Mount Blanc. Grivel enjoys the majesty and the beauty of nature. The view of our Prealpi Orobie mountain range is a characteristic that we have in common with Grivel. A privilege that endows us with respect and responsibility: living in the mountains means taking care of them.
ML Engraving interpreted our requests in a targeted and accurate way.
F.B. - Research & Development Grivel