A neighbour of mine was about to throw out a pair of old touring skis with skins, so he was happy to give them to me instead. They've got Silvretta 404 bindings, I can tell the manufacturer but don't know which model or year they are, guess they may be from around 1993-1998.
Skis are well used, skins are fair. Do you think they'd work acceptably as approach skis in my winter hikes? I don't plan that much on skiing downhill but rather use them to climb and slowly glide my way back if the slope isn't too steep.
I am not too fond of the color (the bindings too have terrible colors), do you think there is any safe paint I'd use on them?
Here is a picture (there is no chipping at the tip, just deleted background on computer)
Thank you
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 30-10-17 22:27; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Hi @alfredo,
welcome to the forum.
I think the skis are a bit older than that, but I don't really know.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
The plastic on those Silvretta bindings will be well dodgy by now & they will break - it's not a matter of if they'll break, just when. IIRC the 404 was from the early 2000's. The plastic on them broke often enough when they were current! Had a guy wanting me to remount a pair last year so I torque tested one on their lowest setting and sheared the heel off.
You can probably use almost any solvent based paint providing that you re-coat with a clear lacquer. In my [penniless] teens I repaired a ski pole with wooden dowel, car filler, airfix paint and varnish! Got another 5 years of use!
They've got Silvretta 404 bindings, I can tell the manufacturer but don't know which model or year they are, guess they may be from around 1993-1998.
Do you think they'd work acceptably as approach skis in my winter hikes? I don't plan that much on skiing downhill but rather use them to climb and slowly glide my way back if the slope isn't too steep.
The model is the 404.
They have the advantage of being one of the few bindings to take a climbing boot with a cramponable sole, is that what you want? Beware that skiing in climbing boots, even plastic climbing boots, is difficult especially on any slope beyond what would be considered "nordic" (15 degrees +). They are used by climbers to approach climbs / descend from the base of a climb, but I doubt they do it for the pleasure.
If you just want to cover nordic (rolling) type terrain you'd be better off with a modern pair of Nordic skis with an SNS nordic binding.
You can paint or plastic coat the skis - you can get the plastic stuff from car shops or even use sticky back plastic like on Blue Peter.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yep - use plasti-kote or similar. Used that to tart up my first snowboard which had a matt surface which you couldn't cover in stickers. Use several layers of clear lacquer on top to protect your artwork.
After all it is free
After all it is free
DrLawn wrote:
Hi @alfredo,
welcome to the forum.
I think the skis are a bit older than that, but I don't really know.
I see, thank you.
spyderjon wrote:
The plastic on those Silvretta bindings will be well dodgy by now & they will break - it's not a matter of if they'll break, just when. IIRC the 404 was from the early 2000's. The plastic on them broke often enough when they were current! Had a guy wanting me to remount a pair last year so I torque tested one on their lowest setting and sheared the heel off.
I see, do you think it'd be better to just trash the bindings out or could I get a working compromise by keeping the binding front part and using a nylon strap for the mountain boot's heel?
jellylegs wrote:
You can probably use almost any solvent based paint providing that you re-coat with a clear lacquer. In my [penniless] teens I repaired a ski pole with wooden dowel, car filler, airfix paint and varnish! Got another 5 years of use!
I see, thank you. Are there any paints I should be clearly away from?
davidof wrote:
The model is the 404.
They have the advantage of being one of the few bindings to take a climbing boot with a cramponable sole, is that what you want? Beware that skiing in climbing boots, even plastic climbing boots, is difficult especially on any slope beyond what would be considered "nordic" (15 degrees +). They are used by climbers to approach climbs / descend from the base of a climb, but I doubt they do it for the pleasure.
If you just want to cover nordic (rolling) type terrain you'd be better off with a modern pair of Nordic skis with an SNS nordic binding.
You can paint or plastic coat the skis - you can get the plastic stuff from car shops or even use sticky back plastic like on Blue Peter.
I understood that the bindings model is 404, I was referring about not knowing which Fischer ski model they are
Yes I did plan to use them with leather mountain boots and did particularly like that this binding works with them. About skiing, you're right it'd be extremely difficult and in fact I never planned to have any downhill use other than the bare minimum to get me back to the starting point without having to go back on foot with the skis on my backpack.
Basically, I'd use them to do winter hikes on snow just like I do in other seasons, walking uphill and going back downhill, hopefully they're manageable with continuous braking and snowplough slowness even in the steep (but also short and safe, something like 10 meters length with no added dangers) slopes that one sometimes encounter (30-45°).
Richard_Sideways wrote:
Yep - use plasti-kote or similar. Used that to tart up my first snowboard which had a matt surface which you couldn't cover in stickers. Use several layers of clear lacquer on top to protect your artwork.
I see, thank you
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
alfredo wrote:
davidof wrote:
The model is the 404.
They have the advantage of being one of the few bindings to take a climbing boot with a cramponable sole, is that what you want? Beware that skiing in climbing boots, even plastic climbing boots, is difficult especially on any slope beyond what would be considered "nordic" (15 degrees +). They are used by climbers to approach climbs / descend from the base of a climb, but I doubt they do it for the pleasure.
If you just want to cover nordic (rolling) type terrain you'd be better off with a modern pair of Nordic skis with an SNS nordic binding.
You can paint or plastic coat the skis - you can get the plastic stuff from car shops or even use sticky back plastic like on Blue Peter.
I understood that the bindings model is 404, I was referring about not knowing which Fischer ski model they are
Yes I did plan to use them with leather mountain boots and did particularly like that this binding works with them. About skiing, you're right it'd be extremely difficult and in fact I never planned to have any downhill use other than the bare minimum to get me back to the starting point without having to go back on foot with the skis on my backpack.
Basically, I'd use them to do winter hikes on snow just like I do in other seasons, walking uphill and going back downhill, hopefully they're manageable with continuous braking and snowplough slowness even in the steep (but also short and safe, something like 10 meters length with no added dangers) slopes that one sometimes encounter (30-45°).
The skis are certainly capable of that; the question is are you capable of doing it on them?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
There are certainly Americans using old skis like Rossignol Stratos from the 1960s as nordic touring skis, they generally fit them with three pin telebindings and do telemark turns on the down.
If the binding breaks you could have a long walk home.
Keep the skins on if you want to slow down your descent in leather boots.
The only way you'll know is to try them though. I do see people on 404s now and again but they are getting rarer.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Out of interest, what is the modern solution for this (Skis, bindings, boots etc for winter hikes)?
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Themasterpiece wrote:
Out of interest, what is the modern solution for this (Skis, bindings, boots etc for winter hikes)?
I've seen people doing that sort of thing on rando race gear, takes a lot of skill to ski off piste on such light gear though.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Themasterpiece wrote:
Out of interest, what is the modern solution for this (Skis, bindings, boots etc for winter hikes)?
what I already said above; nordic ski touring gear like you see people using in this video
I understood that the bindings model is 404, I was referring about not knowing which Fischer ski model they are
Yes I did plan to use them with leather mountain boots and did particularly like that this binding works with them. About skiing, you're right it'd be extremely difficult and in fact I never planned to have any downhill use other than the bare minimum to get me back to the starting point without having to go back on foot with the skis on my backpack.
Basically, I'd use them to do winter hikes on snow just like I do in other seasons, walking uphill and going back downhill, hopefully they're manageable with continuous braking and snowplough slowness even in the steep (but also short and safe, something like 10 meters length with no added dangers) slopes that one sometimes encounter (30-45°).
The skis are certainly capable of that; the question is are you capable of doing it on them?
You raised a very good point. I think it should be doable but only a few tries on snow will tell me for sure.
davidof wrote:
There are certainly Americans using old skis like Rossignol Stratos from the 1960s as nordic touring skis, they generally fit them with three pin telebindings and do telemark turns on the down.
If the binding breaks you could have a long walk home.
Keep the skins on if you want to slow down your descent in leather boots.
The only way you'll know is to try them though. I do see people on 404s now and again but they are getting rarer.
That's exactly what I fear, having a long walk home with a broken ski binding. I do always carry some supplies to fix and improvise, however I'd obviously avoid it if I can.
Do you think it'd be a big safety compromise to make by myself a free-heel boot binding with webbing, considering that I wouldn't have locked the Silvretta 404 either since I doubt that both its age and leather boots would reliably activate safety release?
Thank you
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Ideally for what you want to do you want something like these: Rossignol BC 70 Positrack with a SRN binding such as a Fischer Bc Magnum
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