Grivel G12 New-Classic EVO (current)

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

2026 lineup note: Current and in production as of September 2026 — Grivel's legendary steel 12-point mountaineering crampon, $199.99 US. The New-Classic EVO is the strap binding for stiff boots without welts; the New-Matic EVO (semi-auto) and Cramp-O-Matic EVO (full auto) are the same crampon with different bindings. Grivel.com listed it on sale at €172.90 in the Sept 2026 crawl.

Version history — year by year

• G12 lineage: the G12 is one of the oldest continuously produced crampon designs in mountaineering — Grivel's own copy calls it "the king of crampons," and Hervé Barmasse's testimonial ("Years go by but my G12s are always there in the backpack") is the brand's durability thesis.
• EVO generation: the current EVO binding generation (Cramp-O-Matic EVO / New-Matic EVO / New-Classic EVO) is the established platform — tool-free adjustment, updated buckles.
• 2023–2026: No generational change — same nickel-chrome-molybdenum steel 12-point platform. Year-by-year detail: UNVERIFIED beyond the stable platform.

Overview

Twelve points of painted nickel-chrome-molybdenum steel, eight up front and four in the back, with Grivel's famous proactive Antibott front and rear. The G12 is the traditionalist's all-rounder: heavier than modern rivals by ~200 g, sturdier-feeling than all of them, and trusted on "mountains all around the world" for decades. The New-Classic EVO binding is the strap system — front and rear plastic straps that open to admit the boot and close securely, simple enough to operate in winter gloves, and compatible with stiff boots that lack welts. It folds for transport and fits EU 36–47.

Key Specs

Pricing

• US: $199.99 — SOURCE: weighmyrack.com (all three EVO bindings; entry updated ~Jan 2026).
• EU: €172.90 sale on grivel.com (Sept 2026 crawl); UK ~£127–£152 — SOURCES: grivel.com, glisshop.co.uk.
• Used market: GearTrade moved a New-Matic EVO pair at $90.00 (Sept 2026) — noted for the condition report below, not as a buying recommendation.

In the Box

• G12 New-Classic EVO crampons (pair)
• Antibott plates (fitted)
• Technical notice
• Needed separately: crampon bag — Grivel's Crampon Safe (~$32.99) is sold separately and Grivel explicitly recommends it for transport/storage; the rear points are flattened to be bag-friendlier but they're still 12 steel points

Warranty

• UNVERIFIED from official sources (Sept 2026): Grivel's crampon warranty terms were not confirmed from grivel.com in sources checked. Backcountry.com lists "lifetime" warranty on Grivel spare parts (front points) — that is the parts listing, not the crampon. Confirm warranty duration with Grivel or the dealer before purchase; do not cite a term without a source.

Support & Parts

• Grivel (Courmayeur, Italy) sells replacement front points and binding components through dealers — backcountry.com stocks G14/G12-series spare front points. The chromoly steel is designed to be re-sharpened, which is itself a longevity feature: Advnture notes the alloy is "easier to sharpen than stainless steel."

Community Verdict

The G12's reputation is institutional — reviewers have called it "the king of crampons," and it carries decades of guide-service and expedition use across the Alps. The Great Outdoors (4/5) calls it "the sturdiest" in test — "the one you want when you're kicking into hard snow on steep ground" — while flagging the honest costs: heaviest in its test by ~200 g and fiddly initial fitting ("hard to adjust"). Advnture praises the long, broad, sharp underfoot points and the clever compress-and-spring Antibott, with one design caveat: the flat-profile forefoot frame can leave a gap with rockered boots, letting snow pack into the Antibott cavity (a non-issue with stiff B2/B3 boots). A GearTrade used-pair inspection (Sept 2026) found only "minor rusting on a few points" — the expected cosmetic story on painted steel, not a structural one.

Long-term durability & warranty-claim reality

• What owners report: Decades-long service is the norm, not the exception — the Barmasse testimonial is marketing, but it matches the owner record: these are the crampons that get handed down. Paint chips with use (cosmetic); the GearTrade "minor rusting on a few points" is the typical end-state of the coating, addressed by drying and occasional oiling.
• The sharpening advantage: nickel-chrome-molybdenum sharpens more easily than stainless (Advnture) — owners maintain points with a file for years rather than replacing the crampon. That's a genuine lifetime-cost advantage over stainless rivals.
• Warranty-claim reality: warranty terms UNVERIFIED (see above) — which makes the parts channel the practical answer: replaceable front points and a re-sharpenable alloy mean most "warranty" situations are maintenance situations.

Head-to-head vs closest rivals

• vs Petzl Vasak (existing): the classic steel 12-point duel — the G12 is the traditionalist's pick (heavier, simpler, decades of trust); the Vasak counters with ALPEN ADAPT modularity and lighter weight (~842–892 g vs 964 g). If you value the deepest parts ecosystem and lower weight, it's the Vasak; if you value the longest continuous track record in mountaineering, it's the G12.
• vs Black Diamond Sabretooth Pro (new): stainless (rust-proof, 890 g) vs chromoly (re-sharpenable, 964 g). The Sabretooth is the lower-maintenance modern pick; the G12 is the maintain-it-forever traditional pick. Honest trade: rust-proofing vs sharpenability.
• Boot-pairing note: the New-Classic EVO strap binding fits stiff non-welted boots — it does not need the welted B3 boots (Mont Blanc Pro GTX, Nepal Cube GTX, both new) that the automatic bindings want. Match binding to boot.

Care & maintenance

• Dry thoroughly after use — painted steel still rusts where the paint chips (see the GearTrade example). A light oil wipe for off-season storage is traditional.
• Sharpen with a file — the alloy's sharpenability is a feature; maintain the point geometry rather than grinding new angles.
• Inspect the New-Classic straps and buckles for UV/age cracking; the TGO review notes the EVO buckle is "a bit trickier in winter gloves than the previous ring buckle" — practice at home, per their advice to do the fitting faff before the hill.
• Check Antibott plates for tearing; they're the consumable.

Buying traps

• Three EVO bindings, one crampon: New-Classic (strap, no welts) vs New-Matic (semi-auto, heel welt) vs Cramp-O-Matic (full auto, both welts) — all $199.99, all different. Buying the Cramp-O-Matic for non-welted boots is the classic error.
• Weight varies by binding (964 → 1,012 g) — don't compare the New-Classic's weight against a rival's automatic version.
• Old non-EVO stock: pre-EVO G12s still circulate used — the EVO buckle and tool-free adjustment are the current generation; verify in photos.
• The flat-forefoot caveat: with rockered boots you can get a sole-to-crampon gap that packs snow (Advnture) — stiff B2/B3 boots are the intended pairing.
• Used: the $90 GearTrade pair was fairly priced for minor rust — but strap age and unseen fatigue make new the recommendation for load-bearing hardware.

Key Specs — gap-fill (Sept 2026)

• Weight conversions: New-Classic EVO 964 g = 34.0 oz (2 lb 2.0 oz); New-Matic EVO 1,006 g = 35.5 oz; Cramp-O-Matic EVO 1,012 g = 35.7 oz.
• Certifications: CE EN 893, UIAA 153 — safety certifications as PPE, separate from warranty (whose terms are UNVERIFIED — see above).

Images

Research image inventory (filenames as archived; the gallery above shows the selected images):

1. grivel-g12-new-classic-1.jpg — grivel-g12-new-classic (3): grivel-g12-new-classic-1.jpg (600x600), grivel-g12-new-classic-2.jpg (1600x1600), grivel-g12-new-classic-3.jpg (800x800) — PRIMARY
2. grivel-g12-new-classic-2.jpg — provenance UNVERIFIED: gathered during catalog expansion; visually checked as exact model at gather time. Source page not recorded.
3. grivel-g12-new-classic-3.jpg — provenance UNVERIFIED: gathered during catalog expansion; visually checked as exact model at gather time. Source page not recorded.
4. grivel-g12-new-classic-4.jpg — provenance UNVERIFIED: gathered during catalog expansion; visually checked as exact model at gather time. Source page not recorded.
5. grivel-g12-new-classic-5.jpg — provenance UNVERIFIED: gathered during catalog expansion; visually checked as exact model at gather time. Source page not recorded.
6. grivel-g12-new-classic-6.jpg — provenance UNVERIFIED: gathered during catalog expansion; visually checked as exact model at gather time. Source page not recorded.