Jester 16 / Pivot 15

[JChockey22]

Apologies if this is a thread already but .. I'm looking for peoples thoughts between them are pivots "safer" and/or more durable? .. Ive always been a marker guy but ive been told numerous times Look is amazing, safer , Durable etc etc just looking for some insight from actual users

 

[anders_nor]

I like jesters for precsision feel, pivots for freeride/park

 

[Mike Thomas]

I'm looking for peoples thoughts between them are pivots "safer" and/or more durable? .. Ive always been a marker guy but ive been told numerous times Look is amazing, safer , Durable etc etc

Absolutely not. The Pivot, in my opinion, has better elasticity. This keeps the boot in the binding slightly better, but it is really close vs the Jester. If you want a safer Pivot, buy the 14 it has full spectrum toe release, the 15 does not. You don't buy either of these bindings for 'safe' you buy them to prevent release. Also, why is everyone here so concerned with 'durability*' of bindings??? It's just not a problem (unless you telemark, then everything breaks). Seriously I handle ski bindings every single day, I see broken brake arms from falls and the occasional pull-out that requires helicoils. I do NOT see broken housings. Ever**. Lastly, about durability, they ALL have an expiration date, they'll become non-indemnified in about 10 years. These are not heirloom items.

(for the record, I own at least 10 pair of Pivot 18 bindings. I love them and prefer not to ski on anything else, but I hate how much flat-out untrue shit gets said about them. It's a 50 year old design, how many 50 year old products are safer than modern designed products? None.)

* If you break alpine ski bindings you really need to question what YOU did to cause it. Don't ski like a meathead.
** Ok, I've seen a few broken housings in the last 25 years, none that inspired a comment like "whoa, why the heck did that happen?" it is always "whoa, what the heck were you doing??" and attached to a ski that looks like starving beavers tried to get to the wood core.

 

[markojp]

Absolutely not. The Pivot, in my opinion, has better elasticity. This keeps the boot in the binding slightly better, but it is really close vs the Jester. If you want a safer Pivot, buy the 14 it has full spectrum toe release, the 15 does not. You don't buy either of these bindings for 'safe' you buy them to prevent release. Also, why is everyone here so concerned with 'durability*' of bindings??? It's just not a problem (unless you telemark, then everything breaks). Seriously I handle ski bindings every single day, I see broken brake arms from falls and the occasional pull-out that requires helicoils. I do NOT see broken housings. Ever**. Lastly, about durability, they ALL have an expiration date, they'll become non-indemnified in about 10 years. These are not heirloom items.

(for the record, I own at least 10 pair of Pivot 18 bindings. I love them and prefer not to ski on anything else, but I hate how much flat-out untrue shit gets said about them. It's a 50 year old design, how many 50 year old products are safer than modern designed products? None.)

* If you break alpine ski bindings you really need to question what YOU did to cause it. Don't ski like a meathead.
** Ok, I've seen a few broken housings in the last 25 years, none that inspired a comment like "whoa, why the heck did that happen?" it is always "whoa, what the heck were you doing??" and attached to a ski that looks like starving beavers tried to get to the wood core.

FWIW, I've seen the pivot 18 toe casting break just above the mounting screw point... clearly a mis-cast. Look sent a new toe piece immediately and wanted the old for inspection as it's apparently incredibly rare. It's the only one a number of us had ever seen. The binding was well out of warranty but Look took care of it quickly!

The heel piece flanges do occasionally break. I loaned a pair of my skis to our head freeride coach so he could finish his day when this happened a d have seen this several times on very well used pivots. That said, between the Jester and the pivots, i prefer the pivot for many reasons. I also agree with Mike about the 14 toe vs the 15/18. Bent brakes on pivots are not unusual as they don't really retract like, say, an Attack 17/18.

(Park riders are very hard on bindings)

 

[Philpug]

Bent brakes on pivots are not unusual as they don't really retract like, say, an Attack 17/18.

Bent brakes are a huge shortcoming of the current Pivot design, especially for park skiers that land switch. With the extensive elasticty of that heel, it is not uncommon to catch them.

 

[Jeronimo]

That said, between the Jester and the pivots, i prefer the pivot for many reasons…

Do tell…