Hi Jim,
Thanks for your interest in the poles, here is a list of changes from a post I published when the poles were out:
- Thicker aluminum rings around the ends of the shafts to make them even more durable
- A newly designed locking button that is both nicer to press (rounded top and thicker) and has a reinforced mechanism
- The handle is slightly thicker to make the poles more comfortable for bigger hands but not so thick as to make them annoying for smaller hands
- Better paint that allows an extra smooth slide of the locking shaft
- Covered core cable as the thin ones might show some wear when dragged on rocks or twisted too much when packed
- “Pointy” shaft sleeves so the poles are even easier to deploy
It is also from a new factory (too many issues with the previous one) so the overall quality of their production is better.
Cheers,
Gilad