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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2013 - 09:15pm PT
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Going tubular was the next big step and another great Lowe innovation.
An early unmarked Lowe Tuber.
Along with a later snazzy French model.
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socalbolter
Sport climber
Silverado, CA
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May 27, 2013 - 12:06am PT
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When I first started climbing, my partner/mentor gave me a single slot, rectangular plate like the one shown in mellpat's photo upthread. I used it for years before upgrading to the spring version once they were available.
Always enjoy browsing these hardware threads...reminds me of how far we've come.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2014 - 04:14pm PT
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A few more snazzy French-made Tubers complete with splatter-resist anodization and with the cable loop intact.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 26, 2014 - 05:47pm PT
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Around 1972, when I got into climbing at the Gunks, hip belays were the order of the day. I have this vague recollection of having to take a test which involved catching a heavy sack full of sand or something. Then you could go climb (or maybe I dreamed that up. Who knows.) Anyway, leather shorts helped a lot. The first device I began using, was a figure 8, late 70s in the Adirondacks.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 15, 2014 - 04:06pm PT
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This is perhaps the last installment in the Lowe belay device story.
This device has a tiny sticker that says "R.O.K. PRODUCT".
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Lorenzo
Trad climber
Oregon
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Jun 15, 2014 - 07:40pm PT
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I think figure 8's came in mid 70's. At least that's when I first started seeing them.
Hated them because they put permanent spiral kinks in the ropes.
My hockey puck/Spring Stitch has two holes. 1 nine mm, 1 11 mm
I used it for belaying double ropes and rappelling until the new dental floss ropes showed up.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jun 15, 2014 - 07:55pm PT
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My hockey puck/Spring Stitch has two holes. 1 nine mm, 1 11 mm
I used it for belaying double ropes until the new dental floss ropes showed up.
Best belay device for skinny ropes I know of was the Sirius from German company TRE. Too bad they stopped making it...
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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Jun 15, 2014 - 08:07pm PT
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this thread is great. I'm trying -- and failing -- to imagine what Walter Bonatti used back in the day.
I started climbing in 1994 (20 years ago!? wow.) Even back then the only device I saw at the crags was an ATC. Never saw a Figure 8, except in a catalog, and which was immediately dismissed as a museum piece.
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Lorenzo
Trad climber
Oregon
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Jun 15, 2014 - 08:30pm PT
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Walter probably used what most of us of a certain age used. Hip belay. With a swami belt there was no good place to clip the belay device.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Jun 16, 2014 - 08:29am PT
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Steve, those pictures ore of a prototype "square tuber" that I was working on with Greg Lowe in mid-1991. I left Lowe in December 1991 to start Trango and the people remaining at Lowe abandoned the project so I took it on at Trango where it was refined and became the Pyramid.
Malcolm
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 16, 2014 - 09:01am PT
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Thanks for the background, Malcolm.
Any idea what R.O.K. stands for?
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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Jun 16, 2014 - 10:12am PT
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R.O.K. = Republic of Korea. Country of Origin.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 16, 2014 - 10:41am PT
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Thanks!
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Bonatti, at his time, was known for using equipment from earlier times. He probably used a set-up of carabiners for self-belay. I have never been able to see any special belay devices among his equipment on photos.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Stitch Plates ruled. I remember getting an ATC and wishing that I still had the Stitch Plate without the spring.
You could do all kinds of stuff with that simple piece of gear. The tube devices couldn't lock off as well.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Klaus, what's with the bottle opener, or whatever that is? I must have
three Sticht plates, a double-niner, a nine/eleven, and a double-eleven
but I've never seen that sheet metal thingy. It looks after market.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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I didn't like the ones with the springs - just something to snag something
at an inopportune moment (KISS!), plus extra weight for an alpinist. ;-)
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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The future of the belay
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Roots
Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
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A couple more not shown in this thread:
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Hip belays work fine. I held long leader falls with one and was held on a long leader fall by one. I still use them on long multi pitch climbs when the follower is on moderate terrain and I suspect he will be moving quickly.
I do get the occasional odd look when my partner arrives at the belay. I haven't lost anyone yet.
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