Can anyone help me to ID this carabiner?

So i've had this biner for a while now, and I have trying to figure out the age of the damn thing. At least to a general time frame. Maybe it isn't half as old as I think it is but I can't seem to find anything else like it so if anybody has an insight into this that would be great!

Red Bonaiti

Other side

it is a Kong-Bonatti probably from late 80's would be my guess.

Does the gate open to the side and sort of "lock" open?

Got a few of those Kong Bonatti biners myself, bought em in the mid-80s. One of the locals called em 'Bonatti death biners' as a joke', I was young on gullible and just didn't feel right about trusting them after that even though they're fine biners.

Kong used to be Kong-Bonaiti. In the old days it was just Bonaiti, which is the name of the founder. (See this)

The biner shown in the picture seems from the early eighties. I had some and I should still have one in black--if memory serves--bought around that time.

Mark, I know that C.A.M.P. (back then, C.A.M.P. Interalp) made the biners with the gate that opened to the side and remained locked. I still have a pair of those. I don't remember Bonaiti making them, but they might have. Have you seen any?

brenta wrote:Mark, I know that C.A.M.P. (back then, C.A.M.P. Interalp) made the biners with the gate that opened to the side and remained locked. I still have a pair of those. I don't remember Bonaiti making them, but they might have. Have you seen any?

Yes! I was shown a pair that were red like the one in the picture. I think they were Bonatti but I can't remember for sure. I'll try to get a picture to ID them.

Bonaiti, Italy. These are older than the Kong variety. I have some similar blue ones with gold gate. It does not snap lock open. Famous Alps climber from old days. I'd guess late 70's to early 80's for this biner. Older ones have strength listed in pounds, like other old Liberty and Eiger biners of that era.

Thanks for all the help guys. Your right this is not a snap lock open carabiner. I am greatful for all the information. I had guessed it to be somewhere in that range, due to the fact that the name Kong was not on it, and the fact that the strength is rated in KG instead of KN.

Sad to hear that Bonaiti died just the other day. When I heard that I remembered this carabiner. will hold on to this one for my growing collection of older gear.

Travis Merrill wrote:Sad to hear that Bonaiti died just the other day.

Travis, the legend of mountaineering who died the other day was Walter Bonatti--double t. The guy who in the first half of the nineteenth century started the company that is now named Kong was Giuseppe Bonaiti. Similar last names (more in spelling than in pronunciation), from the same general area (Bergamo is not far from Lecco) but not related.

I have a half dozen of the same biners, but mine were anodized a fuscia color with a gold spiral running along the backbone.
These are still some of my favorite all-around biners.
circa 1980-1986 ?

Well even though I had the wrong man, a legendary mountaineer did die. And although I was wrong it lead me to find out the history of my carabiner.

Oops. Thanks for the info, and corrections.