What is this? Rap device?

Bought this in Katmandu a long time ago. It's about 5 inches long.

Bottle opener?

Bike lock?

Medevial torture device?

yer gonna die

It looks like you could use it on a single rope and it would have the ability to lock off. Not auto, you'd have to do it yourself, but it might work.

Rap through the slot, wrap the rope once or twice around the phallus, then catch it in the hook.

Why you would do this instead of a different device, I don't know.

It's a Russian Petal.

storrick.cnc.net/VerticalDe…

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion wrote:It's a Russian Petal. storrick.cnc.net/VerticalDe…

Hmm, it's kinda cool and phallic looking. Useless though.

I can't think of anything it could do that a fig 8 with wings couldn't do better if you're into that sort of thing.

Michael Schneider wrote:Gunkswest, you climbed with Lotus in '87 ? Wow that's a cool breeze from the past! As to the Ruskin device it is a pre free eastern block era thing that works well enough. Jon Burr, who lived at the foot of the Trapps ,( the main climbing area in the Gunks )brought home a few and they found a few fans.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion wrote:... I can't think of anything it could do that a fig 8 with wings couldn't do better ...

Mark E Dixon wrote: Any idea how it works to rap? ...

gription wrote: You push a bite of rope through the small slot then bring the bite over the penis thing. Clip the hole to your biner an weeeeee!

According to this link it's to use the petal like a brake bar.

I have just spent 45 minutes answering
Then my tablet blew a wabbler. .,.
Yes brake bar but much more too

Pre free Eastern block locking 'biners were rare and so two 'biners were the norm
That is part of the reason for the notches
that you said underneath!? ( Well no )it could and was used in every conceivable orientation.
This is going to take a while
The other thing to understand is that in the old days -(still?)
ropes of varying diameters (especially In mountaineer's kits ) were used
the deep V & the hook provided greater friction or a semi- locking mode as well as
working with fat , frozen , snowed up ropes.

the device, the Petal - that I heard called peddal - was very versatile
it could be used to ascend and rap as well as belay, Also it was used in hauling and rescues.

It could be Attached to the load. . For lowering out. . .using two or one fixed from a high point. . .

adding biners increased the radius of the rope decreasing friction.

It could be hung from a high point for a redirected belay of a second

Both on mountain terrain and more vertical. . .
When used to belay the lead the two biners would ride in the wide position letting the rope run
and snap together in the event of a fall. . .
providing an audible sound and a distinct feel.
A help on a mountain wall where the belayer might be in a bivy sack.

If you stuffed a bite of rope through or between the biners you could escape the belay - I think?

By putting 'biners in-between the two 'biners that went to the waist loop 'biners,
holding them in the wide position,
Snowy old school gold line could be used . . .brake bar mode

very skinny cords could be used Through the top narrower slot.and that would be when the hook was most helpful.

Also it worked in standard figure 8 rap mode

It was a - do everything device - so it was liked for expedition /mountain climbing.
They often came in a set of 6 - three for each climber.
A favorite thing was to leave one to mark a change of direction (down) to a bivy location or where a pendulum was used ( also at the base of seracs tension traverses or used in passing the first obstacle (bergshund?)

So - sticht plate mode or Vslot, small hole or upper slot then also brake bar or munter hitch type with the rope wrapped around the device . .point up or point down - a self belay mode -

Ok ? Play around with it it is a cool tried and true device.

Alright more. .

When carrying heavy loads between camps the decreased friction mode allowed for use on fixed lines,
If a free hanging rap. was encountered the hook could be used - rope wrapped around -
to go hands free!

Back in the 80s in the Gunks, there was a group of climbers from Chezc or Slovakia they were very adamant as to which it was but I don't remember . . Jethro, was one of the guys, he was a master of the device,

His accent was thick - so I always heard it called a peddal.

I wanted to learn how it worked to ascend a fixed line. Auto-block?

Some combination using it tethered a prusick cord,- cordellet, - as a foot strap??.
To provide a mechanical advantage.?

Kong still make a device called a Robot,
I have used them for decades and replaced
Mine several times due to wear. Like the Robot The aluminum is pretty soft and grooves - wear lines - formed
that one looks almost unused.

I saw it used for twins and rappelling shoelace thick tag lines (crazy Russians)

It was a - do all device - but needed to be practiced with, in all but the simplest mode.