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History of Black Diamond Cams

Original Post
Bryce Dahlgren · · Boston, Ma · Joined Oct 2020 · Points: 216

So I like seeing the evolution of cams but I keep getting mixed up on the BD cams. I think it goes from C4's without a thumbloop, then ones with a thumbloop and the current ones that came out in 2019.

If I'm wrong/missing some it would be nice to know and if anyone has dates on each redesign that would be great thanks!

Frank Stein · · Picayune, MS · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 205

You are missing these, and then the ones before these, and the ones before those. 

ClimbingOn · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 0

The picture M Applequist posted is great (here's a slightly fuller-size version, at least when you click it). To be correct, the first generation was not actually Black Diamond but was Chouinard. That's splitting hairs.

The version before thumbloops are simply Camalots. C4s are the version with thumbloops. C4s are also, confusingly, the newest generation. So we have Camalots (single-stem, no thumbloop), C4 Camalots (thumbloops), and C4 Camalots (thumbloops, lighter, current generation). I personally think Black Diamond should have renamed the newest version something a little different. But hey, Petzl went with the Grigri, the Grigri 2, The Grigri +, and then the newest version is simply the Grigri again. So both BD and Petzl did somewhat the same thing.

horsedickery · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 0

Good all days when those were made by Chouinard in the USA. More plastic and lighter weight it’s most likely made in China. I’ll take a 20 or 30 year old cam any day as long as the webbing/slings are good. At least back then they weren’t mass producing probably by child labor like they are now. When stuff was actually made in Salt Lake. Profit over safety. Sorry BD tired of all the plastic cracking on your new stuff. Then charging more. How about that carbon footprint to get the stuff over here by ship. They don’t like to talk about that.

Frank Stein · · Picayune, MS · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 205
horsedickery wrote:

Good all days when those were made by Chouinard in the USA. More plastic and lighter weight it’s most likely made in China. I’ll take a 20 or 30 year old cam any day as long as the webbing/slings are good. At least back then they weren’t mass producing probably by child labor like they are now. When stuff was actually made in Salt Lake. Profit over safety. Sorry BD tired of all the plastic cracking on your new stuff. Then charging more. How about that carbon footprint to get the stuff over here by ship. They don’t like to talk about that.

So you prefer the ones that crack around the axles and are made out of hard “aircraft grade” aluminum alloy with lobes so narrow they track out of seemingly perfect placements?  I have 30 year-old Camalots, and they leave a lot to be desired. 

kevin ooch · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 0

Camelot Version 1 manufactured by Chouinard Equipment 1987, 3 part plastic sleeve.

Camelot Version 2 Chouinard 1988 and Version 3 Manufactured by Black Diamond 1989.  Single plastic molded sleeve. Look very similar but there is one major difference.

Notice the little piece of plastic that separates the round cable swage from the aluminum axle housing in the lower cam (Arrow).  That piece did not exist on the Chouinard model, BD put it there to prevent axle housing cracks as seen in the next photo.

kevin ooch · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 0

I'm going to jump ahead to 1994 to show the evolution of the single stem Camalot, I will circle back to the juniors.  1994 saw the introduction of the single stem Camalot.(damn autocorrect keeps getting me on Camalot vs Camelot) The first iteration of the single stem only lasted for a single year, if you look at the #2 with no trigger you can see that the plastic sleeve has no trigger keep.  BD would rectify this in 1995 with an aluminum ring to prevent the trigger from sliding up into the cam lobes (2nd photo).  They would further refine this in 2000 by adding a small injection molded ring in place of the aluminum ring (3rd Photo). 

 
kevin ooch · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 0

In 2005 BD would introduce the 4th version of the single stem Camalot, hence the designation C4. This is also when they did away with the half sizes like the 3.5 and shrunk the #4 into the abomination it is today. This redesign features a thumb loop, new sling design, and the aforementioned sizing change. 2015 was the unveiling of the ultralight, the changes to the lobe design were also used in an update of the C4 model.  Now a bit lighter, fully anodized, and a fun racing stripe on the sling. 

 
ClimbingOn · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 0

Kevin, This is really fascinating, good information. Some of it I did not know. The pics are great. I'd certainly welcome similar content on any other brands of cams or even nuts/carabiners.

kevin ooch · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 0

Didn't know about MP's restrictions on post count so here is the rest... 

I'm not going to discuss the C3, X4, and Z4 because the Pennequin photo covers it well enough. But the journey of the Juniors is fun. 1991 the .5 and .75 u-stem Juniors are introduced.  Square trigger bar and no sewn sling.  1994, sewn sling and slimmer trigger design, still u-stem.  When the micros (single axle small cams) are unveiled in 2000 the Juniors become single-stemmed.  I might be a touch off on the years, but if you refer to them as Juniors you probably have quite a few years of experience plugging cams. Along with the design changes to the cams came design updates to the BD logo as seen in the next photo.  Additionally, BD made a change to the thumb post (last photo) sometime during the aluminum trigger keeper era. Not sure about the year.   

nat han · · Boston, MA · Joined Jan 2020 · Points: 306
kevin ooch wrote:

 Additionally, BD made a change to the thumb post (last photo) sometime during the aluminum trigger keeper era. Not sure about the year.   

I was just about to ask when the change to the thumb press was.

kevin ooch · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 0

ClimbingOn, I'm just an amateur collector. To keep me out of trouble I only collect gear with a spring.  So SLCD and carabiniers, no passive gear (yet). I had the chance to discuss the state of collecting and sharing with Marty Karabin on my last trip.  I highly recommend hopping on his site https://www.karabinclimbingmuseum.com/  and poking around.  He has links to other sites as well.  Big fan of https://verticalarchaeology.com/ as well as http://www.smhc.co.uk/  Obviously Pennequin/Nuts Museum is another important repository of info.  Do you by chance have a high-resolution pic of his Wild Country Friend history?  It is in the same format as his Camalot poster you shared. The one I have has been compressed too much,

Here's a quick pic of two of the giants of carabiners. The great Pierre Allain and the indomitable Raffi Bedayn

ClimbingOn · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 0

I do not have a pic of the WC Friend history but if someone does, please post it. I'm pretty sure I have a few of the original Jardine friends. I collect just a little bit myself. Nice Allain and Bedayn carabiners. Here are a few of mine (Bedayn bottom left). My Alcoa is in poor condition but I'm still happy to have it. I'm familiar with those sites and have been able to help Pennequin a little bit in the past.

kevin ooch · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 0

Hey, Marwas!  I have a 60's era myself.  I covet an ALCOA.  I'm also looking for a 68-72 Chouinard as well. Just missed them every time they pop up, it'll show up eventually.  Got a 73 with the full "Tested" gate stamp. As for Friends, I run reasonably deep in 1st Gen.  Both models of the #4, with and without L wires.  Some of them only have the number stamp, some have the Made In England.  I like how you can see the cut marks on the #2 with the red nut. I'm pretty sure Mark upgraded to a better saw in '81 when he moved his workshop. I'm also trying to fill out the last ~4 models of #2 so I can write an article about the progression of Friends. Lastly here is the Friends poster for all to see, sorry it is low quality.  Hopefully, someone has it in a better resolution.  I not actually positive that Pennequin made this, but I'm pretty sure the first photo is of a prototype that is in his collection. I would love to find a 1st Gen that still has the original axle with the circlips that was never sent in for the recall.

Oops, I see that Appelquist posted the same image.  I took too long crafting my photos.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,305

 Original Friends'' only came in 4 sizes, then a year or so later they added the half sizes (1.5, 2.5, 3.5).   They were solid stem and solid cam heads on smaller sizes..  Weren't those also sold by Wild Country to start off?  Or did Jardine actually sell the first ones on his own?   Wonder why they aren't in the poster photo of 1977 and beyond.   I don't think I purchased my cams before 1976, but they were like two days pay to get all 4.  The biggest, a  #4 of that era was about 35 bucks. Original sews slings are still on a couple of them pictured. 

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,305

Sizes 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 came a bit later., shown in pic.   I had double sets of these.   Notice that by the time that Wild Country made the 3.5,,they had finally changed the lower curve to the cam heads?  All others remained straight.   When my youngest niece took up climbing a couple years ago, I gave her about 10 new cams to get a trad rack started, and added in one of the old classic 1.5 Friends from my gear bin, and told her to keep it as 'historic' family climbing heirloom for future.   As cams developed over the decades, I've always just associated the Camalot to being an upgraded 'Friend'.   Not many other companies at time of first Camalots were coming out with sets of cams anywhere as good or as numerous as Wild Country and Chouinard-GPIW-Black Diamond had done.

nutstory · · Ajaccio, Corsica, FR · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 15
kevin ooch wrote:

I not actually positive that Pennequin made this, but I'm pretty sure the first photo is of a prototype that is in his collection. 

kevin ooch · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 0

Nuts, the man himself coming through with the goods!  Thank you, not only for posting this but for creating such great resources.  Huge fan of yours, love your articles on Needles Sports.

nutstory · · Ajaccio, Corsica, FR · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 15
kevin ooch wrote:

Nuts, the man himself coming through with the goods!  Thank you, not only for posting this but for creating such great resources.  Huge fan of yours, love your articles on Needles Sports.

Merci beaucoup kevin ooch. Best wishes from Corsica!

Stéphane

horsedickery · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 0
Frank Stein wrote:

So you prefer the ones that crack around the axles and are made out of hard “aircraft grade” aluminum alloy with lobes so narrow they track out of seemingly perfect placements?  I have 30 year-old Camalots, and they leave a lot to be desired. 

Better than their newer all crappy handle and trigger plastic. We climbed with those older Chouinard back in the day no problems. I think I like the second generation better but some of the earlier ones were not that bad. Compared to the newer ones any day. Just think about the aircraft engines on the triple seven made in China? Inspect enough aircraft cables and you’ll understand.

horsedickery · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 0

Memories the mid 90s were about the best with a single stem. Not too much weight and plastic also not made in China. BD pretty much had the best in that time in my opinion. Now not so much. BD likes to buy other stuff up companies just like the Bibler. They start production in China quality goes downhill they will tell you otherwise same standards but we know how that goes specially when they do after hours runs mainly probably buy child labor. I’ll take to get old days cams over any of the new junk. Webbing and all. Just like a lot of their tents now they like to come apart at the same is literally. Oh it must’ve just been a bad batch. Just what I wanna hear on a brand new cam that you pay 70 bucks for. Not to mention all those jobs they outsourced instead of keeping them in Salt Lake. No thank you...

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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