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Help me identify these REI oval carabiners

Original Post
Yosuke Kanii · · Seattle, WA · Joined Feb 2015 · Points: 24

Can anyone help me identify these old carabiners and what their ratings are?

Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,100

The rating BITD (circa mid 1970s) would have been around ~1600kg give or take.

I should add these biners, that is those sans a nose on the gate were good to have when climbing obscure routes with early bolts.  They were often the only biners that would fit through the hanger. Though these days some of the smaller wire gates would fit through.

Clint Cummins · · Palo Alto, CA · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 1,738

These were made by SMC and branded with REI, probably starting in around 1969.

Later in ~1970 and 1975, they were changed slightly, to make the opening end of the gate easier to spot.

I had several of these in the early 1970s, and it was a pain trying to guess which end of the gate opened;

eventually I painted the gate pins on that end!

Gunkiemike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 3,687

Appear to be mid 70's SMC products.  Ah, my first biners, bought with joy at the local EMS. Rated IIRC at 4000 lb for the ovals, 4400 lb for the D. The bodies flexed a lot (you could stretch one just by pulling them in your hands), and the notches had nothing to trap the pin under load.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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