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Anyone have a good experience with Black Diamond ropes recently?

Original Post
K Dub · · Out West · Joined May 2018 · Points: 144

I know Black Diamond ropes are never on the short list for recommended sport climbing ropes, but I have a deal I want to maximize, so BD it is. Do they make a decent sport climbing rope these days? I would be looking at a 70 m, doesn't have to be dry unless it's better and non-dry is no good. Use case is sport climbing. I'd prefer something 9.5 mm or below but would consider the 9.6 mm if people like it.

For any future searcher, here are some threads I found trying to answer this question. To summarize, it seems Black Diamond switched from Roca to Lanex (Tendon) in 2018, and unfortunately quality took a dive. It also appears that despite generally good experiences and reviews on Tendon ropes (not too popular in US), the ones they make for Black Diamond are different and lower quality.

Who Makes Black Diamond ropes?

BD ropes - mostly outdated info from before the switch to Lanex

BD Ropes - hit or miss reviews based on model. A "mid 9" diameter rope was fuzzy and core shot within weeks of sport projecting. 9.2 mm 70 m untreated well-reviewed. 9.4 mm treated - one good review. 9.9 m gym rope no good. 

Brand new 40 m 9.8 mm rope core shot out of the package (TBF this can happen to any rope)

Tendon ropes discussion - 9.4 mm untreated sheath wearing fast. Handles well. 

Appreciate any insight from people who have had one since 2018.

P B · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2019 · Points: 62

I bought a BD 9.4 for sport-use only and have no complaints nor praises. It is exactly what I paid for - a cheap work horse rope that I can beat up and not feel bad about it because it’s not my $300 triple-rated unicore unicorn dry treated rope. I do own trad/multi pitch-specific lighter ropes and save those for that application. If I climbed 5.14 maybe I’d buy a thinner 8.something redpoint rope but for right now the BD one works just fine.

Kyle Elliott · · Granite falls · Joined Jul 2015 · Points: 1,773

I have one in my quiver.  A non dry 9.6 60m

Feeds and handles well, so far is quite durable. Rather low stretch, but could just feel like that after using 9mm sterling for years.

Bought on sale to be used for cragging so my more technical ropes stay fresh for multi pitch and alpine.

John Clark · · Sierras · Joined Mar 2016 · Points: 1,398

I have a 9.2 80m from 2019 still as my primary rope. First couple years were all trad,  but now i use it for sport and it is not holding up as well. Still use it, but looking to replace next season

MattH · · CO mostly · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 1,339

I got a good price on an 80m 9.4 and have been using it for a couple seasons now any time i need something longer than my old skinny that I cut down to ~63m (so probably 10ish days on rock total?). That's obviously not much time but it still handles well and hasn't developed any 'fuzz' despite some precarious/high-friction situations.

I have heard several horror stories from friends who take big whips, though, so I'd consider that a big contrary datapoint to mine - I know multiple people who got a core shot on their BD rope in the first month of ownership (not something that's happened to any of them before or after with any other rope). If you need a cheap rope for moderate cragging it probably fits the bill but if you're going to be taking 20+ foot whips on your steep sport project you might want to proceed with caution. 

K Dub · · Out West · Joined May 2018 · Points: 144
P B wrote:

I bought a BD 9.5 for sport-use only and have no complaints nor praises. It is exactly what I paid for - a cheap work horse rope that I can beat up and not feel bad about it because it’s not my $300 triple-rated unicore unicorn dry treated rope. I do own trad/multi pitch-specific lighter ropes and save those for that application. If I climbed 5.14 maybe I’d buy a thinner 8.something redpoint rope but for right now the BD one works just fine.

I don't see a 9.5 on their website currently. Maybe it's an older model?

Doug Chism · · Arlington VA · Joined Jul 2017 · Points: 55

I have a BD 9.2 for sport climbing and it’s holding up ok, better then the Petzl 9.2 Volta but not as good as my 9.2 Bluewater did. It seems to have gained a bit of thickness and it's about as thick as my 9.5 gym rope now. 

P B · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2019 · Points: 62
K Dub wrote:

I don't see a 9.5 on their website currently. Maybe it's an older model?

Did some digging, I think I have a 9.4. It’s held up pretty well to wear and tear.

grug g · · SLC · Joined Jul 2022 · Points: 0

I have mulitple BD ropes (5-6), and have had them since BD started selling ropes. 

Good price, good rope. 

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

I have mulitple BD ropes (5-6), and have had them since BD started making ropes. 

Good price, good rope. 

BD never made ropes. All of their ropes are either Roca (Spain) or Lanex (Czech). 

grug g · · SLC · Joined Jul 2022 · Points: 0
Frank Stein wrote:

BD never made ropes. All of their ropes are either Roca (Spain) or Lanex (Czech). 

Good contribution - updated my comment. Any thoughts on BD ropes?

Peter Y · · Chapel Hill, NC · Joined Sep 2014 · Points: 5

I've had the BD dry 9.2 70m (Roca) and the 9.4 non-dry 70m (Lanex). The 9.2 has been decent. My partners say that it's a nice rope (pretty stretchy) but the sheath is fraying pretty easily, the middle mark completely faded quickly, dry treatment left quickly, and it's way thicker than 9.2. 

The 9.4 sucked. It got so kinky after a while that it wrapped ~20x around my buddy's rope on a double rope rappel  and rewrapped itself after my friend ascended to free it and rappelled back down. BD warrantied that rope.

Mike S · · Richmond NH · Joined Mar 2017 · Points: 0

I have a Roca made 9.5 dry and love it.  After a season of use it still looks new and felt great from day one. 

Grant Kleeves · · Ridgway, CO · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 60

I've had 5 or 6 BD ropes now, overall pretty durable and have a good feel, especially for the price, I don't think the dry treated ones are any significant advantage, just get the cheap non-dry and go with it... 

if I was forced to pay full price I'd be buying Mammut ropes all day long, but at roughly half the price it's pretty hard to knock the BD ropes, I've never had any issues, which is more than I can say about a lot of more expensive brands...

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

Good contribution - updated my comment. Any thoughts on BD ropes?

I’ve had ropes from both factories. From my experience, they unremarkable but quite serviceable ropes. 

K Dub · · Out West · Joined May 2018 · Points: 144
Grant Kleeves wrote:

I've had 5 or 6 BD ropes now, overall pretty durable and have a good feel, especially for the price, I don't think the dry treated ones are any significant advantage, just get the cheap non-dry and go with it... 

if I was forced to pay full price I'd be buying Mammut ropes all day long, but at roughly half the price it's pretty hard to knock the BD ropes, I've never had any issues, which is more than I can say about a lot of more expensive brands...

Agree on the Mammut ropes. I've got an old Infinity Classic I'm about to have to retire because it's too short to even be a gym rope. I've chopped it probably 8-10 times.

Now I'm curious what your experience has been with other more expensive brands.

Anyone use the Babsi or Honnold ropes? Maybe those have better construction?

Grant Kleeves · · Ridgway, CO · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 60
K Dub wrote:

Agree on the Mammut ropes. I've got an old Infinity Classic I'm about to have to retire because it's too short to even be a gym rope. I've chopped it probably 8-10 times.

Now I'm curious what your experience has been with other more expensive brands.

Anyone use the Babsi or Honnold ropes? Maybe those have better construction?

I've owned: 

at least 3 Sterling, all 8.9 to 9.2 singles, all had awesome feel, good dry treatment, and terrible durability, I don't think I ever got more than 3 months out of any of them mostly sport climbing, no snow or ice.

at least 3 Bluewater, a set of doubles, and a skinny single that I remember, less awesome feel, medium durability $$$, doubles survived 1.5 alpine routes and a couple pitches of ice and were essentially unusable, single is currently going strong but its an 80 I only use on long sport routes, not a ton of use.

at least 4 Edelrid, a set of skinny doubles, and a couple of skinny singles, the singles have been super durable but turn into a steel cable in like a week, worst feeling ropes I've seen, doubles were trashed after one alpine climb, hard to tell if it's the rope's fault, I didn't think we were that abusive but alpine climbing is weird...

Maxim, just one I think? I can never find these on sale so I don't end up with them. durable but terrible feel...

Mammut, I think three? all of them lasted multiple seasons and had zero issues, retired when they started to get a little less dynamic but still looked great...

PB Jelly · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2022 · Points: 0

I have a BD 9.9mm from last year and it stood up fairly well. I used it as a workhorse for trad, sport and top rope with the kids. It saw some pretty nasty edges and I'm pleasantly surprised.

However my trad partner has a 9.4 (non dry) that got frayed after lowering at some popular anchor, he was unpleasantly surprised.

Honnestly, I will probably go back to Mammut for the next one anyway beause of the handling. It is not a bad rope (mine), it is just ok, not outstanding. The only reason I would buy another BD rope is the -25% they offer on gear sometimes.

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

i have had 11 BD ropes and the one word i would use to describe them is "inconsistent".  3 of them were awesome, 5 of them were ok, and 3 of them were absolute garbage.

the rope i am using now (9.4 non-dry, black and yellow) has been hands-down the worst rope i have ever owned.  on the VERY FIRST PITCH i was belaying somebody up to my belay ledge and the rope was leaving yellow caterpillars everywhere.  this is typically something you see when a rope is about to die.   it was a pretty straight forward pitch, nothing that would really chew up a rope.  since then i have put about 20 more pitches on it and it is absolutely trashed, pretty much the entire length of the rope.  i have owned many, many ropes and i have never had one like this before. a definite WTF.

what's really crazy is that i had the exact same rope before this one, and it was a pretty good rope.

very inconsistent...

Jack Strifling · · Lexington, KY · Joined Oct 2017 · Points: 5

Ted. 

K Dub · · Out West · Joined May 2018 · Points: 144
Grant Kleeves wrote:

I've owned: 

at least 3 Sterling, all 8.9 to 9.2 singles, all had awesome feel, good dry treatment, and terrible durability, I don't think I ever got more than 3 months out of any of them mostly sport climbing, no snow or ice.

at least 3 Bluewater, a set of doubles, and a skinny single that I remember, less awesome feel, medium durability $$$, doubles survived 1.5 alpine routes and a couple pitches of ice and were essentially unusable, single is currently going strong but its an 80 I only use on long sport routes, not a ton of use.

at least 4 Edelrid, a set of skinny doubles, and a couple of skinny singles, the singles have been super durable but turn into a steel cable in like a week, worst feeling ropes I've seen, doubles were trashed after one alpine climb, hard to tell if it's the rope's fault, I didn't think we were that abusive but alpine climbing is weird...

Maxim, just one I think? I can never find these on sale so I don't end up with them. durable but terrible feel...

Mammut, I think three? all of them lasted multiple seasons and had zero issues, retired when they started to get a little less dynamic but still looked great...

Before I had this coupon, I was thinking of getting a Sterling rope next. Now not so sure... I had always heard good things.

Based on all these reviews, thinking it's going to be a roll of the dice with this BD rope. May not even be worth it.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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