New Edelrid Belay Device the " Pinch"

https://edelrid.com/int-en/vertical-freedom/edelrid-news/blog/press-pinch

Looks like a Grigri with the option to ho hands free.

That disappeared fast

Fixed the link: https://edelrid.com/int-en/vertical-freedom/edelrid-news/blog/press-pinch

There is also this pinch video.  I will probably get one when they are available just to play with it.  I hope there is a locking mechanism on the harness attachment otherwise it is a no go.

Paying out slack by only using the thumb on top of the device without stabilising with the index finger is already possible with the Grigri and Birdie.  I haven't really had a chance to play with other camming devices, but the principle should apply just the same.

Seems like a pretty nice innovation on the Birdie, which is of course an iteration of the beloved Grigri.  I'd buy one if I was in the market for a single rope ABD, probably still use it with my Smart HMS though.

I got to play hands on with one today.

It’s cool! The direct attachment to the belay loop is interesting, I see some advantages with this since removes any carabiner failure modes (although it may show to have its own). You can still use a crab if you want though. What’s really cool is that you can orient it in several different ways to create the best option to belay based on your anchor of preferred belay style.

ETA: pat, yes, the direct harness attachment is locked. I didn’t see an obvious way for it to come undone accidentally, and it’s slightly awkward to get it on and off the belay loop.

The friction teeth seem like a good edition.

It does come with an anti panic handle like the dreaded GRIGRI+, but it comes with a tool to deactivate it.

It feeds great without needing to touch the device at all.

I think it looks awesome!  There is something about the familiarity of a grigri though that no matter what the situation its universal between partners. 

The ability to override the panic function by continuing to panic seems problematic to me from an "additional safety for a new belayer" standpoint.

I can't see any major benefit over a GRIGRI other than maybe not twisting your rope so much.  I would like to play around with one though, as I generally love Edelrid products.

For those who have used one, do you see any applications for lead rope solo?  How about how it would perform on multipitch belaying from the top in guide mode?  The latter is generally my main use for a GRIGRI these days.  I prefer lead belaying from below with the Edelride Mega- or Gigajul.  

Full disclosure: I think the Gigajul is the best all-around belay device out there.

Two things I don’t understand:

Why do we need another grigri clone when the original one is just perfect? Why don’t companies just leave this piece of gear with Petzl and focus on original designs instead? The direct harness attachment fixes a problem that isn’t one. The “disableable” (what a word…) anti panic feature is an improvement over the one in the grigri+ but tbh nobody ever needed this in the first place.

And why does Edelrid gear always look so tacky? The combination of neon green and yellow together with those pseudo cyborgy triangle edge look just makes it impossible for me to buy anything from them no matter how good it may be. 

Mike Shorts wrote:

Two things I don’t understand:

Why do we need another grigri clone when the original one is just perfect? Why don’t companies just leave this piece of gear with Petzl and focus on original designs instead? The direct harness attachment fixes a problem that isn’t one. The “disableable” (what a word…) anti panic feature is an improvement over the one in the grigri+ but tbh nobody ever needed this in the first place.

And why does Edelrid gear always look so tacky? The combination of neon green and yellow together with those pseudo cyborgy triangle edge look just makes it impossible for me to buy anything from them no matter how good it may be. 

I am looking for a more reliable assisted locking mechanism for LRS.  The direct harness attachment has some advantages for LRS too.

Potentially cheaper especially if you included the cost savings for not having a locker to attach it to the harness would make it more attractive to some.

It looks great except for the anti panic function 

Aaron K wrote:

It looks great except for the anti panic function 

You can disable it. 

Adam Fleming wrote:

You can disable it. 

Based on the info in the video- you can't "disable" the anti-panic breakaway function.  When the anti-panic feature "breaks away" and releases the cam to arrest the rope movement, the operating level is actually at another spot on the cam that it can engage with the cam.  

Hard to explain- easier to see in action-

https://youtu.be/IMjPwnzYM30?si=DQemsDr3cRfPOv64&t=270

It does seem like the designers were like... "we know people are going to get annoyed by the anti-panic feature, but lets include it anyway and offer a work around that lets us claim there was no trade-off"

Andy Shoemaker wrote:

Based on the info in the video- you can't "disable" the anti-panic breakaway function.  When the anti-panic feature "breaks away" and releases the cam to arrest the rope movement, the operating level is actually at another spot on the cam that it can engage with the cam.  

Hard to explain- easier to see in action-

https://youtu.be/IMjPwnzYM30?si=DQemsDr3cRfPOv64&t=270

It does seem like the designers were like... "we know people are going to get annoyed by the anti-panic feature, but lets include it anyway and offer a work around that lets us claim there was no trade-off"

According to the little advertising document I read in person, it comes with a tool or screw to disable the function. Looking at the device, it wasn’t immediately obvious how this would be achieved,  but they were quite clear that they have a mechanical way of disabling it that is included when you buy it. 

Mike Shorts wrote:

Two things I don’t understand:

Why do we need another grigri clone when the original one is just perfect? Why don’t companies just leave this piece of gear with Petzl and focus on original designs instead?  

From your post, if you ran Ford we would all still be driving Model Ts. Competition results in innovation and innovation results in competition. 

Heavier than a gri gri. Looks pretty sweet but I’ll stick with the gri for now.

Interesting device for sure. I like the linear rope feed, but I think that the direct harness attachment could make self-rescue/escaping the belay a little trickier but that's an edge case anyway. Personally I'll let people use it for a couple years and discover the inevitable caveats, hard to beat a grigri. Theres a reason why they're almost industry standard for AB devices. 

The other issue is it seems like a huge PITA to rack if you aren’t using a carabiner. 

Doctor Drake wrote:

According to the little advertising document I read in person, it comes with a tool or screw to disable the function. Looking at the device, it wasn’t immediately obvious how this would be achieved,  but they were quite clear that they have a mechanical way of disabling it that is included when you buy it. 

He also mentions a second way of overriding the anti panic if you don’t have the screw in. After the anti panic is triggered you can continue to pull further and override the anti panic that way. 

The screw physically prevents the handle from going back to the point at which the anti-panic would engage.

One advantage of connecting the pinch directly to your harness is that there is no possibility of cross-loading your belay carabiner.