I acquired my GTC from Climb Max in 2003.
The GTC is a 2-slot hybrid belay device forged from aluminum and soft anodized. It comes with a plastic covered cable keeper. The rope holes are rectangular, measuring 27.4 mm long and 12.9 mm wide. A release tab at the side has a 19.5 mm carabiner hole. The top surface is flat except for a raised area on the rib between the two slots. The bottom surface is irregular.
The GTC has "ITALY and the Cassin logo stenciled on the top.
The GTC is a solid belay device. It has some more effective mass than some of the tube belayers, but it can still get hot.
The bottom surface of the GTC is convex where it touches the carabiner, much like the Trango B52. I find that this tends to push the carabiner to one end or the other - but which end varies with conditions. In either case, this probably increases friction somewhat, but I really don't notice a strong effect. Curiously, the bottom surface is almost a mirror image of the one on the Metolius BRD. Both devices work well so I don't see that the bottom surface shape is all that important.
The tab functions like the tab on the Metolius BRD, aiding in lowering. Like the Mammut Matrix, the tab has a carabiner hole. Not only does this lighten the device, it also provides a secure place for attaching the GTC to my harness when I'm not using it. It also provides a place to clip the anchor carabiner when used as an autoblock (see the Trango B52 page for an illustration)
DO NOT hang the GTC
by the keeper cable when using it as an autoblock. The cable is
not strong enough to support humans.
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©2007, Gary D. Storrick