The original Chouinard company later became Black Diamond.
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I acquired this eight from Exkursion in 1990.
The Black Diamond Super 8 is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 120 mm. tall, 75 mm. wide, and 13 mm. thick. The rope hole is 43 mm. high and 53 mm wide. The top center thickness is 7 mm. The shaft length and width are 33 mm. and 25 mm, respectively. The eye measures 25 mm. by 26 mm. My eight weighs 90 g.
Both sides of the eight have a forged logo (a "C" inside a diamond). One side is stamped "805"
The Black Diamond Super 8 is a typical example of a "Flat Top" aluminum eight. The top of the eight is thin (7 mm) and should wear quickly. The shank, which normally wears faster, is nearly twice as thick. The rope path has some sudden bends so the eight tends to "grab" under some gritty rope conditions. The eye could be used for a "Sticht" belay on double (but not single) 9 mm. rope. It doesn't work well for belaying with 11 mm. rope.
The Black Diamond Super 8 is lighter than most figure eights.
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I acquired this eight from Skinny Skis around 1979.
The Chouinard, Version A is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 136 mm. tall, 76 mm. wide, and 16 mm. thick. The rope hole is 42 mm. high and 48 mm wide. The top center thickness is 14 mm. The shaft length and width are 48 mm. and 26 mm, respectively. The eye measures 22 mm. by 22 mm. My eight weighs 146 g.
The front of the eight has a forged logo (a "C" inside a diamond) and "CHOUINARD." The rear is stamped "ITALY."
The Chouinard, Version A is a typical example of a full sized aluminum eight with a rounded shaft. It is essentially identical to the Cassin Version A, Climb High Versions A & B, and Kong-Bonaiti Classic. The body is rather fat and well-rounded, so the rope tends to run smoothly. The finish is soft, so the eight will wear quickly. The eye is not designed for belaying.
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I acquired this eight from Skinny Skis around 1979.
The Chouinard, Version B is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 107 mm. tall, 74 mm. wide, and 17 mm. thick. The Chouinard, Version B has a distinct bend that accounts for the increased thickness; if flat, it would be 10.7 mm. thick. The rope hole is 35 mm. high and 54 mm wide. The top center thickness is 11 mm. The shaft length and width are 26 mm. and 30 mm, respectively. The eye measures 26 mm. by 26 mm. My eight weighs 82 g.
The concave side is stamped with "Chouinard."
This is an odd-shaped, bent figure eight. The Chouinard, Version B is lighter than most figure eights. It is essentially identical to the Frendo Version B.
The bend allows it to be rigged two ways with differing amounts of friction. The rope hole is shorter than normal, so the high friction position may provide too much friction on stiff or muddy ropes. The short overall length and sharp bends makes this eight rather "grabby" when using the high friction arrangement on sandy ropes.
The eye is not designed for belaying.
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©2007, Gary D. Storrick