Ecos
Mini[ Top | Ecos Mini | Face | Geni, Version A | Geni, Version B | Return to Figure Eights ]
I acquired this eight from Barrabés.com in 2003.
The Lucky Ecos is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 144 mm. tall, 76 mm. wide, and 16 mm thick. The rope hole is 51 mm. high and 51 mm. wide. The top center thickness is 12 mm. The shaft length and width are 46 mm. and 26 mm, respectively. The eye measures 26 mm. by 26 mm. My eight weighs 127 g.
The front of the shaft is etched with "lucKY" and "kN 30." The top rear is stamped with "0201" (month of manufacture?).
The Lucky Ecos is a typical example of a full sized, forged, aluminum figure eight. It is essentially identical to the Hugh Banner, Mammut, Version A and Trango Versions A and B.
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I acquired this eight from R. Burdenyuk in 2007.
The Lucky Ecos is forged from aluminum alloy and then polished. Mine is 130 mm. tall, 75 mm. wide, and 13 mm. thick. The rope hole is 48 mm. high and 48 mm. wide. The top center thickness is 11 mm. The shaft length and width are 43 mm. and 25 mm., respectively. The eye measures 19 mm. by 25 mm. My eight weighs 105 g.
The front of the shaft is etched with "LUCKY" and the rear is stamped "kN 25."
Although called a "mini," this eight fits my definition of a "midi" size, forged, aluminum eight. It is essentially identical to the Advanced Base Camp Versions A and B, AustriAlpin, Camp Version B, Camp/Lowe Versions A and B, CH, CT Ltd., Mammut Versions B and D, and Salewa Midi. The soft anodized aluminum will wear quickly when used on dirty ropes. The eye is 25 mm. wide, so it can be used for "Sticht" belaying on 9 mm. rope. The eye is a bit short for optimum use on 11 mm. rope. The strength marked on the eight is greater than that marked on most of the other "midi" eights, but again I consider this to be insignificant.
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I acquired this eight from The Outdoor Store in 2007.
The Lucky Face is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 108 mm. tall, 79 mm. wide, and 19 mm thick. The Face has a distinct bend that accounts for the increased thickness; if flat, it would be only 10.6 mm. thick. The rope hole is 36 mm. high and 59 mm. wide. The top center thickness is 11 mm. The shaft length and width are 27 mm. and 30 mm, respectively. The eye measures 25 mm. by 25 mm. My eight weighs 80 g.
The concave side of the shaft is etched with "LUCKY BY," the VauDe logo, "KN 25," and "2005." The top of the eight is stamped "0103."
The Lucky Face is an odd-shaped, bent figure eight. It is essentially identical to the Mammut, Version E, Singing Rock, and Trango Penta. The Face is lighter than most figure eights. The bend allows it to be rigged two ways with differing amounts of friction. The short overall length and sharp bends makes this eight rather "grabby" when using the high friction arrangement on sandy ropes.
[ Top | Ecos | Ecos Mini | Face | Geni, Version B | Return to Figure Eights ]
I acquired this eight from Inner Mountain Outfitters in 1994.
The Lucky Geni, Version A is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 128 mm. tall, 69 mm. wide, and 16 mm. thick. The rope hole is 50 mm. high and 50 mm wide. The top center thickness is 11 mm. The shaft length and width are 32 mm. and 26 mm, respectively. The eye measures 26 mm. by 28 mm. My eight weighs 110 g.
The front of the shaft is etched with "lucKY," a rigging icon between two double vertical arrows, "3000," and "SPAIN."
The Lucky Geni, Version A is an example of a "Flat Top" aluminum eight, although there is a slight upward arch to the top. The Geni, Version A is essentially the same as Version B and the Metolius, Versions A & B. If you compare the dimensions carefully, you will see that Version A is slightly shorter, narrower, and thicker than Version B or the Metolius, Versions A & B. These are real differences, not measurement errors on my part, but they are too insignificant to call them different designs.
[ Top | Ecos | Ecos Mini | Face | Geni, Version A | Return to Figure Eights ]
I acquired this eight from The Outdoor Store in 2007.
The Lucky Geni, Version B is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 129 mm. tall, 72 mm wide, and 15 mm. thick. The rope hole is 49 mm. high and 50 mm. wide. The top center thickness is 11 mm. The shaft length and width are 32 mm. and 27 mm, respectively. The eye measures 26 mm. by 27 mm. My eight weighs 106 g.
The front of the shaft is etched with "LUCKY BY," the VauDe logo, up and down pointing carets (i.e., a "^ " above a "v"), and "30 KN."
The Lucky Geni, Version B is essentially the same as Version A, except that it is unfinished.
The Lucky Genis have a subtriangular rope hole that provides a somewhat straight upper portion, albeit not quite to the extent that this feature appears on the Petzl D01 & D02 or the SMC Straight Eights. This allows the rope to run a bit straighter, but this is more academic than practical. The inverted triangular shape makes it easier to lock this eight off than some others. Many people fear this (witness the proliferation of Figure Eights With Ears), but I recall Keith Liken's 1968 (Figure Eight Ring, GCG Electric Caver, v. 4, no. 11, 87-88; reprinted in the 1968 Speleo Digest) attempt to redesign the figure eight so that it would lock off more easily. If you are prepared an know what you are doing, releasing a larks-headed eight is easy enough that I don't worry much about accidental lock-offs.
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©2008, Gary D. Storrick