The American Engineering whaletail is a very well-made device. It is thinner than some other whaletails, which helps to keep the weight down. The tie-off horns on the spine are convenient, especially in industrial rescue situations. The safety is one long bar that slides vertically, but a small lock screw keeps it from coming out completely. Changing the number of bars in use while on rappel is less convenient than it is on whaletails with a shorter gate that doesn't cover all bars; however, this design is more secure. The device is not truly double-ended because the gate cannot be reversed. I wish that the inside corners of the gate had been beveled, and there are some sharp edges on the inside of the knobs of mine. After a few minutes with a very fine file, there should be nothing to complain about in that respect. Overall, this is a nice piece of equipment.
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©2007, Gary D. Storrick