A caver gave me this device during the an Old Timer's Reunion, probably around 1978. I as already aware of the device, having read about it in Tomaz Planina's 1976 article (Obraba vrvi pri spuscanju z vrvnimi zavorami, Nase jame, 17, 1976, pp. 15-22; "Climbing ropes wearing out with rope brakes," Nase jame, 19, 1977, pp. 15-22).
Originally, I wrote the following about the origin of this device:
All I know about the origin of this device is that it is Italian. "G. MAGNONE" is stamped into the back of the tinplate, perhaps this refers to the manufacturer.
My information that the device was Italian came from page 19 of Planina's 1977 article. In July 2006, Lorenzo Dotti of Milan, Italy sent me the following additional information:
The descender "G.Magnone" was most probably not made in Italy: Guido Magnone - in spite of his Italian name - was a great French climber of the 70s, and he should be the designer of this gear.
The Tinplate is made out of 1.5 mm. stainless steel sheet metal, cut and bent to shape, and secured with three spot welds. It fits over a standard oval or locking D carabiner, and is secured with a second carabiner. In use, it acts like a large brake bar. The user should clip into the first carabiner, and use the device like a normal carabiner brake bar rig.
Do not
clip to the securing carabiner because your weight will be supported
only by the three spot welds!
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©2007, Gary D. Storrick