The 1985 Chouinard catalog shows the new Chouinard carabiner design that has smaller gate notches. For some reason this design was only shown for 1985, and then the design reverted back to the older carabiner design in 1986. So for over 30 years I searched for this carabiner style with no luck finding one. Even looking through other collections and climbing museums this 1985 carabiner design was not present. I started thinking that this carabiner design was never produced.
Most Chouinard carabiners were made having a angle design between the carabiner body and the open gate clip notch. But this 1985 Chouinard carabiner design has no angle on the carabiner body, only a straight across ground in clip notch. In the 1985 catalog shown below the three carabiners styles are displayed, all having no angle by the clip notch. The drawing of the Chouinard carabiner shown on catalog page 5 clearly shows the angle just above the clip notch, however the drawn carabiner is not the chouinard carabiner 1985 version .
Props to Gus Bekker for his generous 2022 donation of climbing gear items to the Karabin Climbing Museum. Within the items was this Chouinard 1985 Oval carabiner, in mint condition!!!
Chouinard 1985 catalog
The idea for the 1990 Pearabiner was made by Chouinard in 1989, but since the carabiner was made for the 1990 sales, this carabiner becomes a Black Diamond product. December 1989 Chouinard ends and Black Diamond begins.