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Chouinard tooling jig for carabiners
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!!!
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!!!
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Chouinard 1985 catalog
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I was visited by James Armstrong who brought along with him 2 Chouinard carabiners that are not shown on the display board. The first carabiner is a Chouinard Locking Light D that has a crown screw stop which places it as 1983. On the display board, both of the locking 1983 and 1984 carabiners manufacturer marks have raised letters, and the U.S.A. is with the Chouinard word. On James’s locking carabiner the manufacturer marks are stamped onto the carabiner body, and the U.S.A. is with the 2300 KG mark. Of course now it raises the question of: is James’s locking carabiner the first generation?
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The second of James’s Chouinard carabiners brings forward many totally awesome questions! The carabiner is a Chouinard Oval, Mfg marks are stamped, circa ….. hmmm….sometime between 1977 and 1990.
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— First question: The manufacturer mark on one side of the carabiner has the word “Chouinard Perception.” What does this represent?
— Second Question: On the other side of the carabiner the manufacturer mark is a Diamond within two brackets, which is a symbol that was added to the left over Chouinard product stock as Chouinard was transitioning into Black Diamond - announcement late 1989. So product direction maybe pushes this bracketed diamond symbol to 1990 first being marked onto the products (MK assumption).
— Third Question: But what is totally blowing my mind is observing the design of the carabiner body. Out of all of the Chouinard carabiners on the display board, there are only two which are similar to the mystery Oval, which are the 1977 and 1981 Featherweight. In technical wordage .. “The carabiner body flares outward from both ends of the carabiner gate.”
— Possibility One: Carabiner was made in 1990 but why? Why go back to a older carabiner design? Black Diamond was becoming so why create and stamp it Chouinard, and put the bracketed diamond mark on it as well? To represent partnership in some form… past history spanning into new creations? Why bracketed diamond, instead of the Black Diamond word? (Perception: “Awareness through the senses”).
— Possibility Two: Carabiner was made in 1977 as a prototype to create a stronger oval shaped carabiner. 1977 Hollow Featherweight is 1600kg where solid stock Oval is 2000kg. However the first Oval carabiner came out in 1978, and the carabiner body only flares out from one end of the carabiner gate, not both ends. And then back to the question of: Does the bracketed diamond mark go all the way back to 1977, and even before? Who first created the bracketed diamond mark, and why? On the 1990 BD Rurps and hooks, the Chouinard/BD transition Mfg mark is a stamped diamond within a square).
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— Second Question: On the other side of the carabiner the manufacturer mark is a Diamond within two brackets, which is a symbol that was added to the left over Chouinard product stock as Chouinard was transitioning into Black Diamond - announcement late 1989. So product direction maybe pushes this bracketed diamond symbol to 1990 first being marked onto the products (MK assumption).
— Third Question: But what is totally blowing my mind is observing the design of the carabiner body. Out of all of the Chouinard carabiners on the display board, there are only two which are similar to the mystery Oval, which are the 1977 and 1981 Featherweight. In technical wordage .. “The carabiner body flares outward from both ends of the carabiner gate.”
— Possibility One: Carabiner was made in 1990 but why? Why go back to a older carabiner design? Black Diamond was becoming so why create and stamp it Chouinard, and put the bracketed diamond mark on it as well? To represent partnership in some form… past history spanning into new creations? Why bracketed diamond, instead of the Black Diamond word? (Perception: “Awareness through the senses”).
— Possibility Two: Carabiner was made in 1977 as a prototype to create a stronger oval shaped carabiner. 1977 Hollow Featherweight is 1600kg where solid stock Oval is 2000kg. However the first Oval carabiner came out in 1978, and the carabiner body only flares out from one end of the carabiner gate, not both ends. And then back to the question of: Does the bracketed diamond mark go all the way back to 1977, and even before? Who first created the bracketed diamond mark, and why? On the 1990 BD Rurps and hooks, the Chouinard/BD transition Mfg mark is a stamped diamond within a square).
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7/2024 - Questions of the mystery Chouinard Oval carabiner sent to the top.
- Malinda Chouinard: Not sure.
- Terri Laine: First time seeing this carabiner.
- Peter Metcalf: Has the answer.
“ In the late 1980s (before the bankruptcy) we were approached by Bill Masters - the founder and CEO of Perception Kayak. At that time, Perception was at the Zenith of their success and had not only board but wheelhouse of all necessary accessories and one of the items he wanted was a Perception carabiner as boaters always need a few biners. Hence he approached us and we agreed to do a stock biner but jointly labeled. Once a production run is set up, it’s always better to run some extras vs come up short, hence when BD purchased the assets there were some of those Perception carabiners sitting in inventory so we took them hoping that Bill might want to do another modest order. So there you go, the story behind the Chouinard/Perception co-branded carabiner.”
MK - This story does show that the bracketed-diamond mark is a Chouinard creation (Late 1980s) that slid into full use when Black Diamond became. But here the late 1980s bracketed-diamond mark on this Perception carabiner is showing co-creation. The 1990 BD carabiners that are still worded Chouinard, this bracketed-diamond mark appears on, which may also be showing co creation?
Thank you everybody for joining in and dialing in the history!!
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Sam Johnson of the Carabiner Collection adds: Perception carabiner - made by Black Diamond - made for Bill Masters Kayak company. (Guessing this carabiner falls in the 1990, 1991 circa date.) |
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Showing gate differences between the 1983 and 1984 Chouinard locking Light D carabiners. |
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Chouinard Light D - not shown on the display board.
- The manufacturer marks are stamped onto the carabiner body, letters are not raised.
- From: Paul Diefenderfer
- The manufacturer marks are stamped onto the carabiner body, letters are not raised.
- From: Paul Diefenderfer
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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.
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Black Diamond Big D, c.1990/1991
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Chouinard Mini-Biners, c.1983
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Chouinard plastic mini carabiner, c.1985
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Chouinard 1985 Old Standard advertisement
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1990 BD/Chouinard New Standard carabiner
- Gift from James Armstrong |