Vent: That cheap rope grab from the online auction cost me a whole day's pay

Bought a 'barely used' rope grab for $40 on that big auction site last month. Figured I was saving a hundred bucks over new. Took it up a big oak in Springfield, and the thing just slipped. Not a total failure, but enough of a slip to scare me and make me come down to check it. The cam was worn smooth, something you couldn't see in the photos. Lost the whole job, about $350, because I had to pack up and go get a proper one. Anyone know a good place to get used gear that's actually been inspected?

3 comments

3 Comments

lindaw292mo ago

Yeah, that's the gamble. I don't touch used life support gear online unless it's from a climber I know personally. Seen too many cams polished like glass from grit. Your local arborist supply shop sometimes has a consignment board where guys sell off gear, and you can actually put hands on it first. Check the teeth with a fingernail.

the_jesse2mo ago

Check the teeth with a fingernail? That sounds like a terrifying way to test gear you're betting your life on. I'd be way too scared to trust my nail over a proper inspection. Just the thought of it makes me sweat.

mason20919d agoTop Commenter

I've actually done this specific method with a few cams I bought off a forum last year. The fingernail trick isn't as crazy as it sounds once you try it. I was nervous too, but I started with the ones I already trusted to see how a good tooth felt, then checked the used ones against that feel. It worked well enough that I ended up keeping two cams I was about to pass on. Found a couple others where the teeth caught hard on my nail and those went straight back to the seller. Only way I'd do it is if I can meet the person face to face though, like at a crag or gear shop. That way you get both the visual check and the physical feel.