#85525	#85535	#85538

Overview

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#85525
(#1657)

Front View	Rear View
End View	Top View

Technical Details

I acquired my Climb Right #85525 from WesSpur Tree Equipment in 2009.

My Climb Right #85525 is 74 mm. long, 76 mm. wide, 44 mm. high, and weighs 193 g. It looks and functions like a Type 1 Lever Cam Ascender, but it is marketed as a rope grab. The frame is stamped from 6.1 mm. aluminum alloy plate and then soft anodized. The square-based rope channel is 19 mm. wide. The inside of the shell three ribs formed during the stamping process. These increase the holding power of the device.

The cam has seven rounded teeth, and is held by a plastic-covered cable keeper that doubles as a weak spring that adds a tiny closing force to the cam. The cam rides on a 1/4-20 UNC axle bolt that passes through one side of the shell, the cam, and then screws into a tapped hole in the opposite side of the shell. The exposed end is covered by a nylon lock nut.

One side of the shell is stamped with an up-pointing arrow, a cam icon, "1/2in - 5/8in," "(12mm - 15mm)," "WARNING: NOT FOR SELF BELAY," and "USE ONLY ON NON-METAL ROPE." The other side is stamped with an up-pointing arrow, the Climb Right logo, "MADE IN USA," "A Division of Spyder Mfg./USA," and "www.spyderman.com."

Comments

The warning against use for self belay contradicts the primary function of a rope grab, which is to provide self-belay for static falls.

This is one of the smallest rope grabs in my collection. The axle bolt provides secure closure, but requires tools if the user wants to move it from one line to the middle of another.

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#85535
(#2649)

Front	Rear

Side	Top	Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired my Climb Right #85535 in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.

My Climb Right #85535 is 71 mm. long, 77 mm. wide, 64 mm. high, and weighs 205 g. It looks and functions like a Type 1 Lever Cam Ascender, but it is marketed as a rope grab. The frame is stamped from 6.2 mm. aluminum alloy plate and then soft anodized. The square-based rope channel is 19 mm. wide. The inside of the shell three ribs formed during the stamping process. These increase the holding power of the device.

The cam has seven rounded teeth, and is held by a plastic-covered cable keeper that doubles as a weak spring that adds a tiny closing force to the cam. The cam rides on a 9.5 mm. QR pin. A stainless steel cable acts as a pin keeper.

One side of the shell is printed with "MADE IN USA," an up-pointing arrow, "1/2in - 5/8in," "(12mm - 15mm)," a cam icon, the Climb Right logo, "WARNING: NOT FOR SELF BELAY," "USE ONLY ON NON-METAL ROPE," and "WWW.SPYDERMAN.COM."

Comments

The QR pin provides greater convenience than the bolt on the #85525, but greater risk of improper closure or accidental opening.

The warning against use for self belay contradicts the primary function of a rope grab, which is to provide self-belay for static falls.

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#85538
(#2648)

Front	Rear

Side	Top	Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired my Climb Right #85538 in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.

My Climb Right #85538 is 66 mm. long, 76 mm. wide, 64 mm. high, and weighs 203 g. The frame is milled from aluminum alloy plate and then soft anodized. The square-based rope channel is 19 mm. wide. The inside of the shell has a milled depression that the cam forces the rope into. This spreads the load on the rope, and may increase the holding power of the device.

The cam has seven rounded teeth. The cam rides on a 9.5 mm. QR pin. A circular depression on one end of the the cam axle hole houses a coil spring. One end of the spring sticks out from the side of the cam, and engages a small hole in the shell. The spring provides a small closing force to the cam. A stainless steel cable acts as a pin keeper, but there is no cam keeper.

One side of the shell is printed with "MADE IN USA," an up-pointing arrow, "1/2in - 5/8in," "(12mm - 15mm)," a cam icon, the Climb Right logo, "WARNING: NOT FOR SELF BELAY," "USE ONLY ON NON-METAL ROPE," and "WWW.SPYDERMAN.COM." The spine is stamped with "UP," "##85538," "CLIMB RIGHT," and "10/28/13," all in a dot matrix font.

Comments

The top of the rope channel is not rounded off so the rope bends over a fairly sharp corner. I don't like this, and recommend rounding it with a file before use.

Rigging the device requires aligning the cam spring with the hole in the shell. This requires some care, but is not difficult.

The frame’s rope channel is square rather than U-shaped, and the cam face is not contoured either. Neither of these aspects hurts the ascenders performance to any significant degree.

The warning against use for self belay contradicts the primary function of a rope grab, which is to provide self-belay for static falls.

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