Old gear

[wfinley]

Rapped off this ancient Bonaiti biner in the mountains last weekend:

The engraving is hard to read but it says "Bonaiti Italy".

 

I emailed Kong (who bought Bonaiti) and this is what they said:

"this carabiner is old for sure. It is very difficult to establish a firm date for making this carabiner. My colleagues who have been working here for long cannot recognize it. Perhaps it belongs to first output of more than 20 years ago. "

 

Anyone have any old Bonaiti biners? Any idea on age?

[JosephH]

I have a couple of those - they're from the late sixties / early seventies and kind of suck.

[Dan_Miller]

I have perhaps thirty old Bonatti D biners (no lockers) from the mid 1970's. Still have them in a box in the garage. 'Heavy' best describes them. I've left some at rappel stations on occcasion. Most had blue gates, a few with red gates. The were state of the art in their day.

[JosephH]

I have perhaps thirty old Bonatti D biners (no lockers) from the mid 1970's. Still have them in a box in the garage. 'Heavy' best describes them. I've left some at rappel stations on occcasion. Most had blue gates, a few with red gates. The were state of the art in their day.

I'd have to go down and rummage around the basement to check, but I believe those red-gate locking Bonattis were quite light because they were hollow and that's why they were so sketch.

[wfinley]

This one was really heavy. I had never seen one before - thanks for the date estimate. FWIW I rapped off it and it held!

[Couloir]

I have a bunch of these, but no lockers. Most of my old stuff is Bonaiti and Chouinard, but I also came across some "Recreational Equipment Incorporated" carabiners and was wondering who made these for them? Was it an SMC private label product?

[recess]

Im pretty sure it was Omega Pacific, at least the ones I have seen.

[Dane]

Omega Pacific isn't that old. It would be SMC. OP came into the picture 20 years later. But Bonaiti as well for earlier REI marked stuff. Kong was a later mark on Bonaiti as w/f mentions.

 

The Bonaiti you are showing is mid '70s gear not 60s. And I 'd bet originally bought at REI if you found it in NA.