by Mick Ryan Hot Forge DMM (website) have unveiled and have started producing the Phantom carabiner. This carabiner, they claim, is the lightest functioning carabiner in the world at 25.5 grams with a gate-closed strength of 23kn and a gate-open strength of 9kn. It is 3 sigma tested, hot forged, has a wire gate, I-beam constriction, rope groove, shrouded nose and has an anodised finish. You can see the Phantom carabiner at UKClimbing.com´s New Product News (click here) or just click on ´Gear´ on the menu bar at the top of the page. UKClimbing.com also asked Chris Rowlands, marketing director at DMM, about the Phantom carabiner. You can read this short interview here, which includes Chris´s answer to this question, “Why should climbers buy this rather than some cheaper carabiner manufactured in China ….after all price is everything some climbing shop owner told me on Friday…..I could probably buy 10 quickdraws by Acme Crabs to 5 of DMM´s?”
