Version A	Version B

Version C	Version D	Version E

Overview

[ Top | Version B | Version C | Version D | Version E | Return to Figure Eights ]

Version A
(#567)

Front	Rear

Technical Details

I acquired this eight from Chuck Rozner in 2000, but it is a much older eight, probably dating from around 1980.

The Russ Anderson, Version A is milled from aluminum plate and then soft anodized. Mine is 160 mm. tall, 88 mm. wide, and 13 mm. thick. The rope hole is 63 mm. high and 63 mm. wide. The top center thickness is 12 mm. The shaft length and width are 48 mm. and 31 mm., respectively. The eye measures 28 mm. by 28 mm. My eight weighs 149 g.

The front side of the shaft is stamped with the following words inside a 17 mm. circle:

RUSS
SIERRA
MADRE
CAL.
ANDERSON

Comments

This Russ Andersons are typical examples of the large milled plate eights, in fact, they essentially define the group. Russ Anderson figure eights have long been favorites of mine. I lost my original Version B caving in the mid 1980s. Chuck Rozner saw my Ten Most Wanted List and sent me a replacement. The one that he sent is not anodized, but otherwise seems identical to the one I lost.

[ Top | Version A | Version C | Version D | Version E | Return to Figure Eights ]

Version B
(#300, 1177, 1322, 2545, 2562, 3387)

Front	Rear

Technical Details

I acquired this eight from from Daniel Veelik in 2007, but it is a much older eight, probably dating from around 1980. I found and acquired a second one used on eBay from Andrew Knoflicek in 2008, a third used on eBay from Paul Calton in 2012, a fourth from James Bechtold in 2020, a"like new" fifth one from Tim Chapman in 2020, and one more from Jonathan Schwinger in 2022. In 2024 I acquired another from Colin Ware and gave it to Артём Бабин.

The Russ Anderson, Version B is milled from aluminum plate and then soft anodized. Mine is 161 mm. tall, 87 mm. wide, and 13 mm. thick. The rope hole is 61 mm. high and 61 mm. wide. The top center thickness is 13 mm. The shaft length and width are 49 mm. and 30 mm., respectively. The eye measures 28 mm. by 28 mm. My eight weighs 154 g.

The front side of the shaft is stamped with the following words inside a 17 mm. circle:

RUSS
SIERRA
MADRE
CAL.
ANDERSON

Comments

Russ Anderson figure eights have long been favorites of mine. I acquired my original Version B around 1980 (at the same time that I acquired my Version C), but lost it caving in the mid 1980s. I spent years looking for an exact replacement (I hate losing gear). At the 2007 NSS Convention, Daniel Veelik offered to replace it. This replacement seems identical to the one I lost. I've since acquired several more.

Note that the eye is circular, not elongated as in Version C. This eight’s design is pure, utter simplicity, providing all one needs in an eight with no extra nonsense, but I prefer Version B.

[ Top | Version A | Version B | Version C | Version E | Return to Figure Eights ]

Version C
(#330, 3398)

Front	Rear

Technical Details

I don't have records of when or where I acquired my first one of this version, but it was probably in the early 1980s. I acquired a second from Colin Ware in 2024.

The Russ Anderson, Version C is milled from aluminum plate and then soft anodized. Mine is 159 mm. tall, 87 mm. wide, and 13 mm. thick. The rope hole is 61 mm. high and 61 mm. wide. The top center thickness is 13 mm. The shaft length and width are 49 mm. and 30 mm., respectively. The belay slot in the shaft is 35 mm. long and 12.7 mm. wide. The eye measures 28 mm. by 28 mm. My eight weighs 139 g.

There are no markings on this eight.

Comments

I particularly like this one because of the belay slot - it is separate from the eye. In the later designs, Russ Anderson abandoned this feature, probably as a cost savings. The slot dimensions are designed for Sticht-type belaying with 11 mm. rope, and compare favorably with the slot dimensions found in true Sticht-type belayers.

[ Top | Version A | Version B | Version C | Version E | Return to Figure Eights ]

Version D
(#331)

Front	Rear

Technical Details

I don't have records of when or where I acquired this eight, but it was probably in in 1989.

The Russ Anderson, Version D is milled from aluminum plate and then soft anodized. Mine is 155 mm. tall, 84 mm. wide, and 13 mm. thick. The rope hole is 60 mm. high and 60 mm. wide. The top center thickness is 13 mm. The shaft length and width are 52 mm. and 31 mm., respectively. The eye measures 20 mm. by 30 mm. My eight weighs 157 g.

The front side of the shaft is stamped with the following words inside a 17 mm. circle:

RUSS
SMC
USA
ANDERSON

The "SMC" imprint is actually the SMC logo with the letters set inside an oval and separated by vertical bars.

Comments

Version D is much like Version B, except the eye has been redesigned as a belay slot. It has the SMC logo indicating that it was after SMC started producing the Russ Anderson line. SMC tells me that this was in 1990, but the next version proves that they were making them in 1989.

[ Top | Version A | Version B | Version C | Version D | Return to Figure Eights ]

Version E
(#332)

Front	Rear

Technical Details

I acquired this eight at the 1989 NSS Convention, but I don't remember from whom. It was probably Bob & Bob.

The Russ Anderson, Version E is milled from aluminum plate and then soft anodized. Mine is 155 mm. tall, 84 mm. wide, and 13 mm. thick. The rope hole is 60 mm. high and 60 mm. wide. The top center thickness is 13 mm. The shaft length and width are 52 mm. and 39 mm., respectively. The auxiliary hole is 19.5 mm. in diameter. The eye measures 20 mm. by 30 mm. My eight weighs 153 g.

The front side of the shaft is stamped with the same markings as Version D.

Comments

Version E adds an auxiliary hole to Version D. I never needed need to clip a third carabiner into the shaft of any of my eights, so I just look at this as a lightening hole - but one that they couldn't fit in without making the shaft wider.

[ Top | Version A | Version B | Version C | Version D | Version E ]