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I made this Fast Eight in 2004.
The Fast Eight is milled from a rectangle of 1/2-inch (12.7 mm.) 6061-T6 aluminum plate. The slots and the rope eye have rounded edges, while the outside edges of the Fast Eight are angular.
Although I made the Fast Eight in 2004, the design is about a decade old. Someone showed me two of these at an Old Timers Reunion in the mid 1990’s, but I don't remember who invented these. If anyone has more information, please let me know. I believe that they called this the "Fast Eight," but I somewhat arbitrarily classify this as a hook.
At first glance, it isn't obvious how to rig the Fast Eight, but when told "it’s an eight," the rigging is obvious. If the slots are too short or if the rappeller is not careful, the Fast Eight is not secure, and one transitions to an air rappel. For this reason, I don't recommend using the Fast Eight.
This Fast Eight was my first project after getting a milling machine,
and the workmanship could use some improvement. Milling the slots
is almost trivial, but the eye requires more care to get the appropriate
rounding.
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