Version A	Version B

Overview

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Version A
(#1133)

Front	Rear

Technical Details

I acquired this eight from Rich Carlson in 2008.

The SFD 8 is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 177 mm. tall, 74 mm. wide, and 10 mm. thick. The large hole is circular and 50 mm. in diameter. The shaft lengths and widths are 32 mm. and 20 mm., respectively. The eyes measure 20 mm. by 25 mm. My SFD 8 weighs 122 g.

One side is stamped with "SFD8" and "30 kN."

Comments

The SFD 8 is obviously an extension of the Figure Eight concept, and not the first, the Hopf preceding it by more than three decades. Unlike the Hopf, the SFD 8 has two equal eyes arranged collinearly with the main rope hole. Like the extra ring on the Hopf, the third ring provides some additional flexibility. For one, it provides a convenient tie-off point for stopping on rappel or for supporting a climber after belaying a fall. Personally, I think that the various side-horn type eights (e.g., various Russian eights, SBCI Sidewinder) provide more convenient tie-offs, and I dislike belaying with a figure eight because I like to have more friction in my belay device. There are a number of other uses for the eye, some of were shown on the manufacturer’s web site (an easier way for English-speaking readers to access the videos on that site is to use the links provided on Rich’s canyoneering site). For example, one can use the SFD 8 as an isolator for rigging two rappel lines with the same rope.

The SFD 8 was developed by Fabienne Borie as a simple device that could perform "experienced leaders" techniques (whatever that means). Rich Carlson introduced this device to the US canyoneering community which showed some significant initial interest in it. He humorously told me that it "It is longer than a normal figure eight, but not as long as some of the racks them crazy cavers use." and I agree on that point. Rich later took the idea farther and developed the Totem. My preference would be for the Frendo, Version A, but hey, what do I know about canyoneering?

[ Top | Version A | Return to Plate Descenders ]

Version A
(#3032)

Front	Rear

Technical Details

I acquired my SFD8, Version B from CanyonZone.com - Gertjan van Pelt in 2021.

The SFD 8 is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 177 mm. tall, 74 mm. wide, and 10 mm. thick. The large hole is circular and 50 mm. in diameter. The shaft lengths and widths are 31 mm. and 20 mm., respectively. The eyes measure 20 mm. by 25 mm. My SFD 8 weighs 139 g.

One side is stamped with "CDSC-13."

Comments

Version B was introduced in 2018. It is the same size as Version A, but slightly heavier. It is milled instead of forged, and the edges are not quite as rounded as those on Version A. This accounts for the extra weight, but does not seem to affect the performance in any way. The two versions are interchangable for all practical applications.

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