Black diamond seconds (cams)

So one of my local stores sells black diamond “seconds”

Apparently new cams that have some cosmetic flaw. Apparently they function the same and protect the same.

Anyone have any experience with these one way or another? Good bad indifferent

thanks 

Not BD, but I bought cosmetic seconds from Metolius years ago. Often, I couldn’t identify the “flaw.”

I have bought several and can’t tell the difference. Sometimes the anodizing  is slightly off, but I was never able to tell why it was a “second”

The one 2nd cam I bought had the sling bartacked on the opposite side compared to every other BD cam I own (on the side with the outside lobes instead of the inside lobes).

Austin Donisanwrote:

The one 2nd cam I bought had the sling bartacked on the opposite side compared to every other BD cam I own (on the side with the outside lobes instead of the inside lobes).

That’s funny considering all they had to do was cut the sling off and retack another one.

I bought several on an impulse that were a good deal. Was just curious what you all thought about them.

Thanks for the info! 

They can't legally sell them if they're not safe etc... so you are good to go. 

BD sells cosmetic seconds on their site as well for a few bucks less than MSRP. So no need to worry that it’s not legit  

I’ve bought a few of them and couldn’t tell the difference. 

Are they selling any z4 cosmetic seconds? If so, how much are they going for?

Graham Johnsonwrote:

They can't legally sell them if they're not safe etc... so you are good to go. 

Ya but it is BD and they have sold unsafe equipment but that's just because of their shitty QC

The one 2nd cam I bought had the sling bartacked on the opposite side compared to every other BD cam I own (on the side with the outside lobes instead of the inside lobes).

That’s funny considering all they had to do was cut the sling off and retack another one.

That depends on where the bar tack sewing machine is located vs. where the cam was when the error was caight. 2x shipping is likely? Maybe they sold their local sewing machine since they off-shored everything. Cheaper and far faster and easier just to mark it down than to send it out/back back to supplier or 3rd party sewer. Not sure it would be advisable for them to use a 3rd party sewer for the sling on a cam. I'd be curious as to the state of the industry on that aspect.

Demetri Vwrote:

Are they selling any z4 cosmetic seconds? If so, how much are they going for?

Ha they were but I bought them all lol :) 

We’re about $55 each instead of $69

Steven Swrote:

Ya but it is BD and they have sold unsafe equipment but that's just because of their shitty QC

How so?
it seems like every major manufacturer has had some story like that 

Totem alien link cams etc etc . I dont think there is a single manufacturer where you can google and not find some accident on their gear. heck look at the gri gri. Those are endless.....

I bought a full set of Z4 offsets as seconds and .75 and .5 seconds. Comparing them to the Non seconds i cant tell the difference. Although ill tell you what, all the BD stuff seems to say made in mexico now days..... do we make anything in the US anymore?

Who knows..... 

Bobby Swrote:

How so?
it seems like every major manufacturer has had some story like that 

Totem alien link cams etc etc . I dont think there is a single manufacturer where you can google and not find some accident on their gear. heck look at the gri gri. Those are endless.....

But not all companies have had people die using their product for the purpose it was created then try to sweep the incident(s) under the rug

Steven Swrote:

But not all companies have had people die using their product for the purpose it was created then try to sweep the incident(s) under the rug

Reference?  

Steven Swrote:

But not all companies have had people die using their product for the purpose it was created then try to sweep the incident(s) under the rug

Thats a pretty big claim against a major brand. Im going to go out on a limb here because im new to trad in general, but i think just about every person that climbs and owns cams have some BD cams. Secondly. nearly every single gear review puts BD cams at near the top of their list at some form or another. So im really curious as to what your referring to. 

Would like to see your reference also

In regards to the comment below with the becon, that's really interesting. Ill have to look that up. 

He's referring to the Pieps avalanche beacon recall.