American Fork Canyon rescue operation - rappel knot gets stuck

Todd Jenkins wrote:

Let's try to be nice.  Those two are probably MP Admins.

Hahahahaha!!!

Chris Wernette wrote:

One thing I've heard is these can come open unintentionally during a fall. The Petzl and Edelrid knives as well. Not saying it's likely to happen, but just FYI.

Good thing to consider for other models, but with the pictured Pirahna model I find this hard to imagine - the end of the blade is blocked by the carabiner (the hole is only about 10mm in diameter).

Chris Wernette wrote:

One thing I've heard is these can come open unintentionally during a fall. The Petzl and Edelrid knives as well. Not saying it's likely to happen, but just FYI.

It can happen!  I was belaying a friend on a route.  He apparently had a pocket knife in a pocket.  It fell out and somehow opened in flight, landing point first in the dirt a foot away from me! He was super embarrassed and apologetic.

phylp phylp wrote:

It can happen!  I was belaying a friend on a route.  He apparently had a pocket knife in a pocket.  It fell out….

Are we talking about a climbing knife (ala the CRKT Hans version, with the biner hole that blocks the blade - as referenced above) or a pocket knife? One I would only keep inside an inner pocket of a pack, the other I would (and do, as part of my standard kit) clip to the rear loop of my harness and never worry about it. 

phylp phylp wrote:

It can happen!  I was belaying a friend on a route.  He apparently had a pocket knife in a pocket.  It fell out and somehow opened in flight, landing point first in the dirt a foot away from me! He was super embarrassed and apologetic.

Nearly the same thing happened to me, with MY knife! I now carry it tethered with a piece of electrical tape to prevent accidental opening.

Ah my apologies if that hole is completely blocked by the biner. It might have been a different knife more like the Petzl Spatha I’ve heard coming open mid flight before. Scary stuff

I have used the crkt niad and petzl spatha. The niad seemed safe to not to open in a carabiner and I keep the spatha taped shut. An open blade close to a loaded rope is extremly dangerous, but having it on a gear loop does not seem that extreme. It is not often that you use it, so a pice of tape seem like a easy solution?