Potentially Defective Biner

Probably microfractures from getting dropped.

If you're unsure, send it to BD and they'll give you a new one. 

If it's new and in question, I'd return it back to the vendor.  It's hard to tell from the pictures if it is indeed cracked or just scratched.  I wouldn't worry about the "divots".

FYI, biners are not cast.  They're generally forged.  Castings involve melting the metal and pouring it into a mold.  Forgings start with some stock material (bar stock, block, billet, ingot, etc.) and it is hammered into shape via various processes potentially (but not always) including heat, dies, anvils, and hammers.  DMM has a pretty sweet video on their process: 

http://dmmclimbing.com/news/2013/01/dmm-factory-tour-vid/

Charlie S wrote:

and it is hammered into shape via various processes potentially (but not always) including heat, dies, anvils, and hammers.  DMM has a pretty sweet video on their process: 

http://dmmclimbing.com/news/2013/01/dmm-factory-tour-vid/

Carabiners are forged in high speed presses. Not much hammering or anvils involved. That's 11th century blacksmithing you're thinking of.

The biner looks fine to me but send it to BD if you're worried about it. Either that or find someone locally who knows what they are doing and have them inspect it.

If I had to guess, your looking at the proof testing at the top and bottom of the biner. The marks on the nose are tooling or transport. 

You have nothing to worry about, use the biner.

Charlie S wrote:

DMM has a pretty sweet video on their process: 

http://dmmclimbing.com/news/2013/01/dmm-factory-tour-vid/

That was way cool

Charlie S wrote:

If it's new and in question, I'd return it back to the vendor.  It's hard to tell from the pictures if it is indeed cracked or just scratched.  I wouldn't worry about the "divots".

FYI, biners are not cast.  They're generally forged.  Castings involve melting the metal and pouring it into a mold.  Forgings start with some stock material (bar stock, block, billet, ingot, etc.) and it is hammered into shape via various processes potentially (but not always) including heat, dies, anvils, and hammers.  DMM has a pretty sweet video on their process: 

http://dmmclimbing.com/news/2013/01/dmm-factory-tour-vid/

Did you even watch the video they don't use anvils and hammers. They bend the raw stock metal and than put it into molds followed by heat treating little extra work attaching gate etc.

I don’t like this part.

Or the “crack”

What crack?  I see nothing like a crack in that picture.

The other divit is leftover from being punched out after hot forging.  Plenty of my biners have stuff along those lines, but all the dings I have added make them hard to pick out any more.

The pictures aren't perfect for sure. In the second picture, the line that follows the contour of the carabiner definitely had depth. It's enough to catch a fingernail.

In the first picture, it appears that there are 'lines' coming from the divot.

Camp saver is just down the road and they have always been super good to me. I'll take it in tomorrow and see what they say. If they don't take  it back then I'll chuck it. No reason for me to stress over something that is 10 bucks. 

Thanks for the feedback. This is good info for a noob.

The cold flow on the gate tongue looks suspect in the photo. I would return it.

@20 kN and @ViperScale,

I did not say that biners were made with anvils and hammers.  Hence the part where I said "potentially" and "not always."  If one DID, however, it would still be considered forged.  I mean I could get into the differences between hot forging, cold forging, drop forging, but that's a bit technical for this audience, don't you think?

Duh I watched the video.  I use it yearly as a topic starter in a local elementary school where I volunteer my time for STEM outreach.

Charlie S wrote:

@20 kN and @ViperScale,

I did not say that biners were made with anvils and hammers.  Hence the part where I said "potentially" and "not always."  If one DID, however, it would still be considered forged.  I mean I could get into the differences between hot forging, cold forging, drop forging, but that's a bit technical for this audience, don't you think?

Duh I watched the video.  I use it yearly as a topic starter in a local elementary school where I volunteer my time for STEM outreach.

No they are completely different and the biners are cold forged not hot forged with hammers. Like taking clay and putting it in a mold and forming the shape you want... just with alot harder materials.

Jim Turner wrote:

I don’t like this part.

Or the “crack”

The pictures aren't great, but I really don't see a problem.  Imperfections in the metal are normal, and do not mean that the structural integrity is compromised.  That "crack" in the bottom photo is far too rounded and perfect to actually be a crack.  It just looks like the metal was stamped or polished in a slightly uneven manner on the surface.  The "divot" in the nose doesn't look like a problem either.  

ViperScale . wrote:

No they are completely different and the biners are cold forged not hot forged with hammers. Like taking clay and putting it in a mold and forming the shape you want... just with alot harder materials.

They (BD karabiners) are mostly hot forged like DMM, WC etc, some companies cold forge them. And it is all "forging".

Return it. Poor QC from the forging process (big machine that stamps them out).

Jim Titt wrote:

They (BD karabiners) are mostly hot forged like DMM, WC etc, some companies cold forge them. And it is all "forging".

Pretty sure most are cold forged. I thought only the ones they list hot forged on were hot forged and that is the minority.

BD customer is fantastic and if there is a problem, they'd probably like to know about it. Create a "warranty claim" at http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en/warranty-repairs.html and include your photos. 

The bottom photo looks fine to me, either just the way the biner is or just a cosmetic defect. On the top photo, it looks a bit concerning. I'd have to see and feel the biner for myself to really know what's going on, but I see two very fine fractures and a 3rd deeper fracture, all stemming from one little indent.

I don't know enough about metal or the manufacturing process to be able to identify what's actually going on and say whether or not is a problem, but my intuition says I'd rather not whip on it. I would take back to the retailer or manufacturer.

Regardless of whether or not your gear is fine or damaged, when you are second guessing your gear on lead, that's retirement criteria. Don't leave the ground with gear you don't fully trust.