Objects Database

ATC Belay Device

Accession Number

1424.2017.1

Object Name

ATC Belay Device

Created

09/11/2017

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

09/11/2017

Brief Description

ATC Belay Device. Figure of eight in base.

Materials

aluminium alloy

Dimensions

10(H) x 5.5(W) x 4.5(L) cms

Number Of Objects

1

Inscription Description

"CF" scratched on to it

Colour

silver

Maker

Black Diamond

Object Production Place

England

Provenance

The ATC belay device takes its name, or should we say, its initials from an earlier device which had the rather illustrious title of Air Traffic Controller. When Chuck Brainard created the device for Black Diamond in 1993 they realised that everyone was calling the earlier devices ATC’s anyway so they thought they’d adopt it for the new version.
It was a step forward in belay technique from the earlier, flat, Sticht Plates, giving better control and a smoother feed of the rope. Other versions followed fairly quickly and whilst ATC’s are still usable, they are pretty much a thing of the past.
The one we have here in the collection is a pretty early one (circa 1995/8) as it doesn’t have the Black Diamond logo which later ones did. It has the initials ‘CF’ scratched on it. Unfortunately, we don’t know who CF was.

Acquisition Date

09/11/2017

Condition Check Date

09/11/2017

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

09/11/2017

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