What material is your attachment maillon made of?

[Rick Brinkman]

I was wondering what everyone uses and why.

For my personal harness, I have a titanium half round. I got lucky and found it at a local climbing store(for only $15)

My spare harness has a galvanized steel half round.

[Ralph E. Powers]

My attachment mallion is stainless (which is a laugh because it ain't shiny no 'mo) and I have a stainless x-lrg steel biner also as an attachment. Nothing beats the peace of mind and security of steel.

[volica]

Actually stainless means "Stains Less". It is just matter of time

[NZcaver]

Good question.

I've always used Zicral maillons. I have two old galvanized steel ones somewhere - one delta and one half-round - but I've never used them on my harness. Non-stainless steel maillons tend to go rusty pretty quick even if you clean them regularly (and stainless ones do eventually too). Although there are many cavers like Ralph who stoutly believe you can't beat the peace of mind and security of steel, I've never felt the need to go that way.

Of course the Minimum Breaking Strength of Zicral is less than steel, but it's much lighter too. But how many cavers out there use all steel carabiners for caving any more? (Besides that one that Ralph has. ) Sure, steel hardware is still commonly used for rescue/industrial applications, bolt maillons, and those tiny oval maillons that are really handy to keep in your kit. But for a harness maillon, the 20kN+ MBS of Zicral (for 3-way loading) is more than adequate to do the job.

I currently use the Petzl Omni Triact half-round Zircal carabiner (aka maillon), and I'm happy with it. I have a bunch of the standard Zicral maillons that are perfectly fine too - I just like the functionality of the Omni. That's my 2 cents, anyway...

[pacaver]

I had an aluminum one until I opened it during practice and couldn't get it closed. The threads seized so severly that when I put it in a vice and used a wrench the maillon bent without loosening the nut. Glad it didn't happen in a cave! The next day I ordered a stainless steel one and haven't had problems since.

[caverdoc]

I agree with NZCaver--I use/love my Petzl Omni except I use the screwgate version. I've read in multiple French online articles/journals that the "inox" (stainless) versions tend to "spring" out of alignment of their own accord. My spare harness has a Zicral on it. I have about a dozen assorted maillons for seat closures, but reallly only use the Omni now due to its ease of use.
Many is the time I have stood in a frozen field, cursing my jammed carbon steel maillon as the cold winds blew....
Dr JK

[fuzzy-hair-man]

. I've read in multiple French online articles/journals that the "inox" (stainless) versions tend to "spring" out of alignment of their own accord.

We have had our steel mailions do this, the trouble being once someone has put the two harness loops into the mailon they generally rest for a while, (your harness should be tight) so the two harness loops pull the two ends in different directions and stretch them apart then the threads no longer line up and the mailon get tight to do up. We try to teach club members to do up the mailon as quickly as they can so they don't stretch, it's a good habit for safety purposes anyway. Also try not to breath out until the mailon is done up.

Good thing about steel mailons is that steel (to my limited knowledge) retains a large amount of it's strength after being deformed and bent back. So as long as you can make the threads line up your right. Aluminium as I understand looses a fair amount of it's strength after being bent only once. (if have ever tried bending 1 or 2mm aluminium sheet and found you didn't get the angle right and bent it back you'll know what I mean, it mostly breaks)

[Rick Brinkman]

Oops, looks like my fingers got tangled up when I made the poll. I meant Zicral....

[Ralph E. Powers]

Many is the time I have stood in a frozen field, cursing my jammed carbon steel maillon as the cold winds blew....
Dr JK

Then those are the times to use your leatherman which has a nice set of pliers to help UN-JAM those pesky steels.

[Adam Byrd]

I had an aluminum one until I opened it during practice and couldn't get it closed.

I've also had this happen, and resolved the problem with a steel maillon as well. My thoughts are that some grit got into the threads. Most of the caves I've been in also have little pieces of grit lying about, so I would hate to have a repeat performance on such a vital piece of equipment. I'll lug around a few extra grams for the "security of steel."

[hank moon]

I have a titanium half round. I got lucky and found it at a local climbing store(for only $15)

Haven't heard of a Ti maillon - what is the brand? Picture?

[Stridergdm]

To be honest, I'm not sure what mine is made out of.

However, I've come to realize I put on my harness differently from everyone else around me. I do it two legs at a time. ;-)

Seriously. Most people I've noticed keep all the straps buckled and undo their mallion.

I do just the opposite. I keep my mallion closed at all times and put on my harness and redo the buckles.

Basically this keeps me from getting the mallion hooked in wrong, or the order of my equipment getting messed up.

And looks like keeps the grit out of the threads.

[mgmills]

However, I've come to realize I put on my harness differently from everyone else around me. I do it two legs at a time. ;-)

Seriously. Most people I've noticed keep all the straps buckled and undo their mallion.

I do just the opposite. I keep my mallion closed at all times and put on my harness and redo the buckles.

Basically this keeps me from getting the mallion hooked in wrong, or the order of my equipment getting messed up.

And looks like keeps the grit out of the threads.

I use the same technique. It works better for me because I'm always caving in different types of clothing of different thicknesses and I have to adjust the buckles anyway.

[Rick Brinkman]

Both of my Half Rounds are made by Maillon Rapide.

Here is a pic of both side by side. The galvanized is on the left.




Here is a detail of the Ti. Note the "T" on the left and the strength.



Here is a detail of the Galvanized Steel(got this one from IMO). Note the "A" on the left and the strength.



They both have the same strength - 25 KN along the long axis and 10 KN along the short axis. However, the Galvanized one is considerably heavier.

There were 2 in the store when I got the Ti. I was kicking myself that I didn't get both, but a caver friend eventually got the other. When I mentioned to my friend that I thought it was titianium, he went back and asked the shop owner. The shop owner looked up the order and found that they were indeed Ti.


I once thought I found a chart that told what the metal those single letters stood for, but I don't know where it is. What are the letters for Zicral and Stainless Steel??

[Rick Brinkman]

Well, maybe I'm wrong and I have a Zicral....

I went to the manufacturer's site:

http://www.peguet.fr/

Here's the page for the Half Rounds:

http://www.peguet.fr/fr/produits/EPI_in ... _rond.html

Kinda hard to read in French, but the strength of my "Ti" matches up with the Zicral. But, why does the site say the galvanized strength is 45KN and mine is stamped 25KN?