Still going strong in 2014, the Seattle Manufacturing Corporation was founded by a guy called Jim Clark back in 1967, initially producing high quality karabiners before branching out into general climbing/mountaineering hardware and rescue equipment.

Having rebranded to SMC, we were surprised to see, in 2014, that they still produce a range of ‘brake bars’ since modern belay devices have pretty much rendered such things to the history books, and whilst a karabiner brake can be used as a belay device, there seems little point in using one when a belay plate is simpler and probably safer – SMC may well disagree!

Anyway, we don’t think the bar itself is that old – possibly 1990s – and the karabiner is maybe a bit earlier. We got them as a ‘trade deal’ with fellow collector, Art McCarthy, over in California.

It might be worth noting that whilst SMC must have a market for these things in the US, or they wouldn’t be making them, karabiner brakes are very rarely used in the UK – too scary!