This is a steel carabiner that hasn't seen a lot of use, but sat in a bag that got wet a while ago. I'd like to think it can just be cleaned and put back in service, but I wouldn't know where to start. Or should I just not trust it at all?
Thoughts?
Would you use this carabiner, and how might you clean it?
I don’t like to have anything around that looks like it is weight-bearing unless it is safe to use.
I would never have a carabiner on my kit that isn't ready for load bearing service. I'm not always the one who grabs something off my kit.
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27d
Yeah, as long as there’s no intermingling between the SAR stuff and non-SAR. For my personal management stuff (like hanging a Nalgene off my harness or pack), I’ll use a bright colored wire gate just so no one will ever grab it and confuse it for a SAR approved one.
Hanging my gloves from a 10lb steel carabiner is probably not the best use. Maybe I'll store gear on it on my wall.
10 lbs? Damn.
That might be a bit of exaggeration, but steel carabiners do seem really heavy when you are used to the aluminum ones.
Heh, I was starting to think that was a really big carabiner
A steel biner to hold your gloves? Do you backpack with a Dutch oven?
Obviously, you know this better than me, but the white corrosion looks like that could be an alloy krab with a steel collar (which has rusted).
The gate pins could also be corroded, which would be very difficult to identify. And the gate spring might not be too clever either.
It could be cleaned, re oiled, etc, definitely. But the fact that you're asking means you're not sure yourself, and nobody on the internet can give you an answer - it needs a proper inspection, which would very likely write it off.
All this probably means it'd be far easier, safer and give you far more peace of mind, to replace a potentially safety critical bit of kit.
Toss it or use it in a display. This beaner is no longer valid for life safety applications.
You do not have the equipment necessary to verify it is safe, and the cost of recertifying / verifying a caribeaner hasn't been compromised exceeds the cost of the caribeaner.
Engineer here as well as SAR person.
Big fat no. That's corrosion, and you have no idea what's happening on the inside of the material. There are corrosion types that barely effect the outside surface but completely destroy the material you can't see.
Get rid of it.
Thanks everyone for the replies. The possible/probable corrosion in the pin and spring didn't occur to me and makes me realize these things are 100% totally not safe any more. I'll use them for gear storage on my wall.
Not for life safety. If you have dogs, put it on the grab handle in your vehicle to clip the leash to.
That’s now a “utility” carabiner. Don’t use that.
I'd use it if I had to for some reason, but if given a choice I would retire it. It's likely as strong as ever but the rust will always make it stick a bit.
Spit on it
soak it in coke
I wouldn’t use that in a life critical situation. I’d hang my gloves from my backpack with it but that’s it. Always handy to have non climbing use carabiners around…