Reading through feeds on Rockclimbing.com, I came across this one checking up on the credibility of Fusion brand biners and draws. A climber from Ohio saw them on ebay and others, who responded, own and use them. The equipment carries CE and UIAA cert stamps.
But it turns out Fusion has been blacklisted by UIAA:
“Fusion (USA): We [UIAA] have received notification that Fusion Quickdraws are being sold claiming to meet UIAA Standards. Fusion is not a label holder, and has made no application until now to become one.
The lists above were last updated 20th February 2008. In case of inaccuracies please notify the UIAA office.”
And for good measure, note that Frendo (France) “is not a Safety Label holder anymore and it did/does not have a UIAA certification for any of its ropes.”
Source: http://www.theuiaa.org/safety_labels_manufacturers.php
I shudder to think of companies deliberately falsify safety certifications on gear – load bearing or not. It’s really up to the climber to do due diligence. And when it comes to buying gear, focus on shaving ounces, not dollars, off the total.
Curious about certs? Read this.
Just because a non-European brand lacks CE certification or another opts not to apply for the UIAA stamp doesn’t make them less reliable. However, when a company makes a false claim, that to me is a giant red flag. And behind it there’s, like, a raging bull.
Not safe.
