Name: | Black Diamond LiveWire v2 |
Category: | non-locking |
Shape: | bent spine |
Material: | aluminum |
Gate Material: | steel |
Profile: | I-Beam |
Nose: | hooded notch |
Nose Guard: | full |
Rivets: | flat spun |
Gate Shield: | none |
Weight: | 46 g |
Dimensions: | Length: 102 mm Width: 65.5 mm Depth (basket end): 10 mm Gate Opening: 26 mm |
Strength Ratings: | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Other Markings: | Forged: (double diamond solid logo) | (double diamond solid logo) Laser: (ratings) ![]() Dot-Peened: 3357A |
Batch Marking Location: | spine-exterior-right |
Msrp: | $11.95 (2018) |
Collection Criteria: | ★ Manufacturing, Engineering, or Design |
Summary: | wire-guarded snagless nose, forged grip aid on spine |
Description & Commentary: | A clever use of existing production techniques to produce a hooded wiregate carabiner. Unlike the Wild Country Helium, the Hoodwire, Livewire, and Oz does not require any forging or milling beyond what is performed on all modern carabiners. The LiveWire has a flattened wiregate, which reduces the minimum width of the nose, but climbers complained about the wide nose fitting through crowded bolts or belay stations. The nose is about as wide as the fully hooded wiregates such as the Wild Country Helium 3.0 and DMM Shield, but 12.7mm across the body where the hoodwire ends enter the carabiner body - about 1mm larger than the WC Helium. Discontinued in 2019, reportedly because of the manufacturing difficulty (as with all snagless wiregates), and possibly the BD factory move. Black Diamond did apply for a true keylock wiregate patent so perhaps we'll see that design someday (limited gate opening though, would need to be offset). As of 2022, CT/Climbing Technology, an Italian company, is producing a HoodWire style (and weight) carabiner named the Berry W. |
Relevant Patent: | US8235761B2 |
MPN: | BD210142ENGRALL1 |
Technical Notice: | Technical Notice |