Collecting every piece of gear takes a little time.
We think it's worth the wait.

Nice choice!
Give us a moment to collect those options for you.

Black Diamond Rocklock Screwgate
  • Black Diamond Rocklock Screwgate
  • Black Diamond Rocklock Screwgate

Rocklock Screwgate 2019

Rating

My vote: None ( 4.5 avg )

Description

Our largest belay and rappel locker, the Black Diamond RockLock carabiner features a keylock nose and is Munter Hitch compatible. It’s available as a screwgate or twistlock—both can be operated with one hand.

-Square hinge end holds belay loop securely in place
-Slightly curved spine maximizes gate opening
-Keylock nose prevents snagging
-One-hand operable
-Available as a screwgate or twistlock

Retail price

US$ 11.95
Weight (g)

Weight (g)

In grams, the weight, as stated by the manufacturer/brand.

85 g
Shape

Shape

Rule of thumb

Almost every carabiner you use will be non-locking offset D’s, with the exception of a Pear/HMS locker as your belay ‘biner.

Offset D (aka Modified D)

60% of the market

A modification of the standard D shape, the top of an offset D is much wider, allowing for a larger (and superior) gate opening. When loaded, most of the weight is transferred to the spine of the carabiner making them stronger than most other shapes. Used for top and bottom quickdraws, as racking carabiners, and lightweight lockers.

Pear / HMS

22% of the market

The Pear/HMS carabiner is used primarily for belaying and/or setting a powerpoint in an anchor. The wide top means they can hold a lot of gear. They are almost always locking and are generally heavier (than D/offset D's) because they need more material to gain back strength lost due to their shape.

Oval

8% of the market

The first carabiner shape to be mass produced. When loaded, the pressure is shared equally on both sides of the ‘biner. Since the weaker gate shares the load with the spine, oval biners aren’t as strong as shapes that direct the load to the spine. The bonus is, your gear rests squarely in the middle, so it's great for holding nuts, pulleys, and prusiks.

D (aka symmetric D)

7% of the market

D’s have a symmetrical shape that sets the rope closer to the spine, putting the load on the spine (versus sharing the load with the weaker gate side, like the oval). Since the strongest part of the carabiner carries the weight, D’s are the strongest shape. Downside: Smaller gate openings than the offset D.

Quick Link (aka Oval link, Maillon Raptide)

1% of the market

Although most climbers wouldn’t refer to this shape as a “carabiner” they are certified by the same EN standard as all the other carabiners. These semi-permanent links ensure the gate will not accidentally open. They're used when setting up a semi-permanent rappel station (not used while climbing up).

Semi-Circle / 3D

less than 1% of the market

Semi-circle: Mostly used by Search and Rescue as this is a great way to secure a chest harness.
3-D: Designed to increase the gate opening and to reduce the chance that the rock will rub your rope and/or the locking gate open. Buy if you’re the curious type; they’re not cheap, and there’s not many in the US.

Learn More

Pros and cons of each shape, graphs and more examples
Pear / HMS
Locking

Locking

main non-locking carabiners uses:

  • quickdraws
  • to rack (hold) your gear on your harness
  • part of an anchor setup

main locking carabiners uses:

  • belay carabiner
  • main anchor powerpoint
  • when you need the gate to stay shut

screw gate vs auto-locking gate

Screw gates are generally lighter and cheaper.

Auto-locking gates are usually considered safer as they automatically snap shut, not counting on one's memory to close and are harder to accidentally unlock. The debate comes on opening speed as some are much faster while others can be a struggle.

Learn More

See the newest auto-locking gate technologies
Screw
Straight or Bent

Straight or Bent

It's easier to see the difference between straight and bent gates on solid gate carabiners:

Straight Gate

The standard. Always used as the bolt-end of the quickdraw, and still sometimes used on the rope-side too. Also used for racking gear such as cam and nuts.

Bent Gate

Created to make it easier to put the rope into a quickdraw with their larger gate opening. Primarily used on the rope-end (bottom) of quickdraws.

Extra Notes

  • Choosing a bent or straight gate does not significantly change the weight, strength, or price of the carabiner.
  • All locking carabiners have straight gates.
  • Today, many wiregates have a hybrid almost-straight-but-kinda-bent gate and are offered in this version only (not as a classic a bent or straight option). We have classified these as bent gates since they're not totally straight.

Important Note

Many manufacturers are now making the bolt-end carabiner come standard in silver (to match the bolt color), and are coloring the rope-end with other anodizations.

Do not mix (interchange) bolt-end carabiners and rope-end carabiners. This can be very dangerous as small abrasions made by the bolt can easily wear your rope. DMM put out a great video/write-up on this issue.

Straight
Full Size

Full Size

Full size carabiners are easier to hold but generally they're also heavier.

This is a totally debatable field as there is no official size, weight, or gate opening necessary to be full size. There are no certifications and this isn't a standard the manufacturer's normally describe specifically.

We did our best to compare (descriptions, in-person use, etc), as a way to help give more information about this carabiner. Like always, if you see something that seems totally off, send us a note.

Yes
Keylock

Keylock

A keylock nose means the nose is smooth. Keylock carabiners are also known as: snag-free, notch-less, and hook-less.

Keylock Benefit

The lack of a hooked nose makes for less snagging on gear and bolts – a dramatic improvement.

Keylock Drawback

Given that they’re more complicated to manufacture, keylock designs often come at a higher price, especially in wiregates.

Worth Considering

There are more design features necessary to guarantee a snag-free experience, like the curvature of the nose. Some keylock carabiners will still catch on the nose because of the lack of a smooth nose arc (smoother the arc, smoother the clip).

Learn More

Check out our blogpost that goes over carabiner nose design to get all the details
Yes
Solid or Wire

Solid or Wire

Solid Gates

Generally on beefier carabiners, so they're usually heavier and more durable. They can also feel more substantial in your hands while clipping. Often favored by sport climbers.

Wire Gates

Featured on the lightest carabiners, so they're favored by trad and alpine climbers.

Some considerations

If you want keylock nose carabiners, then solid gates will be much cheaper compared to wire gates.

When wiregates first came out they were not trusted (too new, looked too simple). Now, it's proven that wiregates have less gate flutter and gate shutter than solid gates.

Learn More

Compare gate flutter and gate shutter
Solid
Gate Opening

Gate Opening (mm)

Gate opening refers to the distance between a carabiner’s nose and the fully open gate.

General Guidelines

top of your quickdraw: 17 mm – 22 mm
bottom of your quickdraw: 23 mm – 26 mm
as an anchor holding webbing/gear: 19 mm+

Adding bias towards a larger gate opening is a great option once you’ve narrowed your choice to a few similar carabiners and need help determining which one is the best.

Learn More

Gate opening comparisons, examples, averages, shape, sizes, graphs, and explanations
21 mm
Number of Colors

Number of Colors

The number of different colors that you can find this carabiner in. This color-coding practice was started with just 2 colors, usually silver (that goes on the bolt side of a quickdraw) and another color for the rope side. Now, carabiners come in 5+ colors sets known as "rack packs" so your carabiners can match your cams.

Climbers can also match their carabiner color to their harness or other gear just for fun.

Learn More

Carabiner Rack Packs Explained
1
Lock Indicator

Visual Warning

A lock indicator is a visual warning only seen on locking carabiners. It adds some sort of visual to show if the carabiner is unlocked such as the color red, a danger sign, an unlocked image, etc. When the carabiner is locked the visual indicator is hidden.

Only a small list of manufacturers add this safety feature, although you can easily add one yourself with a permanent marker.

No
Strengths (kN)

Strengths (kN)

In kilonewtons, the strength, as stated by the manufacturer/brand.

Major Axis Closed Gate Strength

This is the strongest orientation and the way carabiners are designed to be loaded.

Major Axis Open Gate Strength

This strength is measured because while climbing, carabiners lying against the rock can be opened slightly as they move across an uneven surface. A carabiner can also open slightly during a fall as the ‘biner starts to vibrate, dispersing the energy (also called "gate flutter"). A weak gate closure (due to a poor/failing spring or an over-stressed wire) could also leave the gate ajar.

Minor Axis Gate Strength

Carabiners are not intended to be loaded along the minor axis (cross-loaded), but it is possible for a carabiner to unintentionally rotate during use, especially while belaying. Of all accidental misuses of a carabiner, cross-loading is the most frequent suspect, which is why there is a rating for it.

Generally wire gates are stronger than solid gates in the minor axis. During the test, the wire gate bends, absorbing some of the force, as compared to a less pliable solid gate.

Learn More

How carabiners are rated, recommendations and strengths.
  24 kN   7 kN    7 kN
AVG RATING
4.605
( 4.6 avg )
Rating
5.04
( 5 avg )

Solid locker

Pros
Large basket
Good for belays and personal tethers
Cons
Scratching sound in the screw after some use
Familiarity
I’ve used it a ton

I primarily use these for belaying and for attaching myself to anchors. They're big enough to handle clove and munter hitches, and they work well with all the belay devices I've paired them with (ATC, ATC-Guide, Pilot, Pivot, GriGri 2).

They are big and heavy though, so I try to minimize the number of these that I carry on longer routes. Also I've noticed a strange scraping/squeaking sound with the screw on the gate, that has developed on all my carabiners after normal use. It doesn't appear to affect the integrity of the carabiner, but it can get annoying. This has not happened with other lockers that I own.

Its a locking carabiner, you can't go wrong with this one.

Rating
4.02
( 4 avg )

Big, good for belay !

Pros
Wide gate opening
Cons
Heavy
Familiarity
I’ve used it a ton

This is a very large carabiner and can handle every hitches and knots you can throw at it. Very good if you are using ropes on the thicker side. I find that the locking mechanism gets gritty and rattles alot over time. It is heavy but for the size it gives you I think the weight is acceptable.

There are some better options out there, I prefer the Petzl Attache over this one. 

Rating
5.04
( 5 avg )

Locks rock

Pros
Big
Wide gate opening
Easy lock
Good for figure 8 and ATC
Cons
Little bit heavy
Familiarity
I’ve used it a bunch

Good biner with large gate opening and wide spine, screw lock is smooth and doesn't jam even when tightly shut. Good for ATC or figure 8 belays, keylock nose prevents snags.

Good biner with large gate opening and wide spine, screw lock is smooth and doesn't jam even when tightly shut. Good for ATC or figure 8 belays, keylock nose prevents snags.

Rating
4.32
( 4.3 avg )

My belay biner!

Pros
big without a crazy weight gain
smooth locking gate action

This biner is my permanent belay biner. It's fairly large ("Does your biner hang low? Does it wobble to and fro?..."), so it'll easily accommodate a munter or whatever else you might throw it's way. I only have one large locker on my rack, and this is it.

The gate action is somewhat slow (6 spins up) but gravity helps it the other way (4 spins down). No matter the orientation, I've never had an issue with it becoming unlocked, even after an aggressive belay.

Outdoor Gear Lab Gear Review rating 4/5

If you are looking to start your basic climbing rack, the Rocklock Screwgate is a great choice to pair with your belay/rappel device, and your personal anchor system. With a simple and functional design at an economical price, it wins our Best Buy Award and is recommended for most climbing situations. 

Black Diamond Carabiner Manufacturing

Video shows how the Black Diamond carabiners are made.

The Making of Black Diamond cold-forged Carabiners

This video with amazing background music shows where and how the Black Diamond cold-forged Carabiners are made.