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Metolius Feather
  • Metolius Feather
  • Metolius Feather

Feather

Rating

My vote: None ( 4.6 avg )

Description

The Metolius Feather is the ultimate ultralight nut tool
-Built-in, wire-gate carabiner
-Unique curved design lets you get behind the nut to hook and pull
-Hooked nose is perfect for cam trigger bars
-Tapered nose allows easy access to the tiniest nuts
-7075-T6 aluminum

Retail price

US$ 19.95

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Award Image
Weight (grams) 21 g
Wiregate Clip Yes
Palm Protector Yes
Length (cm) 21.0 cm
Leash No
Certification ­
AVG RATING
4.02
( 4 avg )
Rating
2.04
( 2 avg )

Doesn't weigh much but is so ineffective that you'll want to fling it into the sea.

Pros
Super light.
Built-in wiregate.
Cons
Doesn't have enough weight behind it to get gear out.
Hurts your hand when you have to bash on it.
Presents very little surface area when you need to use a big piece of gear as a hammer to retrieve stuck pieces.
Sharp enough at the end to pierce your rucksack if you pack it carelessly.
Familiarity
I’ve used it a ton

The Feather's just one of those pieces that's been made so light that it's not really very good at what it's intended for any more.

Even for alpinists who have to be as light as possible to increase their chances of survival, but only for routes where all the nut placements are poor as the time it adds to retrieving wires would surely outweigh the weight saving.

I bought this as an upgrade to my old Wild Country Pro Key, which looks exactly the same but is thicker and made from steel rather than aluminium, so is much heavier. I gave my old WC one to a friend.

 I wanted to love it but after a few years of dealing with the negative aspects of the Feather and taking ages to get gear out when seconding I found a Pro Key on a ledge mid-route and imnmediately started using it instead. It's so much more effective- some pieces of gear just need to be a bit heavy.

 

 

Rating
6
( 6 avg )

I'd rack that

Pros
Light, and it works great!
Familiarity
I’ve used it a bunch
Disclaimer
Able to purchase this on a pro deal as an industry professional.

Lighten your load.  This nut tool displaces even the most stubborn tricam.
 

Lighten your load.  This nut tool displaces even the most stubborn tricam.
 

Outdoor Gear Lab Gear Review rating 4/5

The aptly named Metolius Feather is the lightest tool in our review, and while it does compromise a little in the durability factor, we feel it's plenty tough for freeing the occasional stuck cam in the alpine or working out a nut or two your partner weighted after whimpering our favorite four-letter word for shame (take). We didn't try to break this tool, but it sure feels like we could if we tried hard enough. It got pretty bent out of shape after freeing a stuck tri-cam, so for most folks, we recommend something more durable.

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