REASONS TO BUY
Key lock
Red mark safety feature
Smooth but not smoothest
Clearance for lots of knots/slings
REASONS TO AVOID
A bit big and heavy
Not the smoothest rope pull
Petzl William Review
Petzl William
Credit: Petzl
Our Verdict
The big size and shape of this locking carabiner make it good for using as a master point at an anchor. You can manage multiple ropes and slings Petzl William and organize the belay station. That said, it is a heavy biner and didn't score as high as carabiners like the Black Diamond Rocklock, which is much less expensive. If you want a carabiner of this size, we lean toward the Dmm Boa, which is a little lighter and scored higher. We would also consider the Petzl Am'D before this one just because it is lighter, less expensive and works great. But if you really like the big hybrid pear/D shape, this is a solid and popular big locking carabiner.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Hands-On Review
Likes
The Petzl William is a big sturdy carabiner that holds a bunch of ropes, slings and knots when used in an anchor. It comes with a smooth key-lock gate and the standard Petzl red stripe that lets you know when the gate is locked or unlocked on the screw-gate model. It comes with three gate styles: screw-lock, Triact (twist-lock) and ball-lock. We recommend the screw because it is the most affordable but some people will enjoy the security of the ball-lock or the speed of the Triact lock.
Dislikes
This is one of the heaviest carabiners in the review and, because of its shape, it is also not as easy to handle. It is not narrow enough to confidently throw around in the palm of your hand. For such a big carabiner, we were also surprised that the rope did not move through it more smoothly. It is smooth, just not as smooth as the Petzl Attache or Dmm Boa. While some people may enjoy the security of the optional ball-lock gate, we found that this style of gate was not the most reliable. After a while, the plastic sleeve around the gate got sticky. The twist lock gate is more reliable but it is also much more expensive. The screw-lock gate is more reliable but takes a lot of turns to open and close.
Best Application
This is a good master point carabiner in an anchor. It allows multiple knots and ropes to be clipped in.
Value
While not an expensive carabiner, it is not cheap either. Most of the competing carabiners cost less and score a little higher.
—
Chris McNamara and Chris Summit
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