UKC

The EDELRID PINCH is one of our biggest innovations since the OHM or our Cut Protect range of ropes. Offering a completely new belaying experience, the PINCH is the first device on the market that can be attached directly to the belay loop of the climbing harness, without the need for a carabiner.

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Looks like an interesting device, I even watched the video. A couple of things seemed to jump out:

- Does the silver button unlock easily if you knock it by accident? If so, isn't this kind of like belaying with a normal snapgate where an accidental push from the side could open the device and detach it from the harness/anchor? Does anyone put something through the carabiner hole while in the direct-to-harness mode to guard against this?

- The main surface that the belay loop would be in contact with on the device looks contoured enough but the bars on either side of it that will still contact the belay loop a lot during use look pretty aggresive, does this cause increased wear or damage on the belay loop?

- Does the lowering handle being closer to your body in non-carabiner mode result in it being awkward to pull back as compared to something like a grigri that I'm used to using? Are there any knock-on chronic wrist injury concerns as a result?

Can anyone who has used one of these comment?

I think in reality there’d be close to zero chance of it opening accidentally.

I didn’t think it’d cause any more wear than a carabiner.

The lowering handle did not feel awkward to use in my opinion.

I don't think I'd see the answer choices as being the main advantage, but hey-ho. Will be interesting to see if 'direct to harness' connection gets copied by other manufacturers.

There is a video on YouTube that shows the closing mechanism in detail. They showed a prototype that had a complicated multi action opening button but was either hard to produce or hard to operate. The production version has the push button on the side and relies on the belay loop to stop the face plate opening too. It looks like this would be an effective failsafe in normal device orientation. Not had a play myself yet. 

I am a GriGri user for the last 9 years and I am absolutely psyched about the Pinch!
Having used GriGri2, GriGri (3 so to say), GriGri+, Pinch and Neox, I can confidently say, this device feeds very well, and has very nice handling for people who are not used to belaying with a GriGri.

The lower profile on the harness has a huge benefit for children and people with smaller hands.

Only disadvntage I saw was that lowering went a bit too smooth with real thin ropes. Pay attention.