Most Over-Engineered EDC ‘Biner Ever Made?

[leadin]You can get a carabiner for $10, and it will hold incredible forces, saving your life in a rock climbing fall. It will also hold your keys clipped on a backpack or belt loop.[/leadin]

Or, you can buy this one. Called the Gatekeeper, it costs about $100, and it’s not made for climbing or any use other than holding your gear.

It’s among the most over-the-top EDC items we’ve ever seen. Silly, really. But cool-looking at the same time, and perhaps an ultimate gift for someone who loves the EDC (every day carry) world and wants something totally unique.

Industrial Design

More a design curiosity or an art product than practical gear, the Gatekeeper is made by Gamble Staempfli, a New York artist who has the unique career path of “action figure sculptor, prop builder, mold and model maker, and art teacher,” as he puts it.

More recently, Staempfli has stepped into the world of gear design.

While fairly impractical, the Gatekeeper is actually a pretty neat work of art, in our opinion.

Made with a titanium “armor” and aluminum core, the ‘biner takes 45 pieces to assemble into a solid, clip-ready unit.

The main assembly consists of 19 pieces machined and cut to “strict tolerances” then fastened with 26 stainless steel machine screws.

It’s made in the USA and comes (thankfully) fully assembled. It can be serviced, and the company guarantees the product.

So far, it’s sold pretty well, raising nearly $20,000 on Kickstarter. You can get yours there, too. Earlybird $100 pricing is almost sold out, but lots of these uber-biners remain for sale at the art-level pricing of $114.