[up_and_up]

> So your go-to solution should be to buy used.

Unless you are talking about mountaineering gear like anything climbing related: ropes, cams etc.

How in the heck can you trust that used gear will work 100%? I would rather spend more $$ to reduce risk.

[avar]

I'd buy that used too.

You know there are climbing gyms where you're using both dynamic ropes & carabiners used by thousands of people before you? Those places aren't death traps.

Ditto mountaineering tours etc. for newbies that usually have every incentive not to report if they damage some of the equipment.

Carabiners, ropes & the like are tested when they're manufactured. Any damage likely to damage their structural integrity is usually going to be quite obvious. E.g. the carabiner won't close, or the rope will look like shit (although puncturing the core of a rope with crampons can be a subtle exception).

All other things being equal you're likely to be better off with brand new equipment, but you're also probably way better with used equipment where you spent that extra $500 you saved on some safety course & expert instruction, than skipping that and buying a brand new rope & carabiners.

Failing to properly secure a knot to a used carabiner is a way more likely cause of death than the carabiner itself failing.

[snowwrestler]

I agree with you on metal hardware--if it looks and works fine, it probably is.

It's hard to evaluate a climbing rope by visually inspecting it, though. The strength depends primarily on the core strands, which are hidden away behind the sheath. Chemical damage is not as visible as people assume it is.

It's especially hard for lead ropes, because every significant fall takes some the elasticity out of the core. A rope can look perfectly fine even if it is no longer capable of absorbing a lead fall. The danger here isn't so much that the rope will break, but that the lack of stretch will overload your pro, your body, or potentially even the anchor.

So I would be very hesitant to buy a lead rope used, unless you really know and trust the person. Top-roping should be fine because the fall factor is so low. You can top rope with static cord if you're attentive to the belay.

[blacksmith_tb]

Exactly - how many falls has that rope / nut / etc. taken? Obviously some things are not dangerous used (chalk bag, crash pad), but I agree completely, don't bargain-shop for things that your life depends on.