We at ASK Tower Supply have important updates regarding the anticipated arrival of the Edelrid Pinch, a device eagerly awaited by many in the recreational climbing and rope access community.

Delayed U.S. Arrival

Firstly, as of the writing of this post (5/24/24) the arrival of the Edelrid Pinch in the U.S. has experienced some delays and while it was originally expected to be launched here in April, the new timeframe has been pushed to late June, early July. We understand that delays can be frustrating and appreciate your patience as we navigate these unforeseen circumstances. For those of you that are interested in specifics, there are more details below as to what is actually causing these delays at Edelrid.

EDIT (September 25th, 2024): Finally! Great news! The Edelrid Pinch is officially in stock and ready for you to grab off the shelf. All pre-orders/back-orders have officially been fulfilled. While we can’t guarantee it’ll always be in stock, Edelrid has caught up on production, and we expect a steady supply moving forward. So, no major delays on the horizon—now’s the perfect time to get yours! Barring any other major delays or issues, this will likely be the last update to this particular blog post. But if you have any questions, just let us know by contacting us here!

EDIT (August 13th, 2024): The first batch of Pinches have officially landed in the states. While this might seem exciting, as expected...the fulfillment of these devices will be more of a trickle in the coming months. But we still wanted to relay the seemingly only bit of news we've received about these as of late. To give you some perspective, we’ve confirmed that there are well over 10,000 back orders for the Pinch in the US alone (obviously many more worldwide) and the first batch to arrive in the US only has 208 units! Only 15 of those units will be making their way to our warehouse in the next few days. The other 193 will be scattered across the hundreds of climbing gyms in the US and other dealers like us. In 2-3 more weeks, Edelrid North America will receive an additional 242 units, with 25 of those units (~10%) coming to ASK. That cadence will keep up every 2-3 weeks thereafter until back orders subside and we can keep stock on the shelf. So if you happened to get a pre-order in with ASK early on (I consider "early on" to be orders placed in or before January) you should be seeing your Pinch soon! If not, then hopefully still soonish! Hang in there!

EDIT (July 31st, 2024): Here is the latest update from Edelrid today on July 31st, 2024. "The first Pinch shipment is on track to land within the next few weeks, with weekly micro shipments happening for the foreseeable future after that." While this isn't exactly the type of information we'd hoped for at this point with solid dates and allocation counts, at least they're saying the words "on track" which is mildly surprising. But what does "on track" really mean when something is already 6 months overdue? Anyhow, they said they should have allocation information (meaning we will know how many units we will get from the initial batch) soon and with that we'll finally be able to give our pre-order folks a better idea of when they might be getting their Pinch...finally! (...but don't hold your breath)

EDIT (July 10th, 2024): Here is the latest update from Edelrid on July 9th, 2024. "We are still expecting to receive our first limited shipment late July early August...The first batch we will receive will be a micro batch. We will receive additional small batches every two weeks. With this shipment schedule, it will take us some time to dig out of back orders."

Limited First Batch Availability

Furthermore, the initial shipment of the Edelrid Pinch to North America has been significantly reduced, affecting the quantity we will receive at ASK Tower Supply (as well as all Edelrid dealers). For those of you who have pre-ordered the Pinch, please note that availability in June/July may not be guaranteed. Pre-orders will be fulfilled in the order they were received. As we receive more information regarding fulfillment quantities, we will pass that information along to you. Please note that ASK's first batch order is being prioritized by Edelrid, so by having a pre-order with us will give you the best case scenario for getting a Pinch in your hands as soon as possible.

So What's the Hold Up?

The primary reason for the delay is tied to the certification process. The Edelrid Pinch is currently awaiting EN certifications, specifically EN 12841-C, which is primarily for rope access users and not typically relevant for sport and recreational users. During initial testing against EN-12841-C, there was a small portion of this standard which the device did not meet, which resulted in a modification to the device and starting the testing and certification process over. Rest assured, the Pinch will also carry the EN 15151-1 certification, common among most sport braking and belay devices. Because the Pinch has been heavily advertised as "dual certified," it cannot be released and sold to the general public without actually being "dual certified." Otherwise, this may lead to confusion with users and claims of false advertisement.

But They Already Got One!

Despite the delays, you may have noticed some users in the U.S. already showcasing the Pinch, whether on social media or the like. These are primarily demo units, most of them not even carrying the dual certification and this not technically for sale. We also have a demo unit at our store; if you're nearby, feel free to visit and try it out yourself!

We're Here to Help

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience the delays may have caused. If you have any questions or if you wish to cancel your pre-order, please don't hesitate to contact us at orders@asktowersupply.com or by phone at 505-338-2220. Your satisfaction and safety are our top priorities.

For more detailed information about the Edelrid Pinch, please visit Edelrid's official product page. Stay tuned here for more updates, and thank you for your continued support and understanding.