Marc
Many times people say to me ... "oh, you dont have a spliced eye in your climbing line, you don't have a spliced eye in your split tail" etc
They think I'm a little backward or dont know about the huge benefits of splices and prefer some big assed fishermans knot on my biner.
Fact is I dont like spliced ropes as described above.
Why?
Many times I clean palms and I need to cinch right up to the biner and only the bridge of the split tail is holding me. Try that with a spliced rope ... it slips on the taper of the splice. Same when I shorten the bridge, the taper of the splice means the Blakes doesn't work as well.
Just the other day Jim asked how I pull out the Rope Guide as the climbing line wasn't spliced. I said easy, just before you take the head out you undo it while your there.
Hang it on your saddle and bomb the head out.
But I do have the retrieval ball on a short throwline and can tie that to the end of the climbing line ... no real biggy.