Look at this beauty! Probably close to 10lbs of backplate and STA

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diverintheflesh

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The plate is 1/8" thick and the STA is 3/16" stick... Stainless steel, not aluminum!

I've seen the thick plates around but that STA is really cool!

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That plate looks like one from Hammerhead Scuba. They were a metal shop in Pennsylvania that made inexpensive quality backplates. They also made aluminum backplates also. Unfortunately they were a victim of the Great Recession and went out of business.
 
@ams511, Damn! I was dying to know just that!!

So, I love two backplates. One I designed for doubles (and Fred Tagge built) and the freaking awesome Freedom Plate for singles.

But I remain fascinated with the OP's plate. There just isn't anyone doing anything interesting for coldwater doubles anymore.

My thoughts:
Hand-holds, lose them. Once rigged you just grab a strap and sling it over your shoulder.
Square holes for carriage bolts? I have one square hole on mine, it holds a spare wingnut.
Notice the oval holes on the bottom for the tank bolts. You send your tank out for the usual and somebody fails to use an 11" pair of precision calipers to reset the bands...
Wow, wide and deep spine. Don't need to do that, use channels next to the bolt holes. The spine won't bow when the monster break bends the plate.
Love how the webbing crosses below the bolt holes, so does mine.
Need more adjustment holes. A heavy plate like yours needs to be positioned.
Look at my second pic. Fred threw that in without asking. Brilliant. Just a 1/4" bend that keeps the plate from digging into your hips.
Finally, note that I spec'd four slots for the waistband. Use two if you want to be able to loosen/tighten the webbing or use all four (as I do) when you want everything to be locked in place and ready all the time.

Nice job.

BP1.jpg Hip Bend.JPG
 
I have two Hammerhead steel plates. Love mine. I went without the hand holds and have the 2 piece STA.
 
@lowviz The cutouts were their trademark, that is how I know it is a Hammerhead plate. As a metal shop, I am sure they could do custom work if someone wanted it. At the time they started there were few choices for backplates. Just Halcyon, Dive Rite, OMS, Abyss, and FredT.

I agree with you that there is nothing really interesting going on with backplates here in the US. In Europe, they seem to have more of a selection or different styles. For example, Mares has a double-thick plate.
 
> stainless steel
> aluminium

meh.
check this hardcore russian titanium beauty:

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https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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