check these nuts out

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Messages 1 - 19 of total 19 in this topic

climber

Cardiff by the sea

Topic Author's Original Post - May 26, 2009 - 12:22am PT

I take a buddy climbing the other day, he says he has some rack and asks if i want to use some of it. I declined but asked if I could take a couple pictures. Anyone seen these before?

I am thinking maybe if you can't get a clean placement with the pyramid you just push out the #3 head and paste her in.

Salamanizer

Trad climber

Vacaville Ca,

May 26, 2009 - 12:31am PT

Ooh, foxy Foxhead.

MisterE

Trad climber

One Step Beyond!

May 26, 2009 - 12:36am PT

The "new" Superlights have that same sleeved block.

I love those things.

climber

Cardiff by the sea

Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2009 - 12:52am PT

Sweet Salamanizer you have a whole set of Foxies. Are the superlights made of plastic? I have seen one of those one time I think it was a blue plastic.

climber

Cardiff by the sea

Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2009 - 01:24am PT

Right on Rokjox! fiberglass huh? Interesting I wonder what kind of load they would take under a modern load test.

Ghoulwe

Trad climber

Spokane, WA

May 26, 2009 - 01:34am PT

Forrest Foxheads and Peck Crakers - yeah! Good old-school crack pro. Led many pitches with 'em.

Eric

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

May 26, 2009 - 01:38am PT

I still have my wired and slung Peck Crackers, though I haven't racked them for decades. Robbins started importing them in the early '70's, but they didn't last too long. Stoppers and hexcentrics bsically took over by late 1972 or early 1973.

I was climbing with a relatively young climber this weekend, and even without the Pecks, I think my entire rack must have looked like a museum collection to him.

John

Watusi

Social climber

Newport, OR

May 26, 2009 - 06:23pm PT

Wow Tommy! I even had some of those Peck Crackers when I started...Even one that was synthetic and called a "Nylachock"

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

May 26, 2009 - 06:31pm PT

I only had the two smallest Peck Crackers. Still have them, and use them. Smaller than the smallest wired hex, there are places they just fit better than anything else.

The cable swaging job on those two are definitely not original though and look suspect.

PaulC

Social climber

May 26, 2009 - 06:37pm PT

I still own a Forrest Foxhead that I purchased as a 14 yr old in 1977. It is about 1 inch by 1 and 3/8 inches at the largest dimension with a very short cable. Also, I have Forrest Titon. Both are stored in the "Thank God I'm not using this as pro" bin in the basement.

Salamanizer

Trad climber

Vacaville Ca,

May 26, 2009 - 09:55pm PT

Forrest Titons, another favorite of mine.

Forrest Chimney Chock

Scared Silly

Trad climber

May 27, 2009 - 12:15am PT

Okay, so here are two different types of hexcentric nuts from Chouinard:

Can anyone tell the unique feature on the second and forth?

Not a nut ... but

Yup an original Lowe-Cam.

Double D

climber

May 27, 2009 - 01:15am PT

I'm embarrassed to admit that I recognize all of those.

The original hexes were symmetrical, then just after everyone bought those they were made asymmetrical or "hexcentric” facilitating more variety in crack sizes AND a very brilliant marketing strategy know as “planned obsolescence.”

Ottawa Doug

Social climber

Ottawa, Canada

May 27, 2009 - 03:12pm PT

Ancient pieces from when I started climbing in the late 70's. I kinda recognize the peck stoppers and that foxhead thing is weird looking. Ditto on the head placement theory!

Neat stuff,

Doug

karabin museum

Trad climber

phoenix, az

May 30, 2009 - 04:11pm PT

Cool nuts! First photo is of Peck Crackers from mid 1960s through 1970s made by Holly Hansen. Usually they have a red or green wire keeper but the black electrical tape is very innovative. I was always amazed that they knureled the sides of the crackers, but didn’t angle the ends of the nuts so they only get placed in one direction. Shown in Royal Robbins rockcraft book is probably why these nuts were selling.
Forrest Foxhead in next photos circa 1974 looks like the #3. Not many companies created nuts on a single wire.
Next photo is of Forrest copperheads which he created in three sizes, long and short wire starting in 1969. Three Forrest Arrowheads which he created 3 sizes long and short wire c 1971. Three Forrest Foxheads which he created three sizes long and short wire . Blue plastic Foxhead was available in 1974 only in #3 size. Also in photo is a Alcoa Chouinard carabiner from 1959? or 1957?
Next photo is set Forrest Titons c 1974. The set shown is the most common set. Rarer to find a #10 with one webbing slot. This set was also available colored. Forrest later recreated the Titons with lightening holes and the set went up to #17.
I still don’t have a Chimney Chock. I want it!!!
The hex photo shows 4 hexes. In photo the second and fourth hex are from the first set made in 1971. The hexes were “A” symmetrical in design. The first and third hex shown is from 1976 when lightening holes were added, unless the owner self drilled the holes. If you notice that the inner cutout almost follows the same design at the outer body of the hex. This was considered the “sychoprenic” shape which was created in 1973. My guess is that they are from 1973 and owner self drilled the holes into the hexes. #11 hex was introduced in 1974. The Polycentric shape of todays hexentrics was first created in 1978.
Last photo is the classic LAS (Lowe Alpine Systems) Crack Jumar created by Greg Lowe in 1972. The first considered cam unit made was the 1972 single lobe version of this cam which looks exactly the same but with one large cam lobe in the center. The two lobe cam is its following partner.
Jardine took it from there in 1977 with the Friend patent.

Cool stuff!!!

Marty