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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Nov 25, 2014 - 12:07pm PT
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A Seattle tool for collectors? What's the story?
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 25, 2014 - 02:21pm PT
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Marlow: I'm 99.999% certain the MSR axes sold at retail, never had wood shafts.
The one in your photo is either a pre-production model, or someone removed the head from a metal MSR axe and attached it to a wood shaft. The spike also doesn't match up with these Thunderbird patent drawings.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Nov 25, 2014 - 10:18pm PT
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Fritz.
That's interesting. I asked because I tried to find information about a wood shaft Thunderbird on the internet, but couldn't find anything. The tool you see on the picture was sold on ebay yesterday by someone somewhere in France.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 26, 2014 - 08:09am PT
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That looks to be a prototype T-Bird and very rare as such. Nice score for someone!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 26, 2014 - 08:27am PT
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Fritzi is absolutely right, trust me, at least on this.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 26, 2014 - 08:29am PT
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Too bad...at least the ones with wooden shafts could be used for firewood.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 26, 2014 - 08:45am PT
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Amen, Jim! Hahahaha! Butt my how The Mountaineers and Mazamas loved those things!
Larry wasn't stoopid (just a trifle weird) - he knew his target demographic.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 26, 2014 - 09:10am PT
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I refused to sell the MSR axes in my Outdoor Shop. I believe the standard putdown was to call then: "Dayglow metal monsters."
Reilly! I agree: the volcano slogging masses loved them.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Nov 26, 2014 - 09:28am PT
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And now you have the dry paper from a couple of old ASMÜ katalogs on the L'Equipement thread to help the firewood catch fire ^^^^
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 26, 2014 - 10:00am PT
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Dayglow Metal Monsters was Yvon's phrase in describing the alternative to his own aesthetic tools and I'm sure he had MSR axes clearly in mind. 1972 catalog if memory serves.
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grey thunder
Trad climber
Hanover, NH
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Nov 26, 2014 - 10:41am PT
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Fritz,
I'm really late to this party. I can contribute a couple of points, MP did distribute Karrimor for a period of time probably the early seventies. Galibier went on to become Paraboot, a high end fashion men's brand, still on the market. I saw Ponvert (sp) about nine years ago and spoke to the old times. Skip Yowell is doing very well, retired from Jan Sport, working with a bunch of non profits and living in Kansas.
I've got a good set of Off Belay from the first issue to some point just before they closed down, Summit, and Mountain. I've been trying to find a home for them that would be useful if you or others have ideas to share let me know.
This is a great thread, thanks for the work you've done. I remember clearly the night Robbins was in town. What time's....
Bruce
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Nov 26, 2014 - 11:34am PT
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Annelidz. Ha!
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Tamara Robbins
climber
not a climber, just related...
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Apr 14, 2015 - 06:01pm PT
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Haven't read through all of this, but looks like an awesome thread, and thanks Fritz for mentioning it in regards to the one I just posted! ;)
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Tamara Robbins
climber
not a climber, just related...
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Apr 14, 2015 - 06:11pm PT
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Oh my gosh, I've missed a lot of this stuff! Fritz, sorry I didn't reply wayyy back about the names of businesses! I'm working my way through the multitude of posts here and will reply as I can if pertinent! As far as can be pieced together, Mountain Paraphernalia was the original entity. Mountain Letters may have been a name briefly, but Mountain Books lasted a bit longer. Mountain Threads and Mountain Gear also were entities, which I think morphed into Robbins Mountain Gear and Robbins Mountain Threads... Plain old "Robbins" was the next stage before "Royal Robbins".
I have some price lists that are fun... the first marketed belay seat was listed at $3 wholesale in Jan of '71. Mom says she remembers stitching those on her Singer sewing machine at our Durant house (and apparently did so while also creating me... since I appeared 9 months after that price list ;)
I'll get some images uploaded soon.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2015 - 07:15pm PT
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Tamara! I am glad you found this thread again & like it. I'm still astounded at all the great stories here from folks that used to work for your parents.
Best Wishes to Royal & Liz!
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Tamara Robbins
climber
not a climber, just related...
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Apr 14, 2015 - 08:57pm PT
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2015 - 09:21am PT
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Tamara: Thanks for the post of Features of the Royal Robbins Rock Climbing Shoe.
There was a lot of love for that shoe on this thread.
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Tamara Robbins
climber
not a climber, just related...
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Apr 15, 2015 - 12:03pm PT
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 15, 2015 - 12:29pm PT
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Blue is my favorite color so when I went into the Summit Hut in Tucson as a 12 year old kid to buy my first gear it was Robbins Boots, a baby blue Joe Brown helmet and a blue Mammut rope. You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes...even Royal has a little Elvis in him!
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Tamara Robbins
climber
not a climber, just related...
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Apr 15, 2015 - 12:34pm PT
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those look like the Verappe? The logo on side changed, but reference page one of this thread for pic....
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