Tami
Social climber
Vancouver, Canada
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Nov 29, 2009 - 01:58pm PT
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Chiming in again with RR love :-) I wish I still had those boots. They were SOOOO comfortable. And I know I wore'em in the Bug's for routes.......but I don't really remember well.
My little paws were too wide to fit SuperGuides so my boyfriend bought me a pair of Super Sherpa boots. I think they were size 4 1/2 mens. They fit fabulously tho' I did blow them off within five years when I scored a pair of the white Koflachs. As mentioned upthread, the old big leathers vanished when those superlight and non-foot-munching plastics came in.
I was an idiot with my first pair of plastics and did a summer tree plant in them. Got TRENCHFOOT. It was HORRIBLE.
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Ray Olson
Trad climber
Imperial Beach, California
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Nov 29, 2009 - 02:21pm PT
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^^^
I'll chime in on that chime in...
First pair of climbing shoes?
Blue suede RR Yosemites.
Sure wish I still had 'em...
Went through two pairs of Galibier
Superguides - as I recall, the first (or
intermediate) challenge to the Galibier
was the wood shanked Habeler Superlight,
just before plastic boots took over.
For me, as a teen age dishwasher in Grant
Grove (Sequoia) Robbins shop in Fresno was
the best, great staff, it was a dream just going
in there.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 29, 2009 - 04:53pm PT
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Thanks all for posting.
June 1979----the name change to Robbins Mountaingear: shows up in an ad in Off Belay.
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Modesto Mutant
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Nov 29, 2009 - 05:06pm PT
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I don't recall if Royal had a name for the book distribution. But there was a ton of books, all of them for general retail distribution. I would be surprised if any other wholesaler had as many. Freedom of the Hills, classic Himalayan expeditions, Joe Brown, Bonnington, Rowell, Scott, Messner. It was also the main distribution of Mountain Magazines.
I see Royal posting on here now and then, we could just ask him, or Peter Haan would likely know.
The other great part of working at MP was shipping the goods to virtually every mountain shop in the country. There were these metal plates with the store names and addresses. Neptune, Elephant's Perch, REI Seattle, EMS, and obscure stores in places you would never expect like Normal, Illinois. On hot friday afternoon days when we were grinding away we would talk Royal into buying us beer just to keep us going. All great fun.
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Pate
Trad climber
The Lost Highway
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Nov 29, 2009 - 06:20pm PT
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Fritz, do you have any idea where that picture is from on the name change ad?
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 29, 2009 - 06:42pm PT
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Pate: Easy answer that covers a lot of turf. The Edelrid ad photo is of Mt. Blanc.
Note below full-page ad from Off Belay with Edelrid poster Offer.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 30, 2009 - 09:15am PT
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Robbins kept up a "torrid pace" of ads in Off Belay in 1979, but there were not many in 1980. This may be because Off Belay was nearing its end. Last issue for the magazine was Feb. 1981.
However, I didn't find any Robbins ads in Mountain after Jan. 1979. The brands he imported are still advertising there, but Robbins is not mentioned as U.S. importer. That however, was typical of ads in Mountain by: Edelrid, Salewa, and some other Euro companies.
I do not have many old issues of "Climbing" so I don't know if the amount of Robbins ads in that magazine kept pace with those in Off Belay.
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4damages
climber
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Nov 30, 2009 - 09:25am PT
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Some great history.
I thought RR was a incorporated business as of 2008? I have not
checked lately.
Are there still records of the court case? If so are they available
with the causes of action or actions?
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Nov 30, 2009 - 10:06am PT
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I loved my RR's, you could edge on nothing and a toe-in jam crack, like Georges Tree at the Book on Lumpy, could be done easily while all of your EB brothers were crying in pain.....smearing....not so good.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 30, 2009 - 10:53am PT
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4damages: I did not mean to leave the impression that Royal Robbins went out of business in 1982. They stopped importing climbing gear and concentrated on their own clothing line thereafter. Royal & Liz have not been owners since (I think) 2003.
If you would be so kind as to reseach and post info on the lawsuit Pat Ament brings up---that would be great!
Ydpl8s: Glad you loved your RR's. Since you bring up the pain of EB's---here's a classic Neeley cartoon from Off Belay.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Nov 30, 2009 - 11:10am PT
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great stuff, hopefully Royal's book will speak to the climbing gear business that thrives today and currently keeps us in gear and stiches.
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rick
Social climber
california
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Nov 30, 2009 - 11:15am PT
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Cool thread. And a reminder to Sacramento area folks, Royal Robbins is scheduled to be giving a talk December 1st at ARC Raef Hall 160 12:15-1:15pm.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Nov 30, 2009 - 11:28am PT
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i bought a pair of galbier superguide RD with some relic strap on crampons for 50 bucks years ago. i found them on the "used gear" board at REI.
i still wear them when i don't feel like limping around in my plastics.
i recognize them in a picture up thread.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Nov 30, 2009 - 12:02pm PT
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No wonder they named it Mount Blank. It's so smooth.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 30, 2009 - 06:12pm PT
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Speaking of Posters-----my memory is trying to convince me there was a "Mountain Paraphernalia" poster. It was an cartoon style illustration, not a photo?
Any help out there?
Re: Robbins/Salewa carabiners: another question from me?
The only ad I found: was for the hollow tubing carabiner, which is stamped R. Robbins 3100 lbs and weighs 44 grams(the ad says 42 grams--must have picked up some extra oxygen weight over the years).
Those I sold in my store and mostly own: are a solid carabiner, that is heavier at 53 grams and is stamped R. Robbins 3000 lbs.
On both, the other side is stamped "Salewa W. Germany."
Which came first? I suspect the hollow one? Was there a problem with it?
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Tami
Social climber
Vancouver, Canada
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Nov 30, 2009 - 07:29pm PT
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Some remote part of my brain recalls the hollow ones being Death Biners. Was this 'cos they became weak if used in 'biner breaks? If I recall correctly it was this - when a biner is used in a break and the rope is gritty, the biner gets worn..........and this wear with those hollow 'biners made them subject to catastrophic failure.
Or should I sit in the car ?
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Nov 30, 2009 - 07:34pm PT
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Just a note to you all. Tamara Robbins, RR and Liz's first child now in her thirties, has been doing the RR archives for some time, so a bunch of this is actually being preserved. It is a disappointment of course that she does not chime in here. Perhaps she will. It is great stuff.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 30, 2009 - 07:56pm PT
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Thanks Peter: I should probably do "the disclaimer." The only reason I did all the research was genuine curiosity, along with a sense that "Mountain Paraphernalia" deserved a place in climbing history.
I think that more information on "Mountain Paraphernalia" (other than that presented in "Spirit of the Age") needs to be preserved. I have not read the first of Royal's autobiography series. From the summary I looked at: it was all climbing.
Best wishes to Royal and Liz!
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Rokjox
Trad climber
Boys I'dunno
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Nov 30, 2009 - 08:09pm PT
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I was scared to death of them. They felt stupid lite, like it was stupic to trust'em. You could sorta feel the hollowness and they felt like a twist would pop them.
Didn't like the gate too.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 1, 2009 - 10:06am PT
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The only Laprade ad I found. I can't find any information about this manufacturer. There apparently are a few of their ice axes out there, but I don't think the company is still around?
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SuperTopo on the Web
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Let us know!