Discussion Topic |
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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A few shots of a full set of HB Curves.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Bonjour Master Grossman, pleased to "meet" you here... :-)
These are HB Curves, and I am well afraid that Joseph's favorite are... HB Aluminium Offsets...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Maestro Pennequin- I thought that I would post them anyway for fun but correction made.
I haven't been able to find a proper set of the Offsets to add to my collection.
I assume that the Curves predate the Offsets but you certainly have the timeline on both designs sorted out already.
The smaller Brass Offsets would be worth showing here too if you have a photo of those.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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As far as impact on my own climbing both free and aid, I have to go with RPs.
Here are some early versions before they became standardized in production like the ones shown upthread.
When John Sherman let me know that he was headed down under I asked him to bring me back seven sets of the brass wonders and a set of the larger aluminum ones. He laughed at my request and then said "Now you'll be equipped to go and repeat Tubesock Tanline!" one of his routes in Boulder named for the quasi fashionable Jim Collins.
I have never been able to source a set of the big RPs but perhaps Maestro Pennequin has a set for show and tell.
Nothing quite like steppin' out on a #0 RP looking at a good ride!
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 9, 2016 - 11:42pm PT
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Loved all things RPish that have been put out on the market, but over the years eventually winnowed the micro pro down to the Crack N Ups, HB brassies, and Lowe/Byrne Ballnuts.
Never did like the those channeled HB nuts; tried to like them, but ended up ditching them pretty quick.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Mar 10, 2016 - 01:28am PT
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Steve: the HB Aluminium Offsets hit the market in 1989, the Curves in… 1993!
And... I promise you that that I have not posted the photograph below to tease you ;-)
Joseph, I took this photo this morning. Here are two Tom Proctor's modified nuts. Enjoy!
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Mar 10, 2016 - 07:29am PT
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Loved all things RPish that have been put out on the market, but over the years eventually winnowed the micro pro down to the Crack N Ups, HB brassies, and Lowe/Byrne Ballnuts.
Yeah. Still love those Crack N Ups! Both aid and free. Have used em on Flagstaff basalt (they set amazingly well in the tiny pockets that thin basalt cracks get), Granite Mountain in Prescott, J Tree, and The Valley. The big ones have held free climbing falls. Anybody have Crack N Up stories to share?
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Mar 10, 2016 - 07:42am PT
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Some great input on this thread
Ksolem posted
Everything is situational.
Bingo. The best piece is the one you need NOW.
Used to carry hexes just to preserve the limited cams I had and for practice, BITD.
Used to carry Tri-cams, but found I hardly ever used them.
Always carried one set of stoppers.
Camalots are definitely the industry standard.
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Mar 10, 2016 - 09:05am PT
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What's the common theme in the pics below?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Mar 10, 2016 - 06:26pm PT
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The best pro ever invented...a calm, clear mindset.
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Mar 10, 2016 - 11:35pm PT
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^^^^ Indubitably, oh wise and extremely gifted one.
And add....
"Technique is our protection."
~ Chuck Pratt
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2016 - 12:50am PT
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Stephane, thanks for the pic of Tom's drill outs. Cool.
Lots of great posts here and lots of obvious and great quips relative to the mind, technique, what you need now, what the situational imperative is, etc.
My take on the HBs and the reason for the thread was, that of all the considerable pro I've used over forty-two years, there is something almost indescribably and incredibly nuanced about every aspect of the HB - a Goldilock's 'just right' perfection that could easily have never come together if the design and geometry were off by a millimeter here or a degree there.
Can the same be said of other pro? Sure to one degree or another, but for me the HB alloys somehow signify it best of all. But then some pro like cams which are driven/constrained by ratios within narrow limits in order to function and with which there is little mathematical wiggle room. Nuts aren't so constrained - any and every thing is an option and the HB geometry could just as easily never emerged or missed the mythical sweet spot. Somehow they did and for that I am quite grateful as I can't imagine climbing without them exactly as they are.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Mar 11, 2016 - 01:27am PT
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Maestro Grossman, is this what you have in mind...?
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 12, 2016 - 12:52am PT
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Love the brassies, but not being an aid climber I tend to only carry the #4 & 5.
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dindolino32
climber
san francisco
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Mar 13, 2016 - 09:57pm PT
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I'd have to say the current ropes seem pretty great but as for cams, Totems all the way.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Aug 19, 2018 - 11:07am PT
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Totems. Especially the black thru purple!
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Aug 19, 2018 - 02:08pm PT
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I'll go in a different direction and nominate the earliest Chouinard wired Stoppers, like #3-5 (at the time). Rationale: these were the nuts that finally evicted pitons and hammers from the majority of people's racks and truly started the clean(er) climbing era. That's huge.
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