ID old ice axe?

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Messages 1 - 12 of total 12 in this topic
seano

Mountain climber
none
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 29, 2017 - 08:46pm PT
I found this old alpenstock last summer on Mount Shasta. I posted around a bit at the time, but no one claimed it, and now I'm curious what kind it is. It doesn't have any markings on the head (e.g. "Chouinard").
jgill

Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
Apr 29, 2017 - 09:07pm PT
Looks like my old Mischabel, but the spike isn't the same. 1956 in the Cascades:

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
Apr 29, 2017 - 09:53pm PT
The father of modern bouldering never ceases to amaze.
Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Apr 29, 2017 - 10:04pm PT
Kinda looks like a Stubai Aschenbrenner. Maybe with a replacement spike.

No marks? Looks too well made to be anon.
seano

Mountain climber
none
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 30, 2017 - 05:54am PT
jgill, Brian, thanks for the info!

The Aschenbrenner's pick and adze look too close to the same length for this to be one. The Mischabel's shape looks closer, but at least when new, it has a marking: https://www.vintagewinter.com/products/vintage-swiss-wooden-ice-axe-mischabel . Of course, this thing looks to be well-used and -loved over the past 60+ years, so it could have worn off. The spike indeed may be a replacement -- it looks like cruder workmanship than the head, with somewhat uneven sides.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Apr 30, 2017 - 04:02pm PT
The head design is pretty unusual since it is both cup and tang at once. Gary Neptune would be the best source of a guess at this one since it isn't stamped.
I will see if he can take a look.
Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Apr 30, 2017 - 09:06pm PT
I have an old Fritsch and a Charlet that have picks with similar teeth.

Be interesting to take that tape off and see how/where it attaches to the shaft.

I've seen a few axes marked on the top of the head...maybe look there for a faint stamp?

I suppose there's a chance that the whole tool was forged by a talented smith...

Neat!
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Apr 30, 2017 - 09:49pm PT

Strange that there is no name or logo. My best guess is that it is a Swiss ice axe: a "P. Schild, Kandersteg", or a "Gebr. Andenmatten, Saas-Almagel".
seano

Mountain climber
none
Topic Author's Reply - May 2, 2017 - 09:38am PT
Sorry I'm a bit slow to respond on this, but I'm on the road and don't have the axe with me. Here's what it looks like under the tape:
The letters are "LENNADANIEL". Lenn A. Daniel? Lenna Daniel? Daniel Lenna? A quick web search doesn't turn up anything obvious.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
May 2, 2017 - 09:46am PT
The head looks familiar but the spike does look odd. I think 'Len Daniel' was
Marty Feldman's nom de grimpeur.
jgill

Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
May 2, 2017 - 03:12pm PT
I have two wood handle axes. The older Mischabel from 1953 has a flat adze, but my more recent Interalp has a curved adze.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
May 3, 2017 - 09:58am PT

P Schild, Kandersteg - Gebr Andenmatten, Saas-Almagel - Robert Perren, Zermatt - left to right


Richard Staub, Zürich


P. Schild, Gebr. Andenmatten and Robert Perren were blacksmiths making ice axes. Richard Staub was a seller of ice axes and the Richard Staub ice axe is carrying a lion-and-ice-axe logo indicating that it was made by the Hupfauf blacksmiths in Einsiedeln, all of them Swiss.

Seano's ice axe is clearly different. The greatest difference is possibly in the neck of the head.
Messages 1 - 12 of total 12 in this topic
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