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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Jun 22, 2009 - 12:43pm PT
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This links Charlet's influence directly to us! Recall that Underhill, a Harvard professor, was the one who brought ropework to the Sierra on his famous trip in 1931. We always credited Underhill's education in turn to "learning it in the Alps." But now I see that he was taught directly by the great Charlet, the leading guide in France between the Wars.
Also, another American spent a fair bit of time in Europe under the tutelage of French guides (Georges Charlet: brother to Armand?): Bradford Washburn. Spent 1927 – 1929 and 1931 (the ’31 season apparently spent mostly making a film on climbing Mont Blanc for Burton Holmes) in the alps climbing. Did a new route on the Aiguille Verte in 1929. "Among the Alps with Bradford"…
I would bet that the hand forged Climax never made it past prototype before aesthetics and weight turned it toward the miniaturized piolet head.
If you look at the 1972 Chouinard catalog, there’s a photo of Yvon climbing with that style of Climaxe. The Climaxe in the catalog, however, is the standard model.
Here’s a photo of a couple different styles of Climaxe. The one on the left is a standard model, I think, bamboo shaft (not sure if they all came with that, anyone know?). Both marked as "Chouinard-Frost". Markings in the photo on the other side of the head are similar, but, the "made in Italy" is in different locations. The one on the right has a much smaller head, and, a custom length shaft more like an ice axe shaft which had been cut off, maybe a prototype. The head also has a swell in it, directly over where the shaft comes into it, like some of their ice axes. The one on the left is straight-sided across the top (very apparent top looking down).
Photo of an alcoa biner, top and bottom on the left, and a later version on the right:
Great stuff.
Cheers,
-Brian in SLC
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RDB
Social climber
way out there
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Jun 22, 2009 - 01:34pm PT
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I remember seeing toy ice axes/walking sticks for sale to the tourists in Chamonix which looked just like a Climax head but with a ice axe shaft instead of the shorter Climax shaft we generally saw here in the USA.
Never saw a Climax with anything but a wooden shaft...yours is the first bamboo one I can remember seeing. (memory, what's that?)
Brian, good catch on the Chouinard catalog picture with a forged Climax. Never noticed it before. Plain as day if you look at the "Climax" ad picture. Thanks!
Still think a hickory handled Climax with that extra weight of being forged from a alpine hammer head would have been a pretty decent tool where the Premana "toy axe" sucked.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 30, 2009 - 01:53pm PT
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Bump for Barry, The Iceman!
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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This awesome thread needs to stay alive....bump!
Life could be a dream....18 of 34 different Chouinard/BD hammers
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2009 - 11:50pm PT
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Don't you fret there, Marty. I love to bump the good ones! Nice hammer collection!
Tonight's offering is a dandy little gully axe made by Mountain Technology also out of Glencoe.
The radical curvature is easily seen when compared to Mimi's bamboo euro Zero underneath.
Is Mountain Technology a Hamish MacInnes concern or were others shaping axes in Glencoe? Wee Jock?
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RDB
Social climber
way out there
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Time for a well deserved bump!
Chouinard alpine hammers...top to bottom...'71 '75 and the last hickory version from 'early '80s.
Ice tools?
I tried to lay them out chronologically top to bottom and only one tool if there were hammer and adze unless one model proceeded the other like the Tero and the Simond.
Crampons? Doesn't take much to see the lineage here. Chronologically from left to right top to bottom.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 5, 2009 - 01:31pm PT
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What, no Footfangs? Just kidding...Very nice progression of axes and crampons!
Marty- How did you arrive at the 34 figure? Did your bank account scream just say no to ice gear?!? LOL
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Yeah, I think he had to cut it off at just hammers and Climbaxes...
Can't imagine tossin' ice tools into the mix too. Although, probably not as many different models as hammers, when considering the variations of yos, crag, and alpine.
He's crazy I tells ya...
-Brian in SLC
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Myself and Brian in SLC are creating a list of all known Chouinard/BD hammers which includes 3 Climaxes, since the first Climaxe had a hammer handle. So far the count is at 32 different Chouinards. BD hammers only add two to this list which brings the overall count to 34 different hammers. I am putting together proof at how I come to this number. I thought I was damn near having the monopoly on this subject at 17 different hammers. Then Brian came along and put me back down the rabbit hole. He then made me, forced me, pushed me to go back and rereview the catalog library. Wow was I way off! My research also shows that the added notch at the bottom of the 1975 hammer head was created pre 1975, possibly at the end of 1973. (Damn that 1972/73/74 catalog!)Product changes through the years but no photo proof since the catalog stayed the same.
Rock on! Marty
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Erik of Oakland
Gym climber
Oakland
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I'd like to see some Black Prophets, which I think are the best ice tool ever, even in this era of Nomics, Cobras and Quarks
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 6, 2009 - 12:23pm PT
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RDB - Is the Northwall hammer with the blue tether (lower left) a Mountain Technology item, same as the one I just posted above? Know anything about the company?
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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I'd like to see some Black Prophets, which I think are the best ice tool ever, even in this era of Nomics, Cobras and Quarks
I still have a pair, but, compared to the later version CFBP, they collect a bit of dust.
Yeah, when they came out, they were a "must have" for me.
But...I'm a huge fan of the first gen. Cobra. My CFBPs still rule in the alpine, though. Great tools.
Pretty funny name for a tool, considering, in Utah, many folks thought it would take years, or, maybe never, that there'd be a "Black Prophet".
Cheers,
-Brian in SLC
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 21, 2009 - 07:04pm PT
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A little research reveals that my Mountain Technology axe is vintage early eighties and not related to Hamish MacInnes in any way.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 30, 2009 - 11:47pm PT
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Back to the mettle behind the metal. Tobin and Jack Roberts do Kitchener in winter! From Climbing Jan/Feb 1980.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 1, 2009 - 10:15pm PT
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Classic Lowe Alpine Systems ad from the back of the same issue.
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Michael Kennedy
Social climber
Carbondale, Colorado
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CF Black Prophets and earlier straight-shaft Black Prophets I used on the Wall of Shadows in 1994.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 1, 2009 - 11:27pm PT
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That was a proud effort, Michael!
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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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A thread for those who are bored with tonights ST offerings.
Bump
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2010 - 10:42pm PT
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DR was on that Ama Dablam expedition and may have some photos to share. I have a few more Tom Frost shots but I am in Louisiana right at the moment. That shot of Jeff is just superb!
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