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PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:04 pm
by splattski
Cool! Old ice axes!
This one has a known history: it was my dad's. According to him (he's still alive, climbing, and turns 80 in March) it is a "Militar Diamond Point, Guide's Model." Diamond point refers to the shape of the pick, which also has teeth. He thinks "Guide" means it was extra heavy for chopping steps. It certainly is extra heavy. Also very long because Dad is 6'4". Dad bought it in 1946 from Darr's Mountain Shop on Mount Hood.
The text under the lion on the ice axe says "Garantiert." (guaranteed in German?)
Note the screwed-on stop-ring for the strap and the one-piece forged point.
Image

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:49 pm
by WouterB
splattski wrote:"Garantiert." (guaranteed in German?)


Yes.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:15 pm
by RayMondo
Nice one. Especially the spike being integral to the shaft. Much stronger and won't rot out. Feel free to add to my Classic Axes Album with the History etc.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:44 pm
by MoapaPk
For years I've wondered about this curiosity: the pseudo-ice-axes sold by Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) in the 1970s.

These things looked like wooden-shaft ice axes, but were called something else -- like "snow walking aid" or "glacier-crossing cane." In the catalogs, there was a disclaimer that they were NOT to be used for mountaineering.

I wonder if EMS had been embroiled in some liability battle over breakage of ice axe shafts.