Piton Identifier?

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 27, 2013 - 06:55pm PT

Hey,my brother has about 22 of these "ring knife blades", or thin arrows, whatever you would call them.

He would like to sell them.

I have a couple from the way back machine, but mine were stamped US Army.

His are stamped BD Inc 1963.

Anybody ever heard of such a beast?

What are they worth?

Ghost

climber

A long way from where I started

Aug 27, 2013 - 07:28pm PT

What are they worth?

Well, if you machined that hole where the carabiners go through a bit, you could probably turn them into pretty decent bottle openers and sell them for maybe a buck and a half.

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Aug 27, 2013 - 07:30pm PT

http://www.mrpiton.com/p2
This site doesn't identify BD, INC., but it shows similar "ring vertical" pitons made by Fritsch.
Value - probably scrap metal, but you never know what you might get on ebay.

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Aug 27, 2013 - 07:35pm PT

I learned a trick from Harvey Carter who would drill a 1/4" hole in the blade and leave those as bolt hangers.

Trad climber

Aug 27, 2013 - 07:44pm PT

So those are pretty cool. No idea of their provenance though..

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Aug 27, 2013 - 08:07pm PT

Yeah, Norm, it's a little-known fact that Yvon tried this corporate image thing, BD Inc. and failed at it. He called his company Black Diamond, but kept getting calls from the NAACP harrassing him. It was in the early sixties.

Where?

I read it on Facebook--well, most of it, anyway.

jonnyrig

Trad climber

formerly known as hillrat

Aug 27, 2013 - 09:09pm PT

Ask what you consider a fair price, then go for ebay if that doesn't work. I've bought a number of pitons of late, and I'll tell you there's a huge difference in pricing, some of which is pretty outrageous.

Vintage chounard stuff fetches a premium, if you can justify marketing them as such, heh heh.

There are usually a few old milsurp pins, mostly the flat blade type. Followed by the v-ring type. And then the lost arrow type (of which there's a set of a dozen or so going $17 right now). But those little straight ring pins like that don't come up much, that I've seen.

How much are they worth to him?

Salamanizer

Trad climber

The land of Fruits & Nuts!

Aug 27, 2013 - 09:13pm PT

I don't know about the BD thing, but those show up on Ebay every now and then. I've even used them when putting up new routes as recent as a couple years ago. Probably totally worthless as gear but sure made that next move seem a little smoother.

Anyway, they usually go for around a buck or two. I don't know about all rusty like that. Soak em in Vinigar for a week and give em a ligth brushing and they will sparkle. You could then maybe even fetch three buck a piece!

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Aug 27, 2013 - 09:20pm PT

What, you've never heard of Boss Dog, Inc.? Where you been?

can't say

Social climber

Pasadena CA

Aug 28, 2013 - 07:18am PT

Those are old Army pins.

perswig

climber

Aug 28, 2013 - 08:25am PT

Regardless of provenance, I'd be interested in a few of those. PM me when you figure what you'd like for 'em.

Thanks.
Dale

couchmaster

climber

pdx

Aug 28, 2013 - 08:31am PT

I like perving on old gear bump. Sweet pins. Good luck with the sale Bruce.

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2013 - 09:33am PT

Thanks for the bumps gang.

Vintage Chouinard, no.

Also, scrap metal, no. It's not like they're soft iron junk or something.

The ones I have are hard steel, just as good as a blade or small arrow.
Put one of those babies in a tight granite crack and it'll sing a tune.

I'll tell him to try eBay at $60 I guess and see what happens.

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Aug 28, 2013 - 11:26am PT

Bruce- Your friend will be lucky to get much more than $5 each if they are stamped and in good condition.

Classic military issue ring wafer produced by the barrel. Suppliers started stamping their work after WWII probably to be able to trace manufacturing problems (like poor ring closure welding) back to the source and batch easily.

Not much good solid research out there about all of the various shops making military hardware which is a bit surprising.

That "mrpiton" site involves so much guess work that it's laughable.

Good luck!

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2013 - 11:31am PT

Thanks Steve, if he asks $60, that's less than $3 each, so maybe he can pull it off.

can't say

Social climber

Pasadena CA

Aug 28, 2013 - 11:36am PT

When I taught G.I.'s how to climb back in 75, we had boxes of those things along with the vertical eye blades and some other ring pin I can't remember and no one used them. By this time Lost Arrows et al had replaced anyone using these military pins, except out of poverty or some other dire situation.