Got a mint factory drilled # 8 Hexentric?

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deuce4

climber

Hobart, Australia

Jan 25, 2009 - 04:12am PT

It's a trick question. How could any self-respecting climber from that era still possess a "mint" hex? Or any mint gear for that matter?

Roger Breedlove

climber

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Jan 25, 2009 - 09:07am PT

Here are the only original hexs that I have left. I think that some of the slings are missing because I used them for newer hexs or left them as rappel points.

Here are the only 'newer' hexs and tubes that I still have.

When did drilling begin?

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2009 - 11:22am PT

I would have to run a catalog search but I recall that GPIW sent out the do it yourself templates around 1975-76. I don't think that they factory drilled them until about 1978 just before the dies were re-done for the third time to produce the thin wall hex that required no extra machining. I suppose some alpine climbers drilled the thin wall hexes out too in the interests of weight saving. LOL

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Jan 25, 2009 - 11:37am PT

I felt thin wall was junk.
Didn't "bite" as well .......

Jaybro

Social climber

wuz real!

Jan 25, 2009 - 11:40am PT

I didn't think mint, meant virginal, in this context. Aren't a certain number of buffings de reguir?

I was thinking the templates came slightly later, Steve. I remember my friend talking with 'nard about how much space to leave between the holes, while standing at the base of little John, in the spring of '77. though I guess that doesn't mean the templates weren't already out, by then.

hoipolloi

climber

A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi

Jan 25, 2009 - 02:08pm PT

So, I have a bunch of photos that I have been wanting to post up here for a while. This is a bunch of my dad's old gear. I think his partner ended up with a lot of it as well. Im going to try to get in touch with him and see what he has, maybe he has the #8 in question.

I don't think thats a number 8 there with the red cord, at least not the generation you are looking for. It doesn't appear to have any label on it at all..wierd..See the wierd ass SMC nut in the lower left..funky (at least to me)

I think these are 2nd generation Choundard biners (as I was told by a friend). I have 2 first generation that are even cooler, I keep my nuts on them, they are the best biner for nuts ever.

Leeper Nut tool. the thing weighs a ton...

Forest Mountaineering T-nuts and Salewa shunt type things.

old jumars. how old? 70's?

some leeper type hook. it has no brand stamped onto it.

Same one as above, Funky!

MOAC ?

generation?

There are a couple more sizes around.

Lots of old pins. most are real old. Some have never been placed. I think he got a lot of pins right when he started but quickly clean climbing became the way to go, especially at the level he was climbing.

Some of these are really rad, you can see how some have the wavy marks from being hammered and forged.

Some of the KBs(right?) like this dont have a brand stamped into them, some, like the ones below are Chounards. Then there is one funky one also with a small stamp on it, looks like "A 30"

But the definate prize jewel of the things I have from his climbing days is the B.A.T. Hammock. its in amazing condition, minus some pealing of the inner waterproof liner. It never got used, except to sleep in the Senior Tree his last year of high school.

Anyways, Sorry to hijack a little. I have been wanting to post this stuff for some time. This thread motivated me to do it.

Thanks. Let me know what you think of any of that stuff, Im real curious about it all.

dee ee

Mountain climber

citizen of planet Earth

Jan 25, 2009 - 02:41pm PT

I've got a couple of 8s but they were drilled by me when the drilling templates came out, only one is the newer offset style. The other one was used as a pipe with a thimble bowl for many years (in the 80's).
Oh yeah, they are FAR from mint.

Doug Robinson

Trad climber

Santa Cruz

Jan 25, 2009 - 03:27pm PT

Nice old rack Hoipolloi!

Those Chouinard 'biners are not second gen but several after that. There were quite a few. Starting in 57-58.

Here's the oldest one I have. Not sure what generation, but bigger and beefier than the original.

The Bugaboo-like pin I'm pretty sure is a CMI. I always thought that design outdid Chouinard's Bugaboo for pure esthetics.

Drilling Hexes: I remember drilling for personal racks starting in the tin shed with the first 'excentrics' in 1974. Recall that bongs had already gone from chromoly (1960) to aluminum alloy ('61) and then to stamped holes, so the idea of lightening holes was well established. Frost was there every day to cast his Stanford-trained engineer's eye on how much metal could be safely removed from Hexes, and how much needed to stay to keep them from folding up.

The thinwall Hexes came about after drilling got boring and expensive. True, you had to seat them more forcefully, but lightness more than made up for that. They were engineered so thin I don't recall anyone ever daring to drill them.

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2009 - 07:21pm PT

The 78 catalog tells the tale perfectly.

Phased out in 78 after a year or so. The problem is trying to make money. Thirty seven drilled holes in a #11 that is supposed to retail for $5.80! Nobody works that cheaply!

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Jan 25, 2009 - 07:31pm PT

Mmmmmmmmm yum ...straight sided stoppers!

Roger Breedlove

climber

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Jan 25, 2009 - 08:34pm PT

The Catalogue glosses over the design change of the first Hexs (1971), the ones that were symmetrical, and the soon to arrive non-symmetrical hexs called 'Hexcentrics.' Anyone remember when the 'Hexcentrics' were first produced?

When they came out, I remember thinking they were a huge improvement--50% increase in sizes for the same rack--and a little put out that I had to buy a new set. I still used the original hexs, although, as you can see by the few that I have left (in my earlier post), they were always the first to be left as rappel anchors.

Doug Robinson

Trad climber

Santa Cruz

Jan 25, 2009 - 08:40pm PT

Timeline in the '75 catalog lists the asymetrics -- the Hexcentrics -- as introduced in '74.

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2009 - 09:32pm PT

The two styles of hexes provided a perfect overlap on sizes. I used to carry both until cams came around.

They were always Hexcentrics, the hexcentricity just became more pronounced.

DR- you have an original straightgate modified D carabiner. YC's old gear marks started small and gradually grew in size. Three more with increasing amounts of nose projection showed up before the flat sided design showed up around 74 as the last Chouinard modified D.

Thorgon

Big Wall climber

Sedro Woolley, WA

Jan 27, 2009 - 12:26am PT

This is what I have for hexes, etc.

Anyone remember the hollow Chouinard carabiners?

There is one odd ball?

Thor

Captain...or Skully

Social climber

North of the Owyhees

Jan 27, 2009 - 12:37am PT

More than one, Thor......They're all over, rampant even, around here.

Get my drift?

Thorgon

Big Wall climber

Sedro Woolley, WA

Jan 27, 2009 - 07:13pm PT

Get your "drift", why do you
think I moved to Sedro!?

Regards,
Thor

Fritz

Trad climber

Hagerman, ID

Jan 27, 2009 - 08:10pm PT

I enclose photos from Oct. 1972 of what looks like a
drilled #7 or maybe #8 hex. Since I respect the opinions of
those posting here, and I also referred to my 1972
Chouinard catalog: this seems close to impossible.
Yes I do agree with Steve’s timeline.

I would love for one of the regulars (or an irregular
for that matter) to tell us what brand chock this
photo is of----sure looks like a Chouinard hex.

The photo (I found the original slide, dated Oct 1972)
was taken in the Bugaboo Lodge parking lot. I enclose
the original photo and a close-up of the mystery chock
that I cropped and blew-up. I suppose it is possible
that we drilled a Chouinard Hex. However, I was the
only one there with access to a drill-press and I’m too
lazy to have ever drilled a #10 Hex that I still have from
that era.

Great first trip to the Bugs. We had the brand new
A-Frame hut all to ourselves. The weather sucked,
there was lots of fresh snow, and all we managed to
climb was Crescent Tower. After four days some
Canadians showed up and informed us that the dreaded
Grizzly of Bugaboo Lodge had broken into our locked
car-top carrier and spread the uneaten contents
around the parking lot. After they shared the bear’s
rather impressive history of local camp and car raids;
we got to walk out in a snowstorm/rainstorm the next afternoon. Of course we had fresh Grizzly tracks,
steaming bear feces, and finally impressive thumping
in the surrounding forest.

We escaped intact----except for the car-top carrier.

Fritz

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 27, 2009 - 09:50pm PT

To stay on track, I'm after an unused and factory drilled #8 specifically. Love the rack shots, make no mistake about that!?!
A nice rack is a thing of booty!