Date This Chouinard Yosemite Hammer

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steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
Mar 18, 2012 - 05:37pm PT
Yo Bri - looks like you have that same Stubai(?) mystery hammer that I have.
I guessed Stubai because there is a faint diamond shaped indent (first pic) on the underside of it as you see in the other Stubai I have (second pic). The patina on the head is such that you can't make out anything inside the diamond in the mystery hammer (and it was probably too small to begin with).



Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Mar 18, 2012 - 06:04pm PT
Yeah, Greg, possibly so. Try as I might, I don't see any marks on that hammer. Was my dad's, mid 50's no doubt or thereabouts.

I have a few Stubai hammers that have a couple different head stamps on them from 1950. Sometimes just "Stubai" stamped on the head, sometimes enclosed in a box, some handles marked too. Head on the unmarked one of mine matches pretty exactly...

Here's another Stubai hammer:


It must be...hammertime!
WBraun

climber
Mar 18, 2012 - 06:16pm PT
True pinnacle of hammerdum ......
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 18, 2012 - 06:25pm PT
Aw c'mon Werner, post up the funkiest mallet in the SAR cache...or your tool bucket! LOL
WBraun

climber
Mar 18, 2012 - 06:57pm PT
The best wall hammer I've ever seen is Scotty Vincik's home made beast.

Too bad there's no photo.

He welded this massive block of metal to a pipe and and improvised a handle to it.

Kim Schmitz would have had an orgasm if he had see this thing back in the day .....
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
Mar 18, 2012 - 07:48pm PT
Seems to be a bit of moisture around here?
Stewart

Trad climber
Courtenay, B.C.
Mar 18, 2012 - 11:11pm PT
I got my Yosemite hammer (with the blue sling) in the early '70s, but can't remember the exact year. It was identical to the one passed around at Daryl's memorial. My recollection is that Daryl grabbed his later, since he often used a roofer's hammer before that - unless I was leading something short enough to toss it down to him. I also recall him telling me about the time he used it as a cliff-hanger in a moment of desperation.
scuffy b

climber
heading slowly NNW
Mar 19, 2012 - 11:21am PT
I got mine in 1971 at the factory.
At that time they were available with orange sling and either blue or
purple, I think purple. Guck (Philippe) and I got one of each color and
then did a partial switch, so one was orange shoulder sling with purple
leash, etc.
I don't think the third color was available at that time.
SGropp

Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
Mar 19, 2012 - 11:24am PT
I was belaying Daryl when he used that hammer as a hook. It was on the 5.9 friction traverse on the 3rd or 4th pitch of the Salathe
He could not do the move free , so he put the pick of the hammer in a shallow depression and stood in the sling. He covered the head of the hammer with his hand ,so if it popped it would not knock his teeth out.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 19, 2012 - 01:10pm PT
REAL mixed climbing...LOL
SGropp

Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
Mar 19, 2012 - 09:39pm PT





I think the handgeschedmiedet pictured above is a slaters hammer, also called a ''zax'', used for installing roofing slates, The sharp pick was used for punching a nail hole in the slate. the keyhole was for pulling nails and the sharpened hook was for ripping the slate to size.

I bet that sharp pick also got used for self arrest on those steep German roofs.

Looks like a great climbing combo tool, ice/mixed pick , keyhole hanger and crackin-up all in one compact unit.


Anyone know why BD went to cast stainless steel for the Yosemite Hammer ? What is the point of that ?

Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 19, 2012 - 10:00pm PT
zax-One primo Scrabble word!!!
Banquo

climber
Amerricka
Mar 19, 2012 - 11:00pm PT
There are two Stubai hammers at my house.

Stubai was (may still be) a cooperative of blacksmiths in Stubai Austria. I thought the reason that none of the old Stubai hammers look the same is because they were made by different blacksmiths in different shops.

Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Mar 19, 2012 - 11:11pm PT
I think the handgeschedmiedet pictured above is a slaters hammer, also called a ''zax'', used for installing roofing slates, The sharp pick was used for punching a nail hole in the slate. the keyhole was for pulling nails and the sharpened hook was for ripping the slate to size.

Makes sense, thanks! Stands for "handforged" in German. Has the initials P.F.F. on it too. Strange handle but amazing feel in the hand. Nice balance. I could totally see climbing with it, but, I'll bet it's workin' man's tool, nice.
SGropp

Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
Mar 20, 2012 - 01:04am PT
Stubai still makes some high quality forged tools; A roofer friend of mine has some beautiful Stubai sheet metal snips as well as a zax.

I love hammers of all kinds. I am a blacksmith by trade and have close to a hundred in the shop. They range from small tinners hammers up to several massive mechanically driven power hammers built in the era just before and after the First World War. The biggest one ,a 200# Beaudry Champion was set up to forge hammer heads and star drills in a tool forge in Grafton , Mass.

Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Mar 20, 2012 - 01:27am PT
Interesting history of alpine areas where forged tools were produced...


Home of CAMP...neat place to visit.
nutstory

climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
Mar 20, 2012 - 04:06am PT
I know, I know... Nuts Museum should mean "hammerless"... Forgive me guys.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 20, 2012 - 10:13am PT
Done!
stunewberry

Trad climber
Spokane, WA
Mar 20, 2012 - 11:18am PT
This could also go on the "how to get a toothbrush out of the toilet?" thread. Use a Chouinard hammer and smash the thing. The toothbrush will be easy to remove at this point. Salewa, Charlet-Moser, and other European hammers are only suitable for removing toothbrushes from bidets.

I bought my Chouninard hammer while in high school, so would have been 1968 or 9. It has the blue webbing.
spacemonkey77

Trad climber
Keller, TX
Mar 20, 2012 - 11:54am PT
Hey guys, I found this thread and have been wondering about a hammer...err ice ax that I have as well. I got this a number of years back and actually had the opportunity to get Yvon Chouinard to sign it when he was doing a books signing for his let my people go surfing book.

I am not really sure of the date on the ax as well. Any idea what something like this is worth these days.

Thanks




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