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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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May 26, 2017 - 06:15am PT
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The mystery stoppers were made by Alan Grainger at Twinlocks in New Zealand 50 years ago
The mystery stoppers, also posted on the last page, have a story to tell. They were made by Alan Grainger around 50 years ago when he worked at a place called Twinlocks in New Zealand. Alan was also a wrestler until an injury made him choose climbing. In his 30s he was a very skilled climber. The stoppers have been used all over the mountainous part of New Zealand, where he did a lot of moderate to hard routes (at the time). Alan is today 80 years old.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 26, 2017 - 08:12am PT
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Marlow- Nice find and background information. The perlon on those nuts reminds me of what was available in the early 1970s when I started climbing.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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May 26, 2017 - 08:55am PT
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I agree with Steve; what a wonderful collection!!!
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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May 26, 2017 - 09:02am PT
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If there's a serious museum interested of these jewels, I will donate them. Nutstory?
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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May 26, 2017 - 09:10am PT
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If there's a serious museum interested of these jewels, I will donate them. Nutstory?
Marlow, I can't believe it...:-)
D-Storm: Needle Sports is based in the UK... the Nuts Museum... (it's me...) is based in... Corsica!
Stephen Reid, the owner of Needle Sports in Keswick, kindly hosts my webpages on his website.
edit: I modestly contributed to the moving tribute to Roland Pauligk written by Ross Taylor.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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May 26, 2017 - 09:40am PT
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Nutstory
The ST PM function is unreliable, so maybe Dahu could send me your shipping information?
I will ask if Alan can remember exactly when he made the stoppers.
There is three more in the set. See below. These are lighter and possibly later.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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May 26, 2017 - 09:49am PT
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Marlow: I'm just calling to Dahu at the moment about your very kind proposal.
He is going to send you my address... Many, many thanks for such an impressive donation!
From the historical point of view, the nuts made by Alan Grainger around 50 years ago in New Zealand are most interesting. John Ewbank made and marketed his Crackers in Australia in… 1968!
If Alan could add some more information on the history, it would be splendid.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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May 27, 2017 - 07:45am PT
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Marlow, I am wondering if the nut ringed in black would not be a MOAC Original Chock...
Its rope does not match the ropes of the other nuts made by Alan Grainger.
With such a hypothesis, I can now figure out the other nuts which are really impressive.
Master Grossman, any comments...? ;-)
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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May 27, 2017 - 08:20am PT
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Nutstory
I think all the stoppers are made by Alan Grainger, but I could be wrong. In case I'm wrong, an original Moac would be a nice addition. The nuts were all posted this morning and Dahu will supply you with the tracking information. Enjoy!
I have sent a few questions to Alan. One of them is if he can remember what year he made the stoppers. Another is what inspired him when he made them. Alan himself is no PC user, but he is getting help. Alan will probably answer on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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May 27, 2017 - 08:29am PT
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Marlow, I do not have any climbing items made in New Zealand in the collection, so the nuts that you send me are an invaluable treasure for the Nuts Museum. Again, I thank you very much for your interest in my work on the history of the nuts and, most of all, for your kindness. As soon as your package reaches Corsica, I will let you know if the nut is a MOAC Original Chock...;-)
Any background information or anecdotes that Alan could tell us would be of great value.
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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May 27, 2017 - 08:33am PT
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Anybody still making that MOAC shape?
MOACs were magical.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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May 27, 2017 - 08:36am PT
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Nutstory
From the stories I have heard till now more than one book could be written about his life. He has been a globetrotter and vagabond besides being a climber...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 27, 2017 - 10:11am PT
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Marlow- History lives here so kindly share what you have discovered about this glorious nutcrafter or see if the venerable gentleman will come on and tell his own story with some help from a younger techno savant.
Looks like an early cast MOAC to me.
Mark- Dust off your Foxheads brother and ease the edges. I haven't seen such a radically tapered nut offered in several decades.
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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May 27, 2017 - 01:11pm PT
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"Somebody" should cast an old one and put em out.
Some of the magic of MOACs I think was the relative softness of the metal - the bite made them sticky and stable.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 27, 2017 - 03:32pm PT
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Lots of them out in the world if you really have to have one on your rack. Since they were cast and not machined from extruded stock,they were definitely stickier than most other nuts.
The Chouinard-Frost Stopper taper turned out to be more versatile especially in granite.
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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May 27, 2017 - 05:50pm PT
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Marlow - Cool that the nuts are headed to Corsica!
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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May 29, 2017 - 07:56am PT
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Probably not the right place to post such a photograph.
On the other hand, it might well help to identify old "mystery" Friends...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 29, 2017 - 09:26am PT
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Very cool that you have one of Ray's prototypes with the trigger bar lock. If you look at the curvature of the cam on that one does it look like the others?
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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May 29, 2017 - 09:36am PT
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Here it is! And yes Steve, I am very fortunate to have such a jewel.
Ray sent it to me in 1996.
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