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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Jul 10, 2011 - 10:24pm PT
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Marty: Thanks for the quiz. Mighty Hiker beat me on the only question I could answer. # 2 Hollow carabiners.
Here's an ad that helps to date them.
I agree! You should write a climbing gear history guide!
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Jul 10, 2011 - 11:05pm PT
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Unknown #3 - Question: What is this thing? What was it made for?
Answer: guesses yes, and Russ gets close on the answer. Created by Yates, which I think should be named an "extreamer." Russ mentions for Helo slingloads where I was told they were used to tie down airplanes on Navy aircraft carriers while transporting the planes to the lower decks.
Hmm. That, or it was for a payload fairing in space. Folks had some bang back trouble deploying satellites, crushing them when they were deployed. Had always heard that Yates designed a sling that would softly allow the payload fairing to open, without a snap back which had destroyed a spendy load. Neat!
Great history, Marty. Cheers!
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Jul 10, 2011 - 11:19pm PT
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I know that the SMC rappel ring is still mfgd out of hollow aluminum stock.
IIRC, they are not hollow. They are rolled from a flat, donut shaped, piece of aluminum sheet metal. Notice the groove/seam around one side of the ring.
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 12:36am PT
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Russ, You are the winner and YES, I have that shirt! I am eating dinner with the kids right now but I will give you the shirt history soon. Look at the photo of the three standing in front of El Cap. If you zoom into the spot near / under Longs cigarette or under Bridwell's hand, you will see the carved out button I showed. History coming soon!
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susan peplow
climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
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Jul 11, 2011 - 12:47am PT
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Marty, Russ only beat me to it because I wasn't watching the thread. I had a slight advantage knowing you had the shirt but didn't piece it together before the clue. Dang.
Your thread is picking up steam, this is the spirit in which we love to see in you!
Long live MA's!
~S
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 12:16pm PT
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Brian, I will be at the OR show in three weeks and will find out the true answer from John Yates on what the screamer was created for. I thought he told me it was for aircraft carriers. I am curious but can wait.
Are you going to the show? Is this a dumb question since you are always at the show?
I tried to post the Nose shirt story, but I guess this page line is kinda full? This is what Supertopo says. I guess we need to bump this to the next page line?
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 12:33pm PT
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 12:35pm PT
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 12:41pm PT
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 12:44pm PT
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Last bump,
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 12:53pm PT
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I moved into a house with my good friend Scott and a friend of his, and later Scott met his wife to be named Debbie. All of us decided to go tubing down the Salt River one day since it was summer again in Arizona. We purchased a new product on the market called Bullfrog sunscreen which we applied it all over us before we hit the water. We were experienced tubers so we had our own cooler tube, radio tube, and covered the black tubes with big towels before sitting in the water with them so we would not get burned. It was a hot day so we kept reapplying the sunscreen being smart and being one step ahead of the hot sun. I was wearing a red hippie shirt that I purchased from a Goodwill a few years prior. This shirt I kept unbuttoned so my chest was exposed and my shoulders were covered. It was a fun trip!
An hour later once we got home we noticed how burnt we really were and the blisters started appearing. Scott was from Hawaii and he was totally fine and instantly tanned. Debbie and I were more of the white skin breed where when tanned, we would become a shade below antique white. Debbie started getting finger size blisters all over her legs and my stomach become one huge blister. The next day I visited a doctor who instructed me to keep vitamin E liquid on the burn at all times or I would really feel the pain. The healing process took three weeks where I could not work, wear a shirt and pretty much sat the entire time. We contacted Bullfrog with the problem where they were going to send us each a full years supply of sunscreen in apology. I do not know what that amounts to since I told them I would never trust putting their product on me again so do not send it. I was just informing them of the problem. Bullfrog sunscreen is now a big name and is on many of the store shelves across the country.
Why am I telling you this? The red hippie shirt that I was wearing is the exact same shirt that Jim Bridwell is wearing in the famous 1975 "One Day Ascent of The Nose" photo. I threw away my shirt after the tubing trip but was amazed that it was totally the same shirt. Many years later at one of the trade shows, I was talking to Jim Bridwell about the clothing he was wearing in that famous Nose photo. He got a laugh out of my story and found it amusing. I asked if he still had any of the clothing especially the pants that he was wearing. He said "Why would you want those pants, they have a hole in them near the knee?" That was exactly why I wanted the pants. You see, in collecting clothing memorabilia, an item is always more valuable if it has a rip or tear in it, especially if you can see the tear in a photo or video. This way there is no doubt that it was the original over just another store bought fake.
Jim mentioned that he may still have the shirt, but may have thrown it away as well. Jim searched his house and was able to find it then called me saying "Come on over and get it!" I told him to do nothing with it! Do not even wash it and just leave it as it was! I was pretty excited YES! Did I mention YES!!! (This yes goes along with a little dance I did around the house when I found out). Jim said that he would sell it to me for a few hundred bucks.
At the time, my friend Rich was going through a bad time in his life drinking and doing drugs and contemplating suicide. Rich has always been my best friend, and I always watched after him and still do to this day. I figured that it was time to cheer him up and to go on a fun road trip. So drive to San Diego to visit the ocean, then drive up through Tacquitz and climb there a little, then cruise through Palm Desert, and then return home to Arizona. I called Jim and mentioned that we would be going by his house on our trip, and to get the shirt ready for me. I did not mention to Rich that we were stopping at Jim's house.
The trip was a blast and we shared many laughs and then while in Palm Desert, I told Rich that I have to stop at a friends house to pick something up. Jim's house was very easy to find. Peggy and Jim were home and invited us in where Rich gave Jim a look of "I know you." Rich is an older climber than me who has never missed reading a Climbing Magazine. It finally dawned on him that he was standing in front of Jim Bridwell. Rich didn't know if he should run away or to start jumping up and down like some school girl. Jim came over and broke the ice saying to Rich, "It is very nice to meet you." I noticed this blue paisley shirt hanging off of a hanger on the wall, but I walked right by it and stood wondering why Jim has not given me his shirt yet. Jim looked at me and said "That is the shirt!" Ummmmm, I was expecting the red one that he was wearing in the Nose photo and I became disappointed of what I was purchasing.
I was really wanting the red shirt since it was in my sunburnt tubing memory, and was I somewhat bummed out. I paid for it anyways and shrugged my shoulders. Jim then filled me in on the history of this blue paisley shirt. Jim found this piece of fabric and while he was sitting around Camp 4, he would work on it on his off climbing days. He decided to create a shirt with it. This entire shirt was hand sewn and created by Jim Bridwell. The snap buttons around the collar, the button loops, all the sewing, everything. At that time my trophy started looking less tainted and I became excited about the shirt. I noticed that there was a strange button made of wood in the shape of a cross with a circle on top. Jim said that originally there were 5 wood buttons on it however, the one that was there was the only one that lasted through his climbing adventures. Jim carved the wood buttons out of Manzanita branches from plants in Yosemite. Before we left the Bridwell residence, Jim looked at me and said that he knew that I was getting a screaming deal here. I reassured Jim that his amazing shirt was in the best hands it could be in.
Rich and I continued on our adventure and I believe that Rich held the shirt all the way home. Rich was alive again like new batteries had been installed. He thanked me many times for my surprise to him. Rich in years later was approached by two girls from the Mormon Church which took him in as one of their own. He suddenly stopped smoking, drinking and everything and found enlightenment with his new world. Rich now has been clean for 8+ years and teaches scripture to teenage Mormon kids every Sunday. I know that people say weird things about the Mormons from time to time, but I have a huge respect for them since they saved my friend Rich from total collapse in life. Rich is very happy!
I called Jim again and asked if he could recreate more of the wood buttons on the shirt. He said that he would need some manzanita to carve the buttons out of. I told him the Manzanita was on the way. At that time Rich and I were working on creating new climbing routes at our secret area named Northern Devils Canyon, which is near Superior Arizona. Jim received the Manzanita and carved 6 new buttons out of the branches, sent them back to me, and I personally sewed 4 of the 6 onto the shirt in the places where the missing buttons originally existed. The only original button is the second one down from the top, black thread. It can easily be seen in the 1975 "Nose in a Day" photo just below Jim Bridwell's hand.
After Billy Westbay, Jim Bridwell and John Long completed the Nose in a Day adventure, they visited a Salvation Army Thrift store, purchased these hippie duds especially for this famous Yosemite photo. Jim wanted to wear his shirt for the photo but John Long could not fit into the red button down vest shirt purchased from the store. so Jim and John switched shirts and the rest is history. All of the clothing was eventually thrown away except for this shirt that Jim Bridwell had created. I never washed it since I wanted it to still have the Camel non-filter cigarette aroma that Jim is so well known for. I am so honored in life to be possessing such a great Yosemite piece of this caliber in my home.
I know that this historic shirt if properly advertised could fetch around $100,000 or more, but I want it to go to the Yosemite Museum for free. This shirt was another item that almost got destroyed in a flood that happened at my house a few years ago. I have always known that this amazing piece of history belongs in the Yosemite Museum.
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
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Jul 11, 2011 - 12:58pm PT
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4 thumbs up!
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 12:58pm PT
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 01:01pm PT
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FTOR
Sport climber
CA
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Jul 11, 2011 - 01:06pm PT
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another note on yates big cams. one could say he was inspired by our early large cams, probably the first ones made for resale, though few were...
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Jul 11, 2011 - 02:06pm PT
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Neat history on the shirt, but:
I know that this historic shirt if properly advertised could fetch around $100,000 or more,
Methinks you are 100% around-the-bend delusional with that.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jul 11, 2011 - 03:52pm PT
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Hey Marty know anything about this?
It belongs to my 60 yr old brother and I don't remember when he got it. Wasn't there a blast of Dolt™ gear sometime after the time of those chalkbags?
Just asked my bro about it, he said,"I've had that forever..."
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Jul 11, 2011 - 10:41pm PT
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Jaybro,
Assuming that is the original buckle on the Dolt fanny pack, it would be no older than 1977.
This from Nexus (subsidiary is Fastex):
"Plastic buckles and closure components have been designed and manufactured for over 25 years by ITW Nexus. In fact, in 1977, we invented the original Side Release buckle that revolutionized the closure market."
So it says the buckle was invented in 1977. It doesn't say what year the first one was released...
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 10:54pm PT
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The only incorrect thing on the Nose authenticity paper is that the famous photo was taken by Billy Westbay's wife. Jim told me he had mistaken the answer but I do not remember who he said took the actual photo.
Juan Maderita - I knew that but forgot. Thanks for correcting me that the SMC rap ring is rolled aluminum, not tubing stock. Thanks all for dialing in the History on these climbing gear items.
Fritz, - That carabiner ad you show is awesome. Do you know if this is the first year that the carabiner was sold? It does however give us a timeline to dial in the answer.
Elcapinyoazz - A simple Jimi Hendrix shirt that he wore in a concert can fetch 3-7 million. If Jimi Hendrix created the shirt himself it would probably double that. Jim Bridwell is not a famous rock musician, but he is a rather famous Yosemite Icon. This shirt was hand created during the tail end of the hippie era and there is only one in existence. I say 100K not for me, but for somebody who collects one of a kind stuff. Salathe piton is not one of a kind. With many authenticity papers which accompany the item and with it properly advertised in a New York auction environment, yes 100K or more would be my guess. But this is just a guess. Jim is still alive which still keeps the value lowered. Don't get me wrong Jim, I really like you and want you to live forever. I place this item in the Yosemite Museum for free since I will let Ken determine the value of it. Ken is paying for the insurance plan.
FTOR - Who are you and what a beautiful cam! Is this one of your creations or is it a Yates prototype/first edition? Stephane has a Yates Big Dude similar to this one with a rigid stem also. My prototype/first edition Big Dude has a flexible stem shown below.
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