Chouinard piton He founded Chouinard Equipment and ran the business together with Tom Frost . Chuck Wilts successfully crafted thin knifeblade pitons from chromium-molybdenum alloy steel. Hopefully, these piton scars need not grow. Folk had been banging pieces of metal into rocks for centuries, but the huge walls of the Yosemite Valley required a refinement of the shape and type of steel to be Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (138) - Feedback left by buyer. 84 delivery Stubai piton hammer with a rough cast finish but a quality shape similar to a Chouinard hammer. May 16, 2025 · Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (138) - Feedback left by buyer. This metal piton found great favor for use by Yvon Chouinard. Aug 13, 2014 · Chouinard Equipment began importing Salewa gear in May 1970, and Yvon Chouinard eventually christened the piton “the Wart Hog. Oct 4, 2016 · This Chouinard 3 inch bong piton was found on a great route on Longs Peak in the 1994. 41 delivery Oct 7, 2018 · 3) Chouinard, flame-cut chromoly (chrome-molybdenum alloy) “Bugaboo” (early 60’s); 4) Chouinard early die-forged thick-long Lost Arrow (mid 60’s); 5) Chouinard later die-forged thick-long Lost Arrow “horizontal” piton (later 60’s); 6) Chouinard later die-forged thin-long Lost Arrow piton (later 60’s), never used; 7) Dolt May 11, 2025 · never placed , lost arrow made in 68 thru 71 great vintage appearance May 11, 2025 · Hard to find double curved Chouinard stoppers. Within one year of roping up for the first time, the teenaged Chouinard was designing and making new climbing gear, hammering out pitons on a 138-pound anvil in his parents’ backyard. Prior to 1940s almost everything European. But in 1972, Chouinard and his business partner, Tom Frost, opened the Chouinard Equipment catalog with an essay urging readers to stop using pitons. Carabiner is in very good used condition and the Lost Arrow looks unused with slight surface rust. . Below is the introduction to the 1972 Chouinard Equipment catalog—the first edition that was more than just order forms—written by Yvon Chouinard and Tom Frost. 25" L head © Vintage Winter A wonderfully preserved wooden handle piton Original Vintage Chouinard Equipment Rurp Piton The rurp (Realised Ultimate Reality Piton) was originally designed to be hammered into hairline cracks. Seems that fat, spiral toothed pitons first appeared on the mass alpine meets of the Soviet Union in the 1960’s when Russian mountaineers had little choice then but to use them since they were the only ones the state provided. 25"l x 4. Verified purchase. Past 6 months. Length: 29,5 cmWidth: 12,5 cm Made in USA Vintageclimbing. 1966 May 11, 2025 · Very lite use. Since beaks were invented, the rurp has become fairly redundant. A bong is basically a big piton. ‘Bongs’ take their name from the noise they make when you are banging them into a crack. Chouinard introduced an alternative: aluminum chocks that could be wedged by hand rather than hammered in and out of cracks. 00. Made in Boulder, Colorado USA. 5 million per year, to protect and restore the environment. Original Vintage Chouinard Wart Hog Ice Piton. 1961. Though Chouinard Equipment was, at the time, the country’s premier piton manufacturer, Chouinard and Frost saw firsthand the damage their pitons did to the rock. He donates 1 percent of his sales, about $2. Chouinard Bong Piton Steel 3" Drilled Climbing Big Wall, Vintage 1970-72 RARE. Wedged point. Whenever I look at a fork or anything, I think By 1970 his company, Chouinard Equipment, was the premier climbing gear manufacturer in the United States, and pitons were by far its best-selling product. 1964. Carabiner is simply marked Chouinard. Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (137) - Feedback left by buyer. or Best Offer +$4. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Chouinard Lost Arrow Piton Rock Climbing ,mounted - Vintage early 60s, RARE at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products! May 11, 2025 · I cleaned it off lost arrow tip in early 80s cool collectable. Where a piton is necessary a fixed piton should be considered and documented in local guide books. The metal shed, which remains part of Patagonia's headquarters campus, was recently Aug 2, 2023 · Chouinard’s pitons were so tough that they could be reused many dozens of times (saving money for dirtbag American climbers), and they enabled the El Cap climbers of the 1960s to put in new aid routes that demanded 400 to 500 piton placements while carrying only 40 to 45 pitons up the wall. $99. Feb 15, 2011 · The disfiguring was severe. ” In the 1975/1976 catalogue, the company introduced its own version, with sharper spiral ribs for greater holding power. All are made by Black Diamond Equipment, America’s leading piton manufacturer, in the traditional styles designed by John Salathé and Yvon Chouinard. Made in USA Apr 27, 2025 · Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (138) - Feedback left by buyer. So Chouinard and his business partner Tom Frost decided to phase out of the piton business, despite the fact that it comprised 70% of the company’s business. The piton must have been wailed on…it’s cracked on one side just forward of the eye. Realised Ultimate Reality Piton (RURP) developed. Alloy Bong, Bugaboo and Angle pitons released. In good condition,Chouinard logo clear ,no falls lite use. Before the invention of tri-cams, nuts, and other climbing protection devices, mountaineers and climbers used pitons to protect their ascents. However, rurps do have an advantage over beaks in horizontals or roof cracks. 0 bids · Time left 3d 1h left (Sun Vintage Wood Chouinard Climbing Piton Hammer/Pick metal, wood, leather 11. “I can’t help myself. Circa 1970s. “It’s just in my nature,” Chouinard says now, 55 years later. ketown Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (138) - Feedback left by buyer. But Vintage Chouinard Bong Piton Lot 3 Pc Big Wall Climbing Aid Rare. 018 Aug 18, 2022 · This page will be updated (draft, jumping ahead a bit in my timeline…) Key concept: Starting in the late 1920s, American piton production began a steady evolution, piggybacking on new developments in the USA steel industry, leading to the high alloy steel pitons of the 1950s which in turn led to opening the doors of Yosemite’s big walls, and to visionary big wall climbing elsewhere on the Oct 4, 2016 · 1971 Chouinard Piton Hammer Vertical Archaeology has been fortunate in acquiring this fine example of an early Chouinard hammer and Dolt holster. 0 bids · Time left 4d 3h left (Sun Chouinard Angle Piton Rock Climbing Gear Big Wall, Lot of 2, Vintage 1980's RARE. 75"w x 1. Sponsored. Komito has been a steady fixture of Colorado climbing for many years. Aluminium Bong. or Best Offer +$9. Yvon Chouinard (born November 9, 1938) [1] is an American rock climber, environmentalist, and businessman. 0 bids · Time left 3d 2h left Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (138) - Feedback left by buyer. By 1965, Tom Frost had entered the picture and dies were made to produce the flat outline of the angle from sheet alloy steel. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage Chouinard RURP Piton 1971 model Yosemite rock climbing lite use. first Chouinard carabiner made. Opens in a new window or tab. Original Vintage Chouinard Equipment Lost Arrow Lots of little legends came out of the 1960's Calafornian climbing scene and Lost Arrows were one of them. Jan 14, 2022 · Chouinard, 68, is best known as the founder of Patagonia, but he also helped invent the removable piton, a metal spike hammered into rocks and used to secure ropes, a landmark invention in the evolution of climbing. This vintage Chouinard piton is one of a few old pitons that I quit using back in the 60's because I didn't feel that it was still dependable or safe. 1959. On my desk, I have a Chouinard Equipment (which later split to become Patagonia and Black Diamond) piton from the mid-1970s, which was a gift from a dear Nov 19, 2017 · The blade is tapered from the thick anvil and eye of the piton to its end where it’s very thin. Lost Arrow piton is one of the last made in the USA before production went to Italy. New (Other) $40. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023. They were really an American thing, designed to fit in the big, wide, granite cracks of Yosemite (circa 1960) Someone finally realised you could stuff your hand in a crack that size and climb it without a bong. without the use of pitons which damage the rock) in the US in the early 70s, most notably through the Oct 24, 2023 · A climber could pound the half-inch tapering blade into a seam like the one on Kat’s Pinnacle, albeit leaving much of the metal protruding. Yvon is credited with kick starting the move to clean climbing (i. ” —1972 Chouinard Equipment catalog. 5" L handle x 7. Chouinard’s innovative, reusable steel pitons became popular amongst his fellow climbers as they didn’t have to be left behind in the rock. Right from the start Original Vintage Chouinard Yosemite Hammer This Piton Hammer made by Chouinard Equipment has a beautiful brown handle. Very early, 1968 or so, carabiner and early, USA, Lost Arrow piton. at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products! Apr 27, 2025 · Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (137) - Feedback left by buyer. Three types of blade pitons are in common use today—Knifeblades, Bugaboos, and Lost Arrows. Dec 17, 2018 · Yvon Chouinard, who had been making pitons through his Chouinard Equipment brand for several years by then, introduced the aluminum chocks in his 1972 Chouinard Equipment/Great Pacific Iron Works catalog. USA MS Archive: 26: A uniquely shaped, light yet well-made Holubar piton hammer. Chouinard horizontal pitons c. Past month. Vintage Wood Chouinard Rock Climbing Piton Hammer c. To take advantage of the tight settings resulting from piton holes a fine gradation of Hexes in the small to standard angle piton size range is provided. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Great Pacific Iron Works (USA), led by Yvon Chouinard and Tom Frost, produced complete sets of pitons—knifeblades, Lost Arrows, and angles (including bongs), and became the major piton supplier for the granite bigwall climbs around the world. Horizontal Knifeblade piton launched. Warthog - drive in, screw out, ice pitons. 1963. 7 difficulty were climbed 60 years ago in England. Yvon chouinard is an American climber who was extremely influential in the 1960s and 1970s. com catalog No. This is an old aluminum alloy "large bong" piton marked with a "C" in a diamond (manufactured by Chouinard if I remember correctly) and the initials "BH" stamped on the inside (my initials). Jun 11, 2015 · Scratched initially by the granite of a two-day ascent of the north-face of Quarter Dome, our “warm-up” wall, the hammer pounded out a nearly 100% piton 4-day ascent of the Nose. Die-forged Lost Arrow pitons. An early classic example of American made mountain gear. Chouinard Angle Piton Rock Climbing Gear Big Wall, Lot of 2, Vintage 1980's RARE. Chouinard Equipment's first mail-order catalog came out - a one-page list of equipment and prices. He often partnered with Layton Kor (and others) on notable ascents throughout the state. Stoppers: “To place a nut you must begin by thinking about the shape of cracks. $275. Vintage Chouinard Rock Climbing Piton Display lost arrows , angles ,knife blades. Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) o***o (113) - Feedback left by buyer. Whether because it couldn’t conceivably get any smaller, or because it represented decades of piton invention, Chouinard christened their design the Realized Ultimate Reality Piton (RURP). Feb 25, 2024 · Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, uses a hammer in 2014 to make a piton in the old Ventura blacksmith shop. The great advantage was considerable strength and security, easily re-usable and re-movable. Vintage Chouinard Equipment double curved Stopper lot of 2 circa 81 hard to find | eBay Chouinard (hand forged) Piton - Rock Climbing, Mountain Rescue, Snow & Ice Climbing, Mountain Technology, Camping, Footwear, Clothing, Mountaineering, Ben Nevis - Journals Objects and Archives Jun 1, 2025 · Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Chouinard Lost Arrow Piton Rock Climbing Gear Big Wall - Vintage 11969-72 RARE at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products! Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (137) - Feedback left by buyer. Pre-Owned. 1960s-era pitons, including: knifeblades, lost arrows, bugaboos, ring angles, and bongs. P shaped. 1960's - 70's, 20th century metal, wood, leather 12. May 11, 2025 · Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (138) - Feedback left by buyer. Made in Austria. 25"h © Vintage Winter A wonderfully Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Chouinard Lost Arrow Piton Rock Climbing Gear Big Wall - Vintage 1972-1974 RARE at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products! Chouinard one eye Knife blade /Bugaboo Piton - Vintage 1960's Yosemite booty (#356805950744) g***d (64) - Feedback left by buyer. Mar 2, 2025 · Your stamp is on a pre 1965 angle piton when they were being cut and shaped by hand. Set of vintage Chouinard climbing hardware. In 1957, Chouinard began making reusable chrome-molybdenum steel climbing pitons himself to replace iron pitons that could be placed only once into rock. 40 delivery. Oct 14, 2015 · Early 1960’s Chouinard Knifeblade pitons from the personal rack of Steve Komito the well known Estes Park, Colorado cobbler and climber. Vintage Chouinard piton bottle opener-One of a kind ! circa early 970s (#356418737676) t***t (135) - Feedback left by buyer. The items were purchased through eBay and usually that can be a pretty anonymous way to buy gear. 6 days ago · Chouinard one eye Knife blade /Bugaboo Piton - Vintage 1960's Yosemite booty (#356805950744) g***d (64) - Feedback left by buyer. This would be the beginnings of Chouinard Equipment. late 1950s What I love about these pitons, which the yellow paint brings out wonderfully, is the circular scrape mark around the piton eyes. $149. A piton (/ ˈ p iː t ɒ n /; also called pin or peg) in big wall climbing and in aid climbing is a metal spike (usually steel) that is driven into a crack or seam in the climbing surface using a climbing hammer, and which acts as an anchor for protecting the climber from falling or to assist progress in Jan 14, 2013 · For Yvon Chouinard, the urge to transform climbing came quickly. Today the footholds on these routes are well polished, but because pitons have not been used the protection cracks are still in mint condition. Routes of 5. Of course, it always went along on the many other shorter training climbs we clawed up during our month stay. 1960. His company, Patagonia , sells outdoor products, outerwear, and food. e. flmmwu blij jsbxz yuiamt gxwy tjhj cfq xiby sezaba wmaj