Pitons
Piton Antiquities Guide
The Database
Reference Chart
The following chart provides a visual analysis of rock climbing pitons that were commonly used in the past 80 years in NW USA.
The chart gives an estimated date of original production of the piton, the business manufacturer, and the country of origin if known.
The third classification mentions the site where the piton was used and retrieved (if known).
Some pitons shown are of very recent origin, but many are well aged. This tour provides a glimpse of the great variety of rock climbing pitons that have been manufactured.
A Select Tour of Piton Antiquities
| Num | Image | Date, Mfg. Origin | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Circa 1930s-1950s. Machine/hand forged by Alex Lienert, Einsiedeln, Switzerland. This particular unit was retrieved from Newton Pinnacle (though some old written info indicate the original intent was for placing in ice). Square blade piton with a tapered point with ring at head and grooves cut at angles. Other very similar units were made by August Schuster (Sporthaus Schuster in Munich, Germany prior to WW2 in about 1910-1920) which were used as pitons for cliff climbing. | Newton Pinnacle, Mt. Hood |
| 2 |
|
Circa mfg 1940s. Hand-crafted cut flat pitons (made for Everett Darr). Made in Oregon, USA. Rough cut shape made from flat metal stock, minimal limited refinement, entirely flat piton 1/8" thickness, the 'eye' at the head is flush with the blade. Note: an article in the Mazama Annual journal [year 2008] discusses this style of piton, its date of origin, and source of manufacture. | Newton Pinnacle, Mt. Hood |
| 3 |
|
Circa mfg 1940s. Hand cut flat pitons (made for Everett Darr). Made in Oregon, USA. Rough cut metal stock, limited refinement, entirely flat piton 1/8" thickness, the 'eye' at the head is flush with the blade. These two show the piton eye with a bit more refinement (making the eye more round shaped, and the outer edges more rounded). Note: an article in the Mazama Annual journal [year 2008] discusses this style of piton, its date of origin, and source of manufacture. Closeup photo 5-piece set: E. Darr pitons |
Newton Pinnacle, Mt. Hood |
| 4 |
|
Circa mfg [?], hand forged; origin [?]; made from medium strength steel. Though acquired from a crag in Oregon this piton is likely to have been crafted elsewhere (likely mfg Colorado or European import?). The steel is rolled/hammered which is indicative of partial hand-forging processes. | Oregon MRP Archive |
| 5 |
|
Circa 1947. Hand-forged by Don Baars in his fathers auto repair shop. Made from brake rods of an old Model A vehicle. Used on the first ascent of the Alpenjaeger Route (Saddle Route) on St. Peter's Dome on 6-18-1947. See feature article in the Mazama annual [year 2008] written by J. Thomas and D. Baars. | Columbia Gorge MRP Archive |
| 6 |
|
Circa [?]. Mfg origin [?]. Flat piton cut from sheet steel originally placed in West Chimney, Crown Point. Note: For pitons to corrode this much in NW Oregon it requires being in place at a cliff for 60+ years (this region is composed primarily of basalt's and andesite's). Basaltic-andesitic rocks have low corrosion properties, unlike granite and limestone rocks. This would place an estimated MFG date in the '40s-'60s. |
Columbia Gorge MRP Archive |
| 7 |
|
Circa [?], made in Zurich, Switzerland by Fritsch Co. from malleable medium strength steel. Retrieved from old nailing route left of ravine drainage near ROA. See note above about corrosion factors and MFG date estimates. |
Columbia Gorge MRP Archive |
| 8 |
|
Circa 1940s-'60s. Origin [?]. Machine/hand forged from malleable soft steel with double eye at head of piton. Both pins are broken in mid shank (due to rust and length of time fixed at cliff), but are typically about twice the visible length seen in the photo (see another photo below of one unit found at Illumination Rock in full shank condition). Placed in about 1965 in the upper Hanging Gardens Route, Broughton Bluff (that is the date of the first ascent of the route). See note above about corrosion factors and MFG date estimates. |
Oregon MRP Archive |
| 9 |
|
Circa mfg [?]; Spoon blade piton made of malleable medium strength steel. Found at the Apocalypse Needles in the Columbia Gorge. MZ archive collection. | Columbia Gorge MZ Archive |
| 10 |
|
Circa mfg [?]. Smaller pin made in Zurich, Switzerland by Fritsch Co. from malleable medium strength steel. One ring piton, and one LA style piton, attained from Rabbit Ears in the Columbia Gorge. MZ archive collection. | Columbia Gorge MZ Archive |
| 11 |
|
Circa mfg [?], likely a European import. Thick horizontal blade piton (aka Bugaboo) made from alloy steel. Horizontal (eye hangs vertical and blade is horizontal). Die-stamped process. Various companies made this type of product, each with their own distinctive 'eye' style shape. See catalog No. H142, page 27, Gerry Inc company (US outdoor sports retailer). CMI is one company that made pitons with this particular eye design (CMI-11, CMI-12, CMI-13 offset horizontal piton, REI catalog 1965). This unit was retrieved from Fire Spire, Apocalypse Needles, Columbia Gorge. |
Columbia Gorge MRP Archive |
| 12 |
|
The "corkscrew ice piton" design became widely sought after as cool wine bottle openers but was mostly theoretical as a safety device when used in actual ice for ice climbing. First made available in 1961 by Stubai Marwa in Austria from alloy steel. Wire frame ice screw. | Oregon MRP Archive |
| 13 |
|
Circa mfg early 1990s in Oregon. This baby angle piton is a stamp-cut, folded new piton made in the USA by Mr Watt from hard alloy steel. | Oregon MRP Archive |
| 14 |
|
Circa mfg early 1990s in Oregon. This flat piton is laser-cut from sheet steel; made in the USA by Mr Watt from hard alloy steel. Note: Small shop made products like this are quite common throughout the USA whenever a crafty local climber befriends a machine-shop acquaintance to cut a quantity of pitons; the general design will vary per client based on their design skill and shop equipment capability. |
Oregon MRP Archive |
| 15 |
|
Circa mfg early 1990s in Oregon. This unit mirrors the well-known classic horizontal LA style piton is laser-cut from sheet steel and has a 90° bend to accommodate tight corner placements; the eye is slightly refined to round the sharp edges. Made in the USA by Mr Watt from hard alloy steel. | Oregon MRP Archive |
| 16 |
|
Circa mfg modern. Made in Europe by Bachli. A typical modern horizontal piton composed of alloy steel. A stylish uniquely designed piton. | Oregon MRP Archive |
| 17 |
|
Circa mfg modern. Imported into USA for use. Piton made by Claudius Simond, Chamonix, Brevete S.G.D.G. from alloy steel. Retrieved from Sturgeon Rock on Silver Star Mtn., Washington. Though a bit bent it has weathered quite well at 5k altitude fixed in an basaltic-andesitic rock cliff. | SW Washington MRP Archive |
| 18 |
|
Made by Chouinard (Black Diamond) in USA. This 4" tall Bong piton is stamped and folded from sheet aluminum. A modern type of very wide piton, but seldom used due to the popularity of effective modern camming units. | Oregon MS Archive |
| 19 |
|
Circa mfg modern. Another example of a typical piton made by Cassin (C.A.M.P. Co.) of Italy from medium strength steel. | Oregon MS Archive |
| 20 |
|
Circa mfg modern. Upper piton is steel alloy manufactured by Stubai CMV of Austria. The lower piton is a C.A.M.P. Interalp. Both were fixed at the Ozone Wall in the mid-1980s by rock climbers. Minor surface rust, and some deeper corrosion. | Ozone Wall, SW WA |
| 21 |
|
Circa mfg modern. Made by Hupfauf Einsiedeln in Switzerland. An imported stamp-cut and rolled piton composed of alloy steel. The logo identification mark is a circular stamp imprint on the head. Abercrombie & Fitsch in the USA likely imported and marketed this brand of piton in the 1950s (and likely pre-WW2) and being in business from 1892-1977 its quite likely there were a lengthy number of decades when they marketed imported European [Swiss] made pitons. Closeup of logo: Hupfauf logo |
USA MRP Archive |
| 22 |
|
Circa mfg modern. Origin likely Russian MFG. From stamp-cut and rolled metal stock. Modern product, super light titanium piton that is a good viable product for ultra-light alpine climbing. | USA MRP Archive |
| 23 |
|
Circa mfg modern (1940's onward). U.S. Army angle pitons with ring at head (utilized beginning in WW2). This unit has the faint logo still painted on it. Excess stock is often commonly sold regionally at retail surplus stores. Made in USA. A long narrow angle piton with an eye ring composed of folded alloy steel. On certain models the point was ground at a slight angle on the underside. This style of ring angle piton is similar to other products that were manufactured in Europe (such as at Stubai). See catalog item #248, #249, page 21 (Edouard Frendo catalog published in Chamonix in 1964). | USA MRP Archive |
| 24 |
|
Circa mfg modern (1940's onward). U.S. Army pitons (utilized beginning in WW2), and the excess stock is often commonly sold regionally at retail surplus stores. Made in USA. A short stubby flat stamp-cut piton composed of very flexible soft steel. Due to its malleability it generally was viable for single use only, though it is quite useful for those adventure ascent routes where you need something basic. | USA MRP Archive |
| 25 |
|
Circa mfg modern. Made by Cassin (C.A.M.P. Co. of Italy) from alloy steel to be used as an ice Piton. Riccardo Cassin produced his first pitons in 1947 in Lecco. Now this is a stylish design! Hot cast-forged processes. | USA MRP Archive |
| 26 |
|
Circa mfg 1940s. Hand forged by Alex Lienert, Einsiedeln, Switzerland. Normally used as an ice piton. Square blade piton with a tapered point with ring at head and grooves cut at angles to provide resistance when placed. Three of these pitons were found fixed to the vertical aspect of a small crag near Mt Hood Meadows ski area. | USA MS Archive |
| 27 |
|
Circa mfg [?]. USA made [?]. Made from malleable soft steel. Found in NW USA; retrieved from the summit anchor on Needle Rock. The original ascent of Needle Rock by Jim Nieland being done in the 1960's this would place the likely MFG date of the piton near or earlier than that (1950s-'60s). This summit rarely gets repeat ascents, perhaps a dozen times to date as per the summit register notes (it's not the casual ascent where the ordinary person will go to leave a piton). | Detroit, Oregon MRP Archive |
| 28 |
|
Circa mfg 1930s+. Machine/hand forged and in common use from '30s-'50s. Short ring pitons made in Austria (the words are stamped on the head) from malleable soft steel. Retrieved from an old nailing route to the left of a vertical ravine drainage near ROA (in the Columbia Gorge). MS Archive. | Columbia Gorge MS Archive |
| 29 |
|
Circa mfg 1930s+. Machine/hand forged and in common use from '30s-'50s. Retrieved from an old nailing route to the left of a vertical ravine drainage near ROA (in the Columbia Gorge). This is a detailed closeup of one ring piton from selection above. Made in Austria (the words are stamped on the head). MS Archive. | Columbia Gorge MS Archive |
| 30 |
|
Circa mfg 1930s-1950s. Made by Stubai in Austria from malleable soft steel. | USA MS Archive |
| 31 |
|
Circa mfg 1940s-'60s. Origin [?]. Machine/hand forged (rolled/hammered). A double-eye piton with full shank, similar to pitons seen in selection #8. Retrieved from the South Chamber of Illumination Rock, Mt. Hood Oregon. This type of piton has a consistent wavy feature on the surface of the metal, indicative of hand-forging hammered processes presumably with heavy equipment (either by hand or a large repetitious automatic piece of equipment in a blacksmith shop). Some corrosion pitting of metal from length of time fixed to cliff. In surprisingly fair condition after being fixed to a crack on Illumination Rock for that many decades. This is a rare fascinating unit. | USA MS Archive |
| 32 |
|
Circa mfg [?]. A malleable soft steel piton retrieved from the Alpenjaeger Route (Saddle Route) on St. Peter's Dome, Columbia Gorge. Very unusual style, and well corroded, and no identification marks. Likely quite old. This general type of offset-eye piton with a pointed end is similar to Fiechtlhaken style pitons which become popular in the 1920's going forward (of which the original style was started by Fiechtl in 1905-1910). It's a common suitable piton style still in use even today (albeit with a more rounded point today, such as the US Army piton). | USA MS Archive |
| 33 |
|
Circa mfg 1950s. Made by Holubar in Boulder, Colorado USA from malleable soft steel. A bit misshapen from being repeatedly used, but a unique and rare American made product. There were few US manufacturers of pitons (most product was imported), though there were plenty of home-based hand-made oddities, or very small metal shop rough craftsmen designed products afloat throughout the decades. | USA MS Archive |
| 34 |
|
Circa mfg 1950s+/-. Made in Stubai in Austria. The upper unit is a typical horizontal piton with the eye hanging below the blade. The lower unit is a folded angle piton made from sheet steel. | USA MS Archive |
| 35 |
|
Circa mfg 1963+/-. Made in the USA by CMI and is called a Crack-tack. Square-shaped RURP with hole in center for sling. | USA MS Archive |
| 36 |
|
Circa mfg [?]. Made by Cassin likely in Lecco, Italy from cheaper steel. This style bears the company logo imprint "R Cassin" only. | USA MS Archive |
| 37 |
|
Circa mfg 1950s-1960s. Made by Charlet Moser in Chamonix, France from alloy steel. Very short piton with a wide 'spoon' blade. C.M. began making medium-hard cadmium plated pitons in the 1950s forward. | USA MS Archive |
| 38 |
|
Circa mfg 1950s-1960s. Both of these were crafted by Charlet Moser in Chamonix, France from light weight alloy steel. The upper piton has a U-shape fold for leverage when hammered into a crack, but was also promoted as an ice piton. | USA MS Archive |
| 39 |
|
Circa mfg 1930s+. Made by Fritsch Company in Zurich, and is a 1" tall angle piton cut and folded from steel. | USA MS Archive |
| 40 |
|
Circa modern. Made in USA by Seattle Mountaineering Corporation (SMC). Another typical example of a light-weight stamp-cut and folded alloy metal 'bong' piton. | USA MS Archive |
| 41 |
|
Circa mfg 1930s+. Made by Fritsch Company in Zurich, Switzerland. Partially machine and hand-forged with "waved" sides common on a Fritsch piton. Malleable soft steel piton similar in composition to a fat LA, but narrower in width. Retrieved from an old decomposed wooden platform on the East Ridge Dog Mtn (Columbia Gorge). |
Columbia Gorge HB Archive |
| 42 |
|
Circa mfg [?]. Steel carabiner similar in style to early Stubai product line but has no markings. Pre-locked gate type. | HB Archive |
| 43 |
|
Surfboard kite controller? Or perhaps a piton puller? | HB Archive |
| 44 |
|
Circa mfg 1930s forward; Malleable soft steel sharp pointed piton. Ragged Mountain, Connecticut. Illegible markings inside a square stamp mark on side, but possibly a Salewa product.
Possible original Fritz Weissner pitons. Fritz began climbing at Ragged Mtn. in the early 1930s. Other well-known climbers like John Reppy, Layton Kor, and Sam Streibert also frequented this site.
Other pins in the CM Collection but no shown here include KB, LA, Rurp, Angles US Army issue ring pins, etc. the level of corrosion is due to its being fixed to a granite rock cliff for a very long duration.
CM archive, Ragged Mountain collection. |
Ragged Mtn CM Archive |
| 45 |
|
Circa mfg [?]; Stubai Austria ring piton made from well-defined square-cut shaped alloy. Most of the shaft has corroded off (due to being fixed to a granite rock cliff for a long duration). CM archive, Ragged Mountain collection. | Ragged Mtn CM Archive |
| 46 |
|
Circa mfg [?]; Extra thick head piton, unmarked similar in style to LA and composed of alloy steel. CM archive, Ragged Mountain collection. | Ragged Mtn CM Archive |
| 47 |
|
Circa mfg 1960s [?]; CMI ?. Composed of alloy steel. CM archive, Ragged Mountain collection. | Ragged Mtn CM Archive |
| 48 |
|
Circa mfg [?]; Unmarked malleable soft steel piton. CM archive, Ragged Mountain collection. | Ragged Mtn CM Archive |
| 49 |
|
Circa modern; Cassin bolt-hole-piton to be hammered into 1/4" pre-drilled hole. We presume this was used for aid climbing as it seems just a bit risky to use for lead protection. Composed of alloy steel. Made in Switzerland. | Swiss MRP Archive |
