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Hammers

Reference Chart

The following chart provides a visual analysis of various types of rock climbing hammers that were commonly used in the past 80 years in NW USA.

The chart gives an estimated date of original production, the business manufacturer, and the country of origin if known.

This tour provides a glimpse of the unusual variety of old rock climbing hammers that have been used in our region for many years.


A Select Guide to Historic Rock Climbing Hammers
Seq. Image Date, Mfg., Country & Description  Location 
1 Circa 1930s - 1940s. Made by Stubai as a German-Austrian Mountain Troop hammer. Compact and light hammer. USA
MS Arc.
2 Circa 1920s - 1940s. Swiss made Mountain Troop hammer. USA
MS Arc.
3 Circa [?]. Schuster Munchen Sporthaus of Munich, Germany. The company Schuster Munchen has been in business since 1895. USA
MS Arc.
4 Circa pre-WW2. Made in Austria by Stubai prior to World War II.
A very well designed product.		 USA
MS Arc.
5 Circa post-WW2. Made in Austria by Stubai after World War II.
A very well designed product.		 USA
MS Arc.
6 Circa 1960s+. Made by Stubai in Austria beginning in the 1960s. This tool has an unusually heavy weighted hammer head. USA
MS Arc.
7 Circa 1960s-1970s. Likely made by Salewa. This hammer has a stout hollow metal handle with a rubber grip and is designed to be light for alpine climbing. USA
MS Arc.
8 Circa 1950s - 1960s. This rock hammer shows excellent craftsmanship and is made by Charlet Moser in France. USA
MS Arc.
9 Circa 1960s [?]. Made by Cassin in Lecco, Italy. USA
MS Arc.
10 Circa [?]. Made by Cassin in Italy. The hole in the head of the hammer serves two purposes: for a carabiner while pulling pitons, but also to lighten the product slightly. USA
MS Arc.
11 Circa [?]. Made by C.A.M.P. Laveredo. This hammer would probably work better for cracking walnuts. USA
MS Arc.
12 Circa [?]. Unmarked but possibly made by Stubai in the 1950s-1960s. USA
MS Arc.
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13 Circa 1951. Made by Penn Tool for the US Army. Coated in paint and about as green as you can get. Very light in weight. USA
MS Arc.
14 Circa 1960s. Made in USA by Colorado Mountaineering, Inc. (CMI). This compact hammer is called the "Mountaineers Model" and has a 10.5" stout metal shaft with a firm rubber grip. USA
MS Arc.
15 Circa production began in 1964-1965. Cast-forged and refined. Was a very well engineered, quality rock hammer made by Chouinard (Black Diamond). USA
MS Arc.
16 Circa modern USA. Chouinard ice hammer with teeth only on the outer end of the pick. USA
MS Arc.
17 Circa modern USA. Chouinard rock piton cleaning hammer. USA
MS Arc.
18 Circa modern USA. Chouinard ice hammer with additional teeth. USA
MS Arc.
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