UKC

Got an old axe that has a letter C inside a diamond stamped on the pick. Anyone know what this means?

In reply to anaesthetic:

Chouinard.

In reply to anaesthetic: you gotta be trolling, everyone knows the old sign for chouinard equipment or I am just old?

In reply to anaesthetic:
Some of the older Chouinard axes are collectors items for the Americans at least and worth something. Get over to Supertopo and get searching!

In reply to nealh: I must be getting old as well
Not so long ago it was one of the best known trademarks on climbing gear

In reply to nealh:

I must be getting even older then, I've been mountaineering for over 15 years and that fact passed me by.

In reply to Blizzard:


I wouldn't worry about it.
My first harness was a Chouinard and it was great harness thatb was in about 1990-1991

Basically the company went bankrupt and re-emrged as Black Diamond with the original logo as a D in a Diamond

In reply to nealh: Genuine question, I'm new to all this. Its a camp interalp axe, it does have chouinard engraved on it. Thanks everyone for the history.

In reply to anaesthetic: Camp made them under licence for Chouinard.

> Basically the company went bankrupt and re-emrged as Black Diamond with the original logo as a D in a Diamond

"Went bankrupt" isn't really the full story. Chouinard filed for Chapter 11 protection against a couple of law suits for "failure to inform their customers that climbing was dangerous". If these cases had been lost, then the payouts would have sunk the company.

Black Diamond was the employee owned company that emerged from the pieces.

In reply to Jim Lancs:

it was before In started climbing so I didn't know the in's and out's of it.

But I suppose common sense isn't to common in the USA. I means, hanging from your fingertips from a rock face several hundred feet of the ground. isn't dangerous what is?

In reply to anaesthetic: As I recall Chouinard went bust principally to a lawsuit relating to an incident where a guide did not make sure a harness was doubled back properly. I do not know if that provoked a string of similar.

I do have a chouinard zero axe tho', and even occasionally use it, and it is very nicely made. I also have some krabs and some stoppers, and maybe some pegs.