UKC

Does anybody know of the Pickle Ice Axe and its position in the development of modern ice tools?

Is there a written history of ice axe evolution?

I've not heard about it.  Have you got any pictures?  Any other info? 

As for a written history, I'm not aware of anything, though there are many threads on the US forum, Supertopo about ice tool development. 

All I know is that during the late 1960s, both Yvonne Chouinard and Hamish MacInnes were developing short-handled steep-ice tools independent of each other.  Hamish introduced the steeply inclined pick and the all-metal axe.  Grivel were the first to put a bend in tool shafts I believe, but not sure of the date (can't remember the model name either).  Who came up with the reverse curve pick?  There were all sorts of other developments by other manufacturers in the 1970s - Cunningham Ice Daggers, Don Whillans' Whammer, unusual US tools like the Eboc (early flat formed axe like Grivel's much later Monster series), Lowe's Hummingbird with the tubular picks.  Some other quite interesting and successful designs more recently including Camp's Woodpecker and Simond's Piranha. 

I have a small collection of vintage short-handled axes myself, but my meagre knowledge is just based on the few snippets I've read online, and talking to people like Hamish, Yvonne and Mick Tighe (who has a wonderful collection of ice axes). 

A written history would be great!

The reverse curve pick was a Simond invention

Why did you start two very similar threads ?  I earlier posted this in the other thread but it seems sensible to keep all the replies in one place

In reply to Stephen R Young:

There's been some interesting threads over on Supertopo discussing the history of ice climbing gear, eg

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1376546&tn=0&...

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2074941/Who-invented-modern-reverse...

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=382806&msg=118085...

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1247178/First-Pterodaclye-ice-axe

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1945663&msg=29486...

and probably many others

Is there some confusion here? 'Eispickel' is just the German word for 'ice axe.'

Chouinard's book 'Climbing Ice' contains some related history.

That is most interesting.

The question remains was it an ice axe for ice climbing.

There are a couple of similar pickle axes from Slovenia for sale on e Bay.

The thing in your photo is, as others have remarked, a slater's hammer. E.g. compare it with https://www.roofinglines.co.uk/product/universal-slaters-hammer

The newspaper which printed the picture in your photo has gotten it wrong.

But didn't Bill Murray & friends use slater's hammers for winter climbing back in the 30s ? so could be both?

Could well be, and does ring a bell. If you can find a reference (I've looked in some of my books, and can't immediately find anything) I'd be interested.

This entry seems to confirm what you wrote: http://www.smhc.co.uk/objects_item.asp?item_id=32563

I think I first read something in one of Murray's books (Mountaineering in Scotland maybe ?) but can't check as they are in storage back in Scotland, but that entry, especially the photo of Bill Murray & hammer,  seems pretty definitive.

From memory, the use of a modified slater's hammer is definitely mentioned in one of Murray's books, but I'm not able at the moment to wade through the 470 total pages of Mountaineering in Scotland and Undiscovered Scotland to find the reference (and he unhelpfully didn't include it in the index to either book).

Sure I first read it in one of his earlier books, but see pages 41-42 of 'the evidence of things not seen' (stuck at home at the moment & remembered I had a copy of the newer book on the bookshelf close to the PC)

Well spotted.

And it's reminded me that I really need to read that book properly, rather than just skimming it as I seem to have done when I first got it.

https://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/product/roofers-slaters-hammer-strapped...

This looks very like your picture ..

Or this https://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/product/roofers-left-hand-universal-sla... has a nice angle on the pick and a handle style similar to that in your picture.