Vintage ice tools - what do I have?

**tnorts** · 06-11-2019, 10:13 PM

Not sure if this is the right forum, but I just got a free box of old ice tools. Does anyone know if these are worth anything? Left to right from what I've been able to gather...

1. Chouinard Northwall X
2. Chouinard Zero
3. REI Sumner
4. Unknown Camp Interalp piolet
5. Camp Hyper Couloir

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**Djongo Unchained** · 06-12-2019, 08:33 AM

I don't think Yvon Chouinard has put his name on stuff for a while. Leastways not on icetools. The wooden handle one is especially attractive. I owned that blue one about 20 yrs. ago.
Collectibles for someone, maybe post 'em up as wall pieces.

**skiing-in-jackson** · 06-12-2019, 10:44 AM

What do you have? Not too much.

Yeah the wood shaft piolets are valuable as wall hangers. I know a guy who still climbs with one each Summer. I think Chouinard stopped making climbing gear in the mid eighties. A friend of mine has one very similar to #4. It was made in Italy and is beautiful.

Every Jackson yard sale has a few ice axes for sale. It’s like getting a Texas Instruments calculator from a decades ago- pretty cool to play with, but modern technology has made sure it’s obsolete.

If they’re yours and you used them, they’re priceless.

Cocktail Trivia: Pretty sure Chouinard had to get out of the climbing business as someone didn’t put on a harness correctly and sued. That was the genesis of Black Diamond.

Edit for more info: the leather covers are pretty hard to find and if stamped with a logo can be valuable.

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**BFD** · 06-12-2019, 11:43 AM

you have some old ice tools only valuable if you have history with them. If you are in Haines AK. stop in the gear shop there. They have a collection of old ice tools. Charlie Porter's homemade tools from the Moose's Tooth. Worth 20 minutes of your time on a down day.

**DolphinSki** · 06-12-2019, 11:49 AM

I would say you could get better info on Supertopo but... However, a lot of those guys are on MP now. Might be worth posting over there to ask.

**old goat** · 06-12-2019, 11:40 PM

The Chouinards and the hyper couloir aren't worth anything--they're technical ice tools that have been replaced by much better designs. The wood shafted Interalp looks like it's probably too long for mountaineering, and a ski pole or two would be more useful on lower angle snow. The REI looks like it would be a useful general mountaineering ax , might be worth a few bucks to someone. I've used a bamboo shafted 70cm Chouinard since the 70's. My son has a modern mountaineering ax but he wants the Chouinard. The design hasn't changed in that period of time.

I'm jealous of modern technical tools. I climbed vertical hard water ice with the Chouinard ax and a North Wall hammer but it wasn't easy. I saw a video of Chouinard climbing in Patagonia a few years ago with a couple of young guys Chouinard was still using Chouinard rigid strap on crampons. I forget the name of the movie--you all probably know it.

As far as whether the wood ax should be hung on the wall, I'd check with the Style and Leisure section of Skimag. Personally, I say no.

I left some space for rigid strap on jokes. ^^^^^

**Rideski** · 06-13-2019, 12:38 AM

I don’t see a maul.

**XXX-er** · 06-13-2019, 08:44 AM

I recognise the blue handled axe, I used one to clean out the pine needles from between deck boards ...worked great

**Djongo Unchained** · 06-13-2019, 10:37 AM

Any Trotsky blood on the wooden handled pick?

**old goat** · 06-14-2019, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by XXX-er

I recognise the blue handled axe, I used one to clean out the pine needles from between deck boards ...worked great

I used to defrost my freezer with a Chouinard ice hammr.

Originally Posted by Djongo Unchained

Any Trotsky blood on the wooden handled pick?

Nah, they just found that ice ax, it's been in the news.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...er-mexico-city

**dunfree** · 06-22-2019, 12:34 PM

People pay non-zero money for Chouinard tools & branded stuff on eBay as collectible or memorabilia. I guess that's overlooked by the "I'm so core my neighborhood has garage sales where people give away valuable stuff" crowd.

**old goat** · 06-24-2019, 12:18 AM

I'm going to give my son my Chouinard axe for xmas, and a couple of modern ice tools. (He gave his girlfriend Quarks last xmas.) He's in Boston. OK to pack that stuff in my carryon?

**nickwm21** · 06-24-2019, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by old goat

I'm going to give my son my Chouinard axe for xmas, and a couple of modern ice tools. (He gave his girlfriend Quarks last xmas.) He's in Boston. OK to pack that stuff in my carryon?

No. But send a note to @tsa just for fun.

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