Objects Database

Titanium Ice Screws

Accession Number

1166.2014.1

Object Name

Titanium Ice Screws

Created

29/10/2014

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

29/10/2014

Brief Description

2 titanium ice screws with white plastic turning handles

Materials

Titanium, plastic

Dimensions

19(l) x 6(circumference) cms

Number Of Objects

2

Inscription Description

"MADE IN UKRAINE 1300KG" on both

Colour

Silver

Object Production Place

Ukraine

Provenance

The Berlin Wall came down in 1989 ending decades of separation between Eastern and Western Europe. The story goes that the Russians, Ukranians and several other states of the Eastern Bloc had large amounts of titanium which they had been unable to export during the Cold War - when the wall came down exports started again.
In the early 1990's large amounts of cheap titanium ice-screws appeared in the UK, and probably elsewhere in the world, often on the black market. Many were of a fairly poor design like the ones we have here in the collection. The hanger - that's the twirly bit with the wee white handle - is a very poor fit around the stem of the screw and when turning into hard ice the hanger will turn without turning the screw itself. The 1300kg stamped on the hanger is, allegedly, the breaking strain though quite how they've come up with that figure we are not sure.
This pair once belonged to our pal, Allen Fyffe, who doesn't seem to have used them a lot. We are not surprised!

Acquisition Method

Donated by Allen Fyffe

Acquisition Date

29/10/2014

Condition Check Date

29/10/2014

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

29/10/2014

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