Objects Database

Stubai Ice Axe (modified)

Accession Number

1572.2020.1

Object Name

Stubai Ice Axe (modified)

Created

03/11/2020

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

03/11/2020

Brief Description

Stubai Ice Axe with wooden shaft, metal head and added metal ferrule. Sliding leash ring. Serrated pick.

Materials

Wood, metal, canvas

Dimensions

52(L) x 29(length of head) cms

Number Of Objects

1

Inscription Description

“MADE IN AUSTRIA. G.T. “ and “STUBAI” in a diamond shape.” GT “and mountain logo on other side..

Colour

Silver, brown

Maker

Stubai

Object Production Place

Austria

Provenance

There were very few ice axe manufacturers in the UK in the good old days so imports from the Continent became the norm.
By far the most popular of these imports were from Stubai of Austria and by the 1950/60’s just about every winter mountaineer had one. No surprise to see another Stubai here in the collection and no surprise to see that it has been modified.
As climbs became more technical in the 1960’s and climbers ventured out onto ever steeper ice they needed shorter ice axes to wield in tight places and drooped picks to hold in the ice.
It would be a decade or so before drooped and banana picks were commercially available so folk modified their Stubais by heating and bending the pick, by chopping the end off the shaft and sticking the ferrule on higher up - in this case not very well!
So, a nice little bit of axe history kindly donated by our good pal, David MacFarlane. Unfortunately, neither he nor us know what the initials GT stamped on the pick stand for.

Acquisition Method

Donated by David MacFarlane

Acquisition Date

03/11/2020

Condition Check Date

03/11/2020

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

03/11/2020

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