For a century or so since the creation of mountaineering as a sport, mountaineers relied on their long, wooden shafted ice axes to cut steps up and down their chosen mountain. The 1960s began a wee revolution in ice climbing as the leading exponents ventured onto ever steeper ice. Better tools were required to hold in the ice, so some modified their old axes by shortening the shafts and drooping the picks….many fine examples of this can be found in our collection.

The equipment manufacturers were quick to get in on the act and the Cassin hammer we have here was one of many variations which appeared in the 1970s. It’s basically a piton hammer with a drooped pick and a few reverse teeth to stop the pick popping back out of the ice.

This type of tool enjoyed a brief stardom until evolution overtook them, not least of which was the Hamish MacInnes Terrordactyl, a revolution more than an evolution!