They call them ‘Angles’ in the advert opposite, though most pitoneers call them ‘channels’ on account of the channel shape of the blade. The ones we have here are A4 in the advert above which is from an Ellis Brigham Catalogue circa 1969/70. 8/3p in old money would be around 40p today. They are in mint condition having never been hammered and they were acquired by ‘Smiler’ Cuthbertson when he briefly worked at the Clog factory in North Wales in the 1970s. Smiler’s wife, Clare, kindly donated them when Smiler headed off to the big mountain in the sky a few moons ago.

Clogwyn Climbing Gear (Clog) started making pitons from Molybdenum steel in the late 60s, in answer to the continental imports climbers were using at that time. Channels were popular with winter climbers as the edges would cut through any ice in the cracks as they were driven in.