The MacInnes Massey, all metal, ice axe first appeared on the market in 1963, brainchild of legendary Scottish mountaineer, Hamish MacInnes. Using the English engineering company, Massey, to forge the heads (upper part of the axe) from high quality EN16 steel, the axes were a great success and became pretty universal with Scottish mountaineers, though it has to be said that many still favoured their trusty, wooden shafted, Stubai axes.

Ice climbing in Scotland was changing rapidly in the 1960s with the art of step cutting up steep ice fast becoming a thing of the past – crampons with front points and better axes for steep ice were the order of the day. MacInnes moved with the times and continued with development of his axe, teaming up with fellow climber, Trevor Peck, who took over the manufacturing side of things. The MacInnes Peck axe was also a big success and in the 1970s the Terrordactyl came along – a quantum leap in ice climbing technology – you’ll find examples elsewhere on our website.

Development continued and in the mid 1970s the Scorpion was developed, an excellent example of which we have here in the collection – albeit without the Scorpion’s tail – details of which you will see above.

This axe once belonged to Mick Tighe’s Mountain Guiding Company, Nevis Guides.