Crude, but robust, would be the a good way to describe these Stubai channel pitons, which date from the 1960s, or maybe a bit earlier. Unrefined might be might be another description, the finished version seemingly hacked, bent and drilled from a single sheet of metal.

Along with Italian company, Cassin, Stubai were the main suppliers of pitons in the UK after the Second World War. A company called Clogwyn (Clog) down in North Wales slowly ate into their market share in the 1970s until nuts, wedges and cams came along, rendering pitons pretty much redundant, though aid climbers still use them and they are still fairly popular with winter climbers.

Fairly ‘wonky’ from birth, these three fellas have been battered around a bit, leaving them quite characterful. We found them lurking in our box of old pitons known as ‘the piton graveyard’ and. unfortunately, don’t know who donated them. Thanks to the unknown pitoneer.