This very fine pair of skis are a little bit of an enigma as we think they are Swiss as they bear all the hallmarks except ‘made in Switzerland’. The Petersohn bindings are an even bigger enigma as we can find no other reference to bindings of that name anywhere. Segmented metal edges for skis were invented by an Austrian guy called Rudolf Letter, though the brass version we see on these skis was first created by a Swiss guy, Christian Rubi, about the same time.

A company called Kreuger actually made the the brass edges, which became known as ‘Kreuger Edges’ and were very popular for a time with downhill skiers, being more flexible and less likely to break than the other metal versions. We know that Staub, the high end Swiss ski manufacturers, used Kreuger edges, and the skis we have here are fitted with them, so the skis could very well be Staub’s. Petersohn is a name of German origin, so the bindings could be German, Austrian (where they speak German), or from the German speaking area of Switzerland. Either way, they are one of the many variations of Kandahar type cable binding, which allow for a ‘free heel’ for cross country skiing, and a ‘clip down’ for downhill.

A fabulous pair of skis whatever. They were kindly donated by Elizabeth Forbes on behalf of her late husband Alan. They were both avid downhill skiers with a great affection for the slopes of Glencoe here in Scotland.