Just to clarify, there is no evidence that Hans Fiechtl was a blacksmith, as frequently seen in history books on climbing (such as The Brilliant Outsider, by Robert Wainwright, an excellent book on George Finch). There is more evidence that he worked with a blacksmith as mentioned above, based on his design (actually, it is not entirely clear he was the original designer, but he was probably the first producer of batches of pitons that he shared or perhaps even sold).
Greatly appreciate your efforts. In past, I’ve attempted creating protection gear, mostly nuts, so your info is most intriguing. Look forward to more info..
Climbing Pitons Early Evolution-part 1e--Fiechtlhaken Design.
Just to clarify, there is no evidence that Hans Fiechtl was a blacksmith, as frequently seen in history books on climbing (such as The Brilliant Outsider, by Robert Wainwright, an excellent book on George Finch). There is more evidence that he worked with a blacksmith as mentioned above, based on his design (actually, it is not entirely clear he was the original designer, but he was probably the first producer of batches of pitons that he shared or perhaps even sold).
Great stuff! Especially the early metallurgy and machining!
Greatly appreciate your efforts. In past, I’ve attempted creating protection gear, mostly nuts, so your info is most intriguing. Look forward to more info..