A late wood-handle Alpine hammer, identifiable by the stamp on its handle and the long run of teeth on its pick.
Identifying Marks
- 13″ wood handle
- Handle stamped “CHOUINARD MADE IN USA” with the diamond-C logo, in either dark blue or red ink
- Pick with 12 teeth running along most of its length
- Notch under the hammer face
- Dark finish on the head
- Phillips screw near the end of the handle, holding the leash
About the Model
The diamond logo on this handle is the mark that later carried over to Black Diamond. By 1977 the Alpine hammer had grown into a serious ice tool, with a longer handle and teeth along most of the pick instead of just at the tip.
The Pieces in the Collection
The collection has two 1977 Alpine hammers on the same 13″ handle, one stamped in dark blue ink and one in red. Both ink colors were in use on this model, so stamp color alone doesn’t separate them by year.
The blue-logo hammer is new old stock (NOS). It was never used, and the pick still has its original wax-dipped tip, a protective coating applied at the factory and almost always worn or chipped off once a hammer saw the ice.
Sources: identifying marks and dates from the Karabin Climbing Museum‘s Chouinard Equipment display. Stamp colors, tooth count and NOS details from the collection. Have something to add? Let me know.
