Who was HF? Seeking info on original owner of large home made pin rack.

So I acquired a large rack of about 60 pitons, everything from angles, Lost Arrows, knife blades, rurps, and bongs. The purchaser I got them from got them at a yardsale in Northern Idaho. Many are home made, a bunch of euro. They are all marked with the initials HF in a distinctive manner (see photo). There was also a set of homemade tied webbing etriers, like the ones in Robbins' book.

Does anyone know who HF was? Anyone with this large a pin rack and who was clearly making high quality pitons of their own probably climbed a fair bit and was a serious climber. Any thoughts or insight would be appreciated. I wish I had asked on SuperTopo before it went defunct, as that probably would have been the best forum for this question. Thanks!

Care to share more photos of the lot?  As a full time blacksmith and sometimes maker of pitons myself I’m interested in seeing the home made ones 

Hey Mitchell, sorry it took so long but here are the pins. 

Linnaeuswrote:

Hey Mitchell, sorry it took so long but here are the pins. 

Any clue what the hook shaped ones were used for? My guess is they were made as fifi hooks, not sky hooks. I'm trying to imagine a placement where they could be used!

The hooks could be rivet hangars?

My guess would be fifi hooks

A lot of the Supertopo regulars have migrated to the Facebook group "Supertaco Refugees".

The bongs look like the ones once made and sold by Dick Long. If so there may be a faint "Longware" stamped somewhere. No idea who HF might be. 

Bumping this thread in case anybody has any info or clues.

Maybe someone on the Over 50 thread knows.. some collectors and historians there

Hans Fiechtl?  He was an early manufacturer of pitons.

Bumping again so John Middendorf hopefully sees it - John any input?

Linnaeuswrote:

Bumping again so John Middendorf hopefully sees it - John any input?

Hi Linneaus

This looks like something I would defer to Marty Karabin or Mr.piton (Tim).  Most look like normal 70s 80s pitons, but the angles and larger bongs and the channel pitons are interesting.  

Marty’s site: https://www.karabinclimbingmuseum.com/pitons---page-one.html

MrPiton: https://www.mrpiton.com/p2.htm

Ashby’s site: verticalarchaeology.com/

i so appreciate these collectors who have compiled and shared info like this, so helpful for the research on the evolution of gear and techniques I am doing now at bigwallgear.com

I will check out again  as I get to more modern eras (right now trying to finish an article on 1870-1920 pitons for the Alpine Journal.  Ask me about 1881 bolts, and I might have some info! I.e. here.   anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/…;datum=18810004&query=(text:eisenstift)&ref=anno-search&seite=292 )  :)

cheers

edit, oh I see question about HF.  No idea!  The hook things are made by MSR, wasn’t there a thread recently on these?

1881 bolts link fixed

ediit2: actually, those small knifeblade might be some original Chuck Wilts --probably quite valuable if so.  The twisted arrow very interesting too.!

No HF in Yosemite’s first ascent list compiled by Ed Hartouni for the 80s:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2485453/The-1980s-The-missing-history-Players

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2485453/The-1980s-The-missing-history-Players

North Idaho? Maybe the Dietrich brothers may know. Pan handle climbers were very low on the publicity scale while they quietly ticked amazing climbs around the world. 

Hi John, thanks so much for your input. I am subscribed to your substack and read with interested the piton articles. 

Regarding the above equipment, I had just assumed that "HF" had made the home made pitons because he (she?) presumably stamped his initials into each, but of course maybe he just had the tools for the latter and not the former. If HF did not make them it raises the question of who did, as there are a lot of hand forged Lost Arrow type pitons in addition to RURPs, small and medium knifeblades, and even steel bongs. The bongs appear to have been gas welded. Many of the Lost Arrows appear to have never been placed. Given how time intensive it would have been to make all these someone was clearly committed.The rest of the "gear" (aiders, bolt kit) that came with these seemed older than 70s/80s, more 60s. I will try to get some photos of the other gear and upload that stuff as well.

Hi Linneaus

yes, close up pics would be good, I am sure there are folks who can identify them (links above).

thanks for reading my research.  The pitons article might appear in the Alpine Journal.  Basically, the premise is that there is strong evidence that climbers were using thin steel pitons, probably with an inline eye, as early as 1901, and likely before.  “Settled history” has the date for first modern steel pitons at 1910.  So a bit arcane, but interesting to see how climbers kept improving gear to come up with the Fiechtl design (I don’t necessarily think Fiechtl was the designer, but he certainly was the one who got them made and probably shared them with his northern limestone alps climbers, hence the association of Fiechtlhaken).

cheers!

Ok I got some additional detail photos of the home made pins. There are 2 fifi hooks, 2 aid ladders, RURPs, knife blades, channel pitons, angles, bongs, a whole set of hand forged Lost Arrows. Most of these look like they were never placed. The rest of the "name brand" piton in the rack do appear to have been used. There were 3 commercial channel pitons and the home made ones look like copies. Someone put a lot of time into making this rack!

Top channel piton is a Stubai for reference. Bottom 5 are all HF made. 

Right most angle above is a Chouinard for reference. 

Bolt bag is made from an old sock! Tied aid ladders below have oval carabiners without any legible markings, looks like they may have had a screen printed writing originally but nothing is stamped into them (neither brand nor strength rating). 

Wow!  This is a great collection.  The welded bongs are interesting, as larger angle pitons were an engineering problem for a while as they tended to open up when being placed, and many prototypes of various materials were tried and failed before large angles became functional.

Clearly the horizontals were hand forged.  It would be great to know who made them, and when.

Thank you for posting the photos, I think you might have some important artifacts in the history of gear development, it is just a matter of finding out exactly how and when.

cheers

Great thanks for the input John. I agree, would be awesome to know who made them and when. Hopefully in time I will be able to figure that out!