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richard_noggin

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1. The Titon size range was # 1 thru # 17. Numbers 9 thru 17 were made from the # 8 extrusion; each size just got a bit longer. The # 17 is 7" long. at on its top surface.

 

2. The painted and anodized Titons were standard production for a couple of years. We dropped the colors to save costs, since colored web would do the same thing.

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Cool! Thanks for the info!

 

I was pretty sure the anodized pieces were relatively scarce - glad to have the definitive word.

 

So ... Guess I'm looking for #14-#17 Titons!

 

Just because I'm a modest collector does not mean I'm not obsessive! :crazy:

 

Cash or trade anyone?!

 

Thanks again JosephH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I've never seen those cam nuts before. Any reason they aren'y still in use? It seems like a great idea, or at least good for some finicky, specific uses.

Because I was curious, I placed the one in the picture I posted, clipped an aider into it, stood on it and bounce tested it. It held my weight and it rocked a little. I stepped off of it, flipped the aider and it came right out.

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IMG_04391.JPGIMG_0440.JPG

 

CMI cam nut.

 

CMI Rock Jock. You know, these are not really OLD. They were still being actively manufactured in the mid-90s and pushed by climbers like Bobbi Bensman. I bought a set from the CMI factory in the 90s while visiting, as I was too cheap to buy Friends, but only used them a few times because they just sucked.

 

Someone else asked if the CMI gizmo was a predecesor to the tricam. No. The tri-cam is older, design-wise for sure.

 

It's kind of sad I guess as I learned with alot of the pro in this thread, and I am NOT OLD!!

 

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CMI Rock Jock. You know, these are not really OLD. They were still being actively manufactured in the mid-90s and pushed by climbers like Bobbi Bensman. I bought a set from the CMI factory in the 90s while visiting, as I was too cheap to buy Friends, but only used them a few times because they just sucked.

Those are actually CMI 'Kirk's Kamms' (on the left), the springloaded versions were CMI 'RoKJoX' (on the right). The 'Kirk's Kamms' came out in '76 and I remember the day they came into the Shawnee Mountaineering store; ran right out and almost killed myself with a couple of them straight away. I've sent Stephane an email and he'll get back to us with how long Kirk manufactured them for.

 

kirksxs.jpg

 

Popular Science - Sept. 1977

 

Edit: Looks like Kirk's Kamms only ran from 76-78 and RokJox from '87 to ? (Stephane still checking on that one...)

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The original Friends...

 

Un-slung in sizes #1, #2, and #3.

 

 

[img:left]http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/2nd_Friend_Add_Off_Belay_August_1978.jpg[/img]

 

 

[img:left]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/medium/DSC016451.JPG[/img]

 

Skinny trigger bar and hex nuts capping the axles...

Replacing the original trigger bars with the later

thicker ones took some time with a file to flatten them so they'd fit in the narrower slot.

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CMI Rock Jock.

Those are actually CMI 'Kirk's Kamms' (on the left), the springloaded versions were CMI 'RoKJoX' (on the right). The 'Kirk's Kamms' came out in '76 and I remember the day they came into the Shawnee Mountaineering store; ran right out and almost killed myself with a couple of them straight away. I've sent Stephane an email and he'll get back to us with how long Kirk manufactured them for.

 

Thanks, ok, '76 is pretty old. I wonder what CMI was thinking? 10 years go by and some marketing dood says "We need something NEW that will SELL!!" And some guy in the shop says, "well, we still have the tooling for these Kirks over hear...and if we just add a small spring, we can rebrand them and sell em for 30$ each..."

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Hard men did hard climbs in leather boots fitted with Daiber nails.

 

Show some respect, Grasshopper.

 

No disrespect here Scott.

Many men have climbed harder than I ever will in far more archaic gear.

I doubt I will ever meet my master in sarcasm though.

Just checking...

BTW, I enjoyed your Squire Creek Wall TR...there's decades of adventure up in there; an amazing place, for sure.

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I have a Friend #4 from the very first year they were offered and still use it (new webbing every few years of course). It is remarkable how little the basic design has changed over the years. Jardine, despite eccentricities, revolutionized protection.

 

I also have some nuts from the first year Chouinard offered them after the catalogue with the article on the push toward clean climbing.

Edited by matt_warfield
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Reading this thread got me thinking about a Friend that I removed from Madrone Wall about fourteen years ago. I though I might be able to date it using Wild Country's Friend Age Guide (http://www.wildcountry.co.uk/AboutUs/CustomerServices/FriendAgeGuide/) but there aren't any numbers on the thing except for the patent number. Does this mean that it was made before 1988?

 

friendo.jpg

 

 

Chad

 

 

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