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Chouinard Equipment started in 1957/1958 and created a massive amount of awesome climbing gear!!! But in the late 1980s, product liability lawsuits put the company into Chapter 11. Former employees of Chouinard Equipment were able to purchase the assets of the Chouinard company, then changed the name to Black Diamond in late 1989.
At the start it was a continuation of what Chouinard was presently offering to the public, but quickly new pieces of gear were created while the entire lot was being rebranded, wow a lot of work!!! But the effort paid off as even today the brand name Black Diamond is carried on just about every climbers gear rack. In 1989 Black Diamond was located in Ventura, California, USA. In 1991 Black Diamond moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. |
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1990 Black Diamond catalog In the Chouinard 1988 and 1989 catalogs and in the Black Diamond 1990 and 1991 catalogs it shows the RURP having a notch at the top of the hammer end. 
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Black Diamond Lost Arrow piton
The Lost Arrow pitons are made in Italy 
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Black Diamond Lost Arrow piton
Two versions, Mfg mark "Italy" over piton eye, or near hammer end. 
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The 1994 Black Diamond catalog shows the Lost Arrow pitons having a Camp products "Wolf" mfg mark on the piton blade. 
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1994 Black Diamond catalog
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Black Diamond Lost Arrow
Number is "CE" 
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Black Diamond Knifeblade and small Bugaboo
By 1994 the pitons were marked "BD" with "USA" and diamond "C" 
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2001 Black Diamond catalog
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Black Diamond Bugaboo #6
c.2001 "New BD Logo" 
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Black Diamond Angle pitons
c. 1994 "BD" "USA" diamond "C" - mfg mark 
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Black Diamond Angle pitons
c. 2001 new "BD" logo 
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