Cassin Pitons

On the Camp website it shows that Riccardo Cassin, who was already a well know accomplished mountaineer, after world war 2 went to Premana Italy and helped Antonia Codega’s four sons develop and nurture the continued production of mountaineering equipment. CAMP must have wanted to use the Cassin name so they branded it and it became its own company within CAMP. Riccardo eventually created crampons, hammers, pitons and eventually nuts. A great famous statement from Riccardo Cassin is: “If you want to go to the mountains”, he said one day, “you’ll need passion, a very big passion, because that’s where fatigue and sacrifice lie. Reaching the summit also brings, however, an incredible satisfaction...
I am not sure what year Cassin first started producing pitons but my guess would be in the early 1950s. Collecting Cassin pitons has brought me to asking many questions since there are so many company mark variations that I have found over the years. So I made a list of the differences still not knowing how many actual sets were made. Cassin to this day is still producing a wide range of climbing and mountaineering gear, including pitons. I am still searching for what year the Cassin company logo was first produced.

Set #1: I believe these pitons are from the early 1950s. Marked R. CASSIN on a angle and no Italy mark and no markings on the back of the pitons.

Found this piton being sold on ebay. Manufacture stamp is angled. On the photo to the right is the same piton (front), which has no markings on the back of the piton.

R. Cassin piton donated by Paul Diefenderfer

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Ski Hut 1959 catalog shows Cassin pitons (above). Also the REI 1961 catalog shows the full set of Cassin pitons and their number markings (right).

Set #2: R. CASSIN, MADE ITALY (Top of "A"s are all rounded). The pitons colored yellow were donated by Keith Pond. Original owner was David McAndless who climbed with these pitons in the late 1950's/early 1960s. This is the set shown in the 1959 Ski Hut catalog and the 1961 REI catalog.

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Set #3: CASSIN Mfg logo mark on pitons, no Italy. The yellow colored pitons were purchased at the same time as the yellow colored pitons in Set#2 sometime late 1950s/early 1960s. Not sure why Cassin only put their logo marks on this set of pitons, then restarted putting their logo mark on some of their pitons in the 1980s.

Cassin ring pitons compared. #11b Cassin logo is stamped onto the piton
#11 Cassin logo is raised on the piton
No number. Cassin logo is stamped onto the piton
No number. Cassin logo is stamped onto the piton. Piton and hammer end is longer

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Set #4: R.CASSIN, MADE ITALY ("R" head is smaller) c.1960s

Mfg stamp comparison. Top is Set #2 and bottom is set #4.
"R" comparison. The stubby pitons to the right are made to be placed in drilled bolt holes.

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Set #5: R. CASSIN, MADE ITALY (On the Made Italy - top of "A"s are pointed) c.1960s

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Set #6: R. CASSIN, ITALY ("MADE" word was removed) c.1960s

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Set #7: CASSIN, ITALY ("R" was removed) (Larger letters) c.1960s

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Set #7 1/2: Cassin, Italy (large "Cassin")(small "Italy") c.1960s

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Set #8: CASSIN, ITALY (small "Cassin") (small "Italy") c.1960s

#6 is underlined, the other #6 is not

Photo right - top piton is Set #7 and lower piton is Set #8.
Letters comparison.

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Set #9: CASSIN and ITALY inside recessed channel (CASSIN word rightside up). Round piton eye for carabiner. The 1971 Ellis Brigham catalog shows a picture of these pitons.

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Set #10: CASSIN and ITALY inside recessed channel (CASSIN word upside down). Round piton eye for carabiner. I am not sure if the manufacturer intended for the words to be one direction or another. A smaller spade piton #0B introduced.

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Set #11: CASSIN and ITALY in recessed channel. Piton eye for carabiner is oval shape. (CASSIN word is rightside up). Not sure exactly when the piton eye was changed to oval shape, but it is shown as oval shape in the Cassin 1983 catalog.

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Set #12: CASSIN and ITALY in recessed channel. Piton eye for carabiner is oval shape. (CASSIN word is upside down). Not sure if the manufacturer intended for the Cassin word to be in one direction or another. In the 1983 Cassin catalog both manufacturers marks being rightside up and upside down is shown. Maybe this is a transition year that the change was being made?

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Cassin 2" bong from the 1980s (laying down).
Cassin 2" bong from 2010 (standing on edge). Another ID mark added to the pitons (01-1G).

Cassin ring piton with revolving ring made in the 1990s galvanized light gold finish.

Cassin Channel piton "Forma U" piton colored gold (Brunal) nickel-chrome molibdeno for granite made in the early 1980s.

Cassin 1" Angle made in the 1990s.

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Cassin 1983 catalog. Wow besides the awesome catalog cover picture, Cassin sure made a lot of different pitons in the 1980s.

The pitons were offered in silver, Carbonium steel for limestone (softer).

Brunal colored which is Nikel-crome molibdeno for granite (harder). A "S" ID stamp was added to the pitons.

Also offered in titanium where a "T" ID stamp was added.