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Chouinard Equipment Spring 1980 Newsletter mentions that a new Stopper is being created: Size #0. For 30 years I have been searching for any photo or image of this Stopper and now in May 2021 I was going through a friend in Californias collection of climbing gear and couldn't believe what I just came across. What got my attention is that there were two distinct bundles of gear, Stoppers and Steel Nuts. This Stopper was in the Steel Nuts bundle which got me thinking. This tiny #0 Stopper was being designed in 1980 and for some reason it never went into production for public use. But at this same time in 1981 the Chouinard Brass Nuts came available to the public. Followed in 1982 was Chouinard Steel Nuts. I believe the #0 Stopper is what gave the Chouinard gear designers the idea to push the tiny nuts into a soldered design over trying to Swedge the tiny #0 Stopper wire.
Rolland Pauligk's Australian "RP" nuts made by Pacific Crossing were first introduced to the public in the early 1970s which have the same design as the Chouinard Steel Nuts, but predate them by 10 years. So I do not believe Chouinard necessarily came up with the soldered wire design, but may have been copied from the |
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RP's. Nevertheless I am totally psyched to finally have found a Chouinard #0 Stopper. This tiny Stopper only has the diamond "C" manufacturers mark on both sides of the stopper. But since this tiny stopper has a Swedge wire design over being soldered, it is definite proof that it is indeed the #0 Stopper!!!
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The 1/2 size set of Stoppers were created in 1975 where the largest Stopper size was #8 1/2. In 1978 Chouinard redesigned the Stopper set eliminating the 1/2 sizes and offered to the public a new Stopper set numbered 1 - 12. In 1986 Chouinard redesigned the Stopper set once again adding a more curve shape to the Stopper design. The 1986 set is numbered 1 - 13 so the #13 Stopper is first introduced in 1986. But what is strange is that the two prototype Stoppers are from the 1975 set but have the #13 stamped onto them like the 1986 set. Original owner Stephen Carman.
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