Felix Ralling Hammerwerk Fulpmes
Pitons made in Austria
Fulpmes is a market town and a municipality in Stubaital, Tyrol, Austria.
Pitons are from c.1940s - 1950s
There is still a rather large mystery that has not been solved which pertains to the Stubai Valley in Austria. The Stubai name was not created until 1960. So the climbing gear that was manufactured in the Stubai Valley has a overall distributor that many blacksmiths were creating products for. That 1930s and up to 1959 distributor name is still “UNKNOWN.” Stubai became the European distributor/manufacturer of the Austria products in 1960.
Many 1930s - 1959 climbing relics are only marked “Made in Austria.” So out of all of these made in Austria products, I do not know if it was one blacksmith company, or many blacksmith companies that were making the overall amount of the pitons and hammers that made it into climbing catalogs in the USA.
There is a company named F.Ralling Fulpmes Hammerwerk which I have around 30 pitons from. Jim Bridwell told me that these pitons are from the 1940s and up and are only marked “Made In Austria.” I believe F.Ralling pitons became Stubai pitons in the company Switchover/Creation in 1959-1960 time. In 1960 F.Ralling at first was possibly making them for Stubai, then Stubai eventually took over the manufacturing themselves.
Still trying to unlock the history of:
- “Made in Austria” marked products
- F. Ralling
- Stubai
- Blacksmith company names located in the Stubai valley.
….Somehow all of these companies interconnect. (?)
Pitons made in Austria
Fulpmes is a market town and a municipality in Stubaital, Tyrol, Austria.
Pitons are from c.1940s - 1950s
There is still a rather large mystery that has not been solved which pertains to the Stubai Valley in Austria. The Stubai name was not created until 1960. So the climbing gear that was manufactured in the Stubai Valley has a overall distributor that many blacksmiths were creating products for. That 1930s and up to 1959 distributor name is still “UNKNOWN.” Stubai became the European distributor/manufacturer of the Austria products in 1960.
Many 1930s - 1959 climbing relics are only marked “Made in Austria.” So out of all of these made in Austria products, I do not know if it was one blacksmith company, or many blacksmith companies that were making the overall amount of the pitons and hammers that made it into climbing catalogs in the USA.
There is a company named F.Ralling Fulpmes Hammerwerk which I have around 30 pitons from. Jim Bridwell told me that these pitons are from the 1940s and up and are only marked “Made In Austria.” I believe F.Ralling pitons became Stubai pitons in the company Switchover/Creation in 1959-1960 time. In 1960 F.Ralling at first was possibly making them for Stubai, then Stubai eventually took over the manufacturing themselves.
Still trying to unlock the history of:
- “Made in Austria” marked products
- F. Ralling
- Stubai
- Blacksmith company names located in the Stubai valley.
….Somehow all of these companies interconnect. (?)
So out of all of these years that I have been admiring pitons, I have only found one F.Ralling manufacturers mark on a single piton looking in every museum as well. But I have many “Made In Austria” marked pitons that match Stubai 1960s pitons.
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Ring piton donated by Jim Bridwell. Jim said the piton is from the 1940s and he believed it is a F.Ralling piton. The piton has no manufacturers marks on it. The blade of the piton is square which possibly this piton was made to be pounded into a drilled hole.
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F. Ralling ring angle piton
Placed by Ray Northcutt in 1958 on a ill fated attempt of The Diagonal on the East Face of Longs Peak, CO. It was found and removed by Roger Briggs in 1977 on the first ascent of The Directagonal. It was a single rappel anchor with the Northcutt trademark single loop of alpine cord on it. I believe that Paul Diefenderfer obtained this historical piton from a Access Fund auction.
Placed by Ray Northcutt in 1958 on a ill fated attempt of The Diagonal on the East Face of Longs Peak, CO. It was found and removed by Roger Briggs in 1977 on the first ascent of The Directagonal. It was a single rappel anchor with the Northcutt trademark single loop of alpine cord on it. I believe that Paul Diefenderfer obtained this historical piton from a Access Fund auction.
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