Sporthaus Schuster Pitons

Curator

10 years ago

These pitons date from the late 1930s and are really remarkable pieces of history. The craftsmanship of these pitons shows in the attention to detail and the fine finish of the product. Hand made pitons were very expensive for the time and Sporthaus Schuster gave climbers a piece of equipment worth the investment.

Sporthaus Schuster opened in 1913 in Munich, Germany. They have been a family owned retailer of fine mountain equipment for more than one hundred years.

The Yosemite Climbing Association has several similar pitons in their collection.

Two thin horizontal pitons from Sporthaus Schuster clipped to a steel “D” style Stubai carabiner

Detail of the eye of the piton showing the Sporthaus Schuster seal and the nice finish of the eye, neck, and anvil. All the edges are rounded and clean. The thickness of the eye is uniform and robust. The striking surface (anvil) is large enough for a solid hammer strike and generous enough to allow for some deformation during repeated use.

Detail of the blade. Hand working marks and ripples can be detected on the blade surface. The leading edge is beveled. The top edges show evidence of being cleaned or shaped with a grinder.

The larger of the two Sporthaus Schuster Pitons has a very clean design. This piton has the general shape and feel of a #2 “lost arrow” piton produced later by Chouinard.

Detail of the neck of the piton with a well formed “buttress” at the transition point for added strength

Clean and elegant craftsmanship

Detail showing the Sporthaus Schuster stamp with the crossed ASMU and mountain in the middle. It’s my understanding that the ASMU was an early mountaineering association but I’m still looking for information.

Top: medium thin Middle: Stubai carabiner Bottom: short thin

1930s Sporthaus Schuster Piton with a Stubai carabiner for scale

Large eye section and a thin blade. Care would need to be taken when driving this piton due to the thin neck where the eye transitions into the blade. A heavy hammer could possibly bend the piton at this point creating a less secure placement or damaging the piton. Typical hammers of the period tended to be lighter weight than we use today and climbers needed good eyes and careful hands to insure a decent placement.

Two very nice horizontal pitons Top: short thin Bottom: medium thin