Objects Database

Brades ( modified ) ice axe

Accession Number

1377.2016.1

Object Name

Brades ( modified ) ice axe

Created

20/12/2016

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

20/12/2016

Brief Description

Brades ice axe with wooden shaft, serrated pick and adze.

Materials

wood, metal

Dimensions

shaft 49(L) x 9.5( circumference) cms Head 29(L) cms

Number Of Objects

1

Inscription Description

On pick " BRADES ↑ 1943" on handwritten label " EX W.D. ICE AXE BY BRADES. MODIFIED BY JOHN BRAILSFORD IN 1970 9 SHORTENED, PICK DROPPED ETC."

Colour

silver, brown

Maker

Brades

Provenance

Brades seems to have begun life way back in 1782 when a man called William Hunt bought the Brades Estate near Oldbury, Birmingham and started a steelworks there. The company became William Hunt & Son in 1809 though the Brades trade mark remained, quickly gaining a prestigious reputation in the 'edged tool' market, which in the early days included items such as axeheads, hatchets, trowels, spades, garden shears, wood chisels and scythes.
With that kind of expertise it's little wonder that the Ministry of Defence approached them in the 1940's to make ice axes for the various mountain troops who were operating in World War Two. Though we are not 100% sure it's pretty certain that's what happened. It's also interesting to note that the Scottish Regiment known as the Lovat Scouts went to train amid the icefields of the Canadian Rockies in 1943 and were issued with Brades ice axes.
Mountaineers in the 1940's and 50's relied heavily on ex-army gear and the government surplus shops were selling off Brades Axes, amongst other things, as you can see from the advert opposite.
Mountain Guide, John Cheesmond, acquired one in the 1950's and got his pal, John Brailsford, to modify it a little by shortening the shaft and drooping the pick, making it better for steep ice climbing.
We have a lovely original Brades Axe elsewhere in the collection, along with another modified version - check them out.

Acquisition Method

Donated by John Cheesmond

Acquisition Date

20/12/2016

Condition Check Date

20/12/2016

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

20/12/2016

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