The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection
1638.2022.1
Charlet Moser 10pt Crampons
24/01/2022
Hermione Cooper
24/01/2022
Pair of Charlet Moser Crampons with 10 pts. Neoprene straps and metal buckles.
Metal, nylon
28(L) x 11(W) cms
1 pair
“UNIVERSAL” “CHARLET MOSER CHAMONIX”
Silver, cream
Charlet Moser
Chamonix, France
A guy called Oscar Eckenstein is widely credited with creating the first crampons specifically for mountaineering around 1908 when he took some drawings along to Italian blacksmith, Henry Grivel, and asked him to make a pair - he did.
A century or so later, crampons have gone through a multitude of changes, one of which was with the pair we have here in the collection.
Charlet Moser were based in Chamonix, France; well known for manufacturing ice axes and other mountain hardware. In this instance (circa 1960) they put hooks on their crampons rather than eyelets which were difficult to thread straps through in cold weather. This was a time when the crampon straps were often made of leather or sometimes a length of thin rope, not only difficult to put on but also difficult to take off when frozen.
Strangely perhaps, what seemed to be a good idea didn’t catch on. Rings/ eyelets prevailed for a decade or two until the plastic harness system took over.
24/01/2022
24/01/2022
Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007
24/01/2022