CHOUINARD 1977 - 1982 FEATHERWEIGHT CARABINER 1600 KG & SOME HISTORY

Description

Auction is for the Chouinard carabiner described below & shown in the first four photos.
This FEATHERWEIGHT  carabiner dates from the period of 1977 to 1982 and shows breaking strength of 1600 KG.  This carabiner is fully functionable, but I do not recommend using this 41 year old collectable for climbing.     This style shows up in the Chouinard Great Pacific Ironworks 1977-78 catalog per photos 6 & 7.   Photo 5 is the cover of that catalog with a photo of Cerro Torre in Patagonia.    I will be happy to email jpegs of these catalog photos to the winning bidder, at their request.  The packing list I include with this item will have my email.   Photo 7 is the History of Chouinard Firsts page from the 1978 Great Pacific Iron Works catalog, which shows 1977 as the date this style of carabiner was introduced.
It is made of hollow aluminum tubing and is very similar to hollow carabiners that Salewa came out with at about the same date.   Salewa also produced hollow carabiners for Royal Robbins, but it appears the Chouinard Featherweights were produced in the U.S.   The 1980 Great Pacific Iron Works catalog asserts the Featherweights are made from aluminum tubing produced for Boeing.
In 1982 Chouinard started using solid aluminum tubing for the Featherweight & renamed it the Improved Featherweight.   Due to it's light weight the Featherweight carabiner was popular at the time, although some folks had doubts about the strength of the hollow design if nicked or dropped.
Chouinard started manufacturing pitons in Ventura, CA in the mid-1950's. His climbing hardware company became The Great Pacific Ironworks in 1972.
It was the climbing hardware branch of Chouinard's clothing brand Patagonia, then it became Chouinard Equipment again in the early 1980's.    Chouinard sold it to the employees that started BLACK DIAMOND IN 1989.   Chouinard climbing gear then disappeared as a brand name, but Chouinard has retained ownership of Patagonia to the present day.
A Great item from the "golden-age" of American climbing for your collection, research, or museum.
From a Non-smoking household.
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