Ice Axes
#2 Special
↑ 177: Charlet Moser #2 Special
- Made in France [1940s–1950s].
- 790x270 mm.
- Weight: 745 g.
- Ash shaft.
- Shaft: 35x22 mm.
- Fixed Head.
- Straight adze with a straight edge and a slight arch.
- Adze: 65(l)x60(w)x1(arch) mm.
- Straight alpine pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 3 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 155(l)x27(h)x8(t) mm.
- Round spike.
- Spike: 65(l)x12(d) mm.
- This is an older axe with a straight pick and a simple round spike.
- Charlet-Moser #2 and #3 axes were made in the 1940s and 1950s. The #2 was full-size, while the #3 had a shorter head intended for women.
Mont Blanc
↑ 199: Charlet Moser Mont Blanc
- Made in France [ca. 1963].
- 850x290 mm.
- Weight: 765 g.
- Ash shaft.
- Shaft: 35x23 mm.
- Fixed Head.
- Curved adze with a curved edge and a moderate arch.
- Adze: 75(l)x65(w)x5(arch) mm.
- Straight alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 5 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 180(l)x32(h)x8(t) mm.
- Round spike.
- Spike: 67(l)x12(d) mm.
- Glide ring is missing.
- Keyhole cutout in adze is for inseting the spike of another axe for use as a step. There was little chance of using it like that, but it was popular because of the novelty of the idea.
- An earlier version had an oval hole in the adze. if you tred making a ladder by inserting another axe, it would rotate. This design helps prevent that rotatoion.
- A later model (ca. 1970) changed the notch to a U shape, apparently for turning ice screws.
Super Conta
↑ 122: Charlet Moser Super Conta
- Made in France [1972].
- 700x290 mm.
- Weight: 810 g.
- Ash shaft.
- Shaft: 35x23 mm.
- Fixed Head with carabiner hole.
- Straight adze with a curved edge and a moderate arch.
- Adze: 69(l)x57(w)x4(arch) mm.
- Straight alpine pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 4 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 155(l)x30(h)x6(t) mm.
- Round fluted spike.
- Spike: 59(l)x12(d) mm.
- This unusual design incorporates a carabiner hole and a belay notch.
- The 1972 REI catalog lists the available lengths as 75-95 cm., but this one is just under 70 cm. Long.
Multimanche
↑ 084: Charlet Moser Multimanche
- Made in France [1980s].
- 500x250 mm.
- Weight: 875 g.
- Aluminum Shaft with Rubber Grip.
- Shaft: 33x21 mm.
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Drooped adze with a curved edge and a moderate arch.
- Adze: 64(l)x62(w)x5(arch) mm.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with six small tiip teeth, four large central teeth, and four notches near head.
- Pick: 135(l)x30(h)x4(t) mm.
- Double-pointed plate spike.
- Spike: 35(l)x27(w)x4(t) mm.
- Leash connected to hole in shaft.
- A nice and well-respected waterfal ice climbing tool equipped with an excellent Charlet Moser leash. Much heavier than many others, it provides a hefty swing weight well-suited for "haul off and whack" climbers. With my fine finesse style of climbing, I prefer a much lighter tool.
