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MSR
Ice Axes & Ice Hammers

Larry Penberthy founded MSR in 1969. MSR was sold to REI in the 1980s. In 2001 REI sold it to Cascade Designs.

Ice Axes

Larry Penberthy tested the strength of wood ice axe shafts and concluded that wood shafts were too weak for safety. MSR's Eagle and Thunderbird were among the first metal-shaft ice axes to address the issue.

Many traditional climbers resisted the transition away from wood shafts. Yvonne Chouinard reportedly even went so far as to call the Thunderbird a "day-glo metal monster more suitable for assassinations than ice climbing."

Nevertheless, the advantages of metal (and later fiberglass and other composite) ice axe shafts over weak wooden shafts untimately drove the latter from the serious climbing market.

Concept Axes

This Concept Axe was never put into production.

296: MSR Concept Axe 296: MSR Concept Axe 296: MSR Concept Axe 296: MSR Concept Axe

296: MSR Concept Axe 296: MSR Concept Axe 296: MSR Concept Axe 296: MSR Concept Axe

↑ 296: MSR Concept Axe

Eagle

192: MSR Eagle 192: MSR Eagle 192: MSR Eagle 192: MSR Eagle

192: MSR Eagle 192: MSR Eagle 192: MSR Eagle 192: MSR Eagle

↑ 192: MSR Eagle

Thunderbird

106: MSR Thunderbird 106: MSR Thunderbird 106: MSR Thunderbird 106: MSR Thunderbird

106: MSR Thunderbird 106: MSR Thunderbird 106: MSR Thunderbird 106: MSR Thunderbird

↑ 106: MSR Thunderbird

124: MSR Thunderbird 124: MSR Thunderbird 124: MSR Thunderbird 124: MSR Thunderbird

124: MSR Thunderbird 124: MSR Thunderbird 124: MSR Thunderbird 124: MSR Thunderbird

↑ 124: MSR Thunderbird

Sumner

207: MSR Sumner 207: MSR Sumner 207: MSR Sumner 207: MSR Sumner

207: MSR Sumner 207: MSR Sumner 207: MSR Sumner 207: MSR Sumner

↑ 207: MSR Sumner

North Wall Hammers

Concept Hammers

These Concept Hammers were never put into production.

297: MSR Concept Hammer 297: MSR Concept Hammer 297: MSR Concept Hammer 297: MSR Concept Hammer

297: MSR Concept Hammer 297: MSR Concept Hammer 297: MSR Concept Hammer 297: MSR Concept Hammer

↑ 297: MSR Concept Hammer

298: MSR Concept Hammer 298: MSR Concept Hammer 298: MSR Concept Hammer 298: MSR Concept Hammer

298: MSR Concept Hammer 298: MSR Concept Hammer 298: MSR Concept Hammer 298: MSR Concept Hammer

↑ 298: MSR Concept Hammer