Yvon Chouinard bought a second-hand coal-fired forge in 1957, and started making hardened steel pitons under the Great Pacific Iron Works name. Their success led him to form Chouinard Equipment, Ltd. He partnered with Tom Frost, and they moved their operation to Ventura California in 1967. The Chouinard product line expanded into a wade variety of climbing and related outdoor gear. In 1971-1972, they introduced Hexentrics and Stoppers. Frost left the operation in 1977, and his name was removed from ice axes and other products that had born the CBouinard-Frost name.
In 1989, Chouinard Equipment was facing a liability lawsuit. Chouinard had to separate the liability of Chouinard Equipment from the deep pockets of Patagonia, which he had founded in 1973. Chouinard Equipment filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to protect the firm's assets. The lawsuit ultimately went nowhere. Peter Metcalf, Maria Cranor and former Chouinard Equipment employees purchased the company assets in 1989, formed Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., and moved the firm to Salt Lake City Utah.
Crag Hammers
The Crag Hammer is made specifically for use in free climbing for removing chocks, fixed pegs, and placing rappel pitons. It has a long thin blunt pick that functions well for extracting nuts and cleaning dirt and vegetation from prospective nut placement cracks. It’s a very handy hammer in Yosemite where it is used along with a whisk broom for cleaning out dirty jam cracks. ("The Great Pacific Iron Works Catalogue," 1978)
↑ 108: Chouinard Crag Hammer
- Made in USA [1972].
- 300x160 mm.
- Weight: 690 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 27x17 mm. (Grip: 36x25 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 31(l)x25(w)x29(h) mm.
- Crag pick.
- Pick: 55(l)x18(h)x7(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- This hammer has a 100 mm. pick. A 75 mm. version was also available.
↑ 398: Chouinard Crag Hammer
- Made in USA [1972].
- 300x160 mm.
- Weight: 665 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 27x17 mm. (Grip: 36x25 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 31(l)x25(w)x29(h) mm.
- Crag pick.
- Pick: 55(l)x18(h)x7(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- This hammer has a 100 mm. pick. A 75 mm. version was also available.
- Duplicate of #108
↑ 109: Chouinard Crag Hammer
- Made in USA [1975].
- 300x160 mm.
- Weight: 595 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 28x18 mm. (Grip: 37x26 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 26(l)x22(w)x29(h) mm.
- Crag pick.
- Pick: 65(l)x22(h)x8(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- This hammer has a 100 mm. pick. A 75 mm. version was also available.
- Short-handle version, red ink.
- The front underside notch was added in 1973-74.
↑ 351: Chouinard Crag Hammer
- Made in USA [1975].
- 290x160 mm.
- Weight: 575 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 28x17 mm. (Grip: 38x26 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 26(l)x24(w)x30(h) mm.
- Crag pick.
- Pick: 65(l)x24(h)x7(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- This hammer has a 100 mm. pick. A 75 mm. version was also available.
- Short-handle version, red ink.
- From Mike Gerbman, 2025.
↑ 407: Chouinard Crag Hammer
- Made in USA [1972].
- 300x135 mm.
- Weight: 633 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 27x17 mm. (Grip: 36x25 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 32(l)x25(w)x29(h) mm.
- Piton pick with 2 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 40(l)x18(h)x7(t) mm.
- This hammer appears to be a toothed version of #108 with the tip of the pick broken off.
Alpine Hammers
Chouinard Alpine Hammers
↑ 050: Chouinard Alpine Hammer
- Made in USA [1968].
- 290x180 mm.
- Weight: 725 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 27x17 mm. (Grip: 36x26 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 27(l)x25(w)x30(h) mm.
- Curved Alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 4 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 80(l)x21(h)x12(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- Early Chouinard Alpine Hammer with shorter handle.
- Various under-pick tooth patterns facilitate dating Chouinard Alpine hammers.
↑ 161: Chouinard Alpine Hammer
- Made in USA [1968].
- 295x185 mm.
- Weight: 785 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 26x17 mm. (Grip: 35x26 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 28(l)x25(w)x31(h) mm.
- Curved Alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 4 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 30(l)x22(h)x10(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- This is my second hammer of this version. It is unique in that the Diamond-"C" logo and Chouinard name were double-stamped on the handle.
↑ 184: Chouinard Alpine Hammer
- Made in USA [1975].
- 295x165 mm.
- Weight: 550 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 28x17 mm. (Grip: 37x26 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 26(l)x25(w)x29(h) mm.
- Curved Alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 6 teeth, a space, and then 5 more teeth.
- Pick: 100(l)x24(h)x13(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- Short-handle version.
- Previous owner had screwed an extra hand strap to the handle, later removed.
- The front underside notch was added in 1973-74.
- Short handle used through 1974.
↑ 110: Chouinard Alpine Hammer
- Made in USA [1975].
- 330x165 mm.
- Weight: 535 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 27x17 mm. (Grip: 36x25 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 25(l)x23(w)x29(h) mm.
- Curved Alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 6 teeth, a space, and then 5 more teeth.
- Pick: 95(l)x24(h)x15(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- Long-handle version.
- The front underside notch was added in 1973-74.
- Long handle introduced in 1975.
↑ 185: Chouinard Alpine Hammer
- Made in USA [1977].
- 330x160 mm.
- Weight: 580 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 27x17 mm. (Grip: 36x25 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 26(l)x23(w)x29(h) mm.
- Curved Alpine pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 12 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 95(l)x24(h)x13(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- Long-handle version, red ink.
- Previous owner filed the tip of the pick to a more aggressive neutral clearance.
↑ 051: Chouinard Alpine Hammer
- Made in USA [1977].
- 290x165 mm.
- Weight: 645 g.
- Hickory Handle.
- Shaft: 28x18 mm. (Grip: 37x25 mm.)
- Fixed Head.
- Hammer: 25(l)x23(w)x28(h) mm.
- Curved Alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 12 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 90(l)x24(h)x12(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- Long-handle version, blue ink.
Chouinard/C.A.M.P.†/Interalp Alpine Hammers
(†Concezione Articoli Montagna Premana)
Denis Pivot of C.A.M.P. provided the following information on C.A.M.P.'s relationships with other manufacturers:
CAMP - Chouinard & Black Diamond
In 1968, during a trip to Italy to participate in the Trento Mountain Film Festival, Yvon Chouinard visited the CAMP factory in Premana with Hermann Huber (Salewa). Following this visit, an agreement was reached for CAMP to manufacture ice axes, pitons, Hexentrics and Stoppers for Chouinard (later Black Diamond). This equipment was sold by CAMP with the double marking of the logos CHOUINARD and CAMP and, through 1980, the additionale logo of the INTERALP sales agent. All Chouinard equipment marked "Made in Italy" or "Italy" was manufactured by CAMP.
↑ 171: Chouinard/C.A.M.P./Interalp Alpine Hammer
- Made in Italy [1983].
- 340x165 mm.
- Weight: 600 g.
- Steel Shaft with Rubber Grip.
- Shaft: 17(d) mm. (Grip: 32x24 mm.)
- Fixed head.
- Hammer: 28(l)x22(w)x30(h) mm.
- Curved Alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 5 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 95(l)xx17(h)xx5(t) mm.
- Steel hammer with the steel shaft does not have as nice a feel as hickory provides.
- Sold only in Europe.
Modular Hammers
↑ 352: Chouinard Modular Hammer
- Made in USA [1981].
- 300x190 mm.
- Weight: 655 g.
- Plastic Handle.
- Shaft: 26x17 mm. (Grip: 33x26 mm.)
- Semi-modular head.
- Hammer: 24(l)x30(w)x28(h) mm.
- Modular alpine pick.
- Pick: 105(l)x23(h)x379(t) mm.
- Elastic loop inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- This one is equipped with the "Ice Climbing" pick and tied tubular webbing.
- Short-handle version.
- Black plastic handle is quite slippery.
- From Mike Gerbman, 2025.
↑ 353: Chouinard Modular Hammer
- Made in USA [1984].
- 305x170 mm.
- Weight: 630 g.
- Plastic Handle.
- Shaft: 26x17 mm. (Grip: 33x26 mm.)
- Semi-modular head.
- Hammer: 34(l)x29(w)x29(h) mm.
- Modular crag pick.
- Pick: 85(l)x23(h)x7(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- This one is equipped with the "Crag" pick.
- Short-handle version.
- Blue plastic handle is quite slippery.
- From Mike Gerbman, 2025.
↑ 120: Chouinard Modular Hammer
- Made in USA [1984].
- 340x190 mm.
- Weight: 710 g.
- Plastic Handle.
- Shaft: 26x18 mm. (Grip: 34x26 mm.)
- Semi-modular head.
- Hammer: 25(l)x30(w)x28(h) mm.
- Modular ice climbing pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 9 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 110(l)x24(h)x7(t) mm.
- Webbing tied through hole in pick.
- This one is equipped with the "Ice Climbing" pick and tied tubular webbing.
- Blue plastic handle is quite slippery.
- Original webbing attached to base of handle is missing.
- Early modular hammers had a notch under the hammer end.
↑ 246: Chouinard Modular Hammer
- Made in USA [1984].
- 340x170 mm.
- Weight: 670 g.
- Plastic Handle.
- Shaft: 26x18 mm. (Grip: 34x26 mm.)
- Semi-modular head.
- Hammer: 34(l)x29(w)x29(h) mm.
- Modular Alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 7 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 85(l)x23(h)x7(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- This one is equipped with the "Alpine "pick.
- Blue plastic handle is quite slippery. A previous owner added the rubber band for a better grip.
- Early modular hammers had a notch under the hammer end.
↑ 194: Chouinard Modular Hammer
- Made in USA [1984].
- 340x170 mm.
- Weight: 675 g.
- Plastic Handle.
- Shaft: 26x18 mm. (Grip: 34x26 mm.)
- Semi-modular head.
- Hammer: 34(l)x29(w)x29(h) mm.
- Modular crag pick.
- Pick: 85(l)x23(h)x7(t) mm.
- Webbing inserted in hole at bottom of handle, secured by a screw.
- This one is equipped with the "Crag" pick.
- Blue plastic handle is quite slippery.
- Early modular hammers had a notch under the hammer end.
↑ 238: Chouinard Modular Hammer
- Made in USA [1987].
- 340x125 mm.
- Weight: 655 g.
- Plastic Handle.
- Shaft: 26x18 mm. (Grip: 34x26 mm.)
- Semi-modular head.
- Hammer: 34(l)x29(w)x29(h) mm.
- Modular big wall pick.
- Pick: 35(l)x24(h)x9(t) mm.
- This one is equipped with the "Big Wall" pick.
- Black plastic handle is quite slippery.
- Original webbing attached to base of handle is missing.
- Later modular hammers lost the notch under the hammer end.
