Fritsch & Co. was a sporting goods store in Zürich, Switzerland. They purchased axes from various smith and (usually) stamped them with a Fritsch & Co. mark.
Ice Axes
↑ 286: Fritsch & Co.
Made in Switzerland [1930s].
845x280 mm.
Weight: 910 g.
Wood Shaft.
Shaft: 33x23 mm. (Grip: 32x21 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: 170(l)x22(h)x7(t) mm.
Square spike.
Spike: 46(l)x12w)x12(t) mm.
Glide ring with leather leash.
Smaller head than my other Fritsch & Co. axes.
Adze edge has well-rounded corners
Pick tip is only 5.5 mm. high, making it nearly a point.
Shaft labeled "DON MITCHELL" by a previous owner.
This axe seems to have been supplied by Andenmatten.
↑ 282: Fritsch & Co.
Made in Switzerland [1950s].
950x320 mm.
Weight: 1035 g.
Wood Shaft.
Shaft: 34x24 mm. (Grip: 31x22 mm.)
Fixed head.
Curved adze with a curved edge and a strong arch.
Adze: 85(l)x77(w)x6(arch) mm.
Straight alpine pick with a rounded tip and with 6 ventral teeth.
Pick: 170(l)x25(h)x7(t) mm.
Square spike.
Spike: 47(l)x11w)x11(t) mm.
Glide ring with adjustable web leash.
Adze edge has well-rounded corners
Pick and spike are worn
↑ 408: Fritsch & Co.
Made in Switzerland [1970s].
885x300 mm.
Weight: 970 g.
Wood Handle.
Shaft: 34x22 mm.
Fixed Head.
Curved adze with a curved edge and a very strong arch.
Adze: 85(l)x62(w)x13(arch) mm.
Angled alpine pick with a diamond-point tip and with 18 ventral teeth.
Pick: 165(l)x20(h)x9(t) mm.
Square spike.
Spike: 657(l)x13(w)x12(t) mm.
Glide ring with tied webbing loop.
A heavy, long-headed axe with a concave adze and classical Aschenbrenner diamond-pointed pick.
This axe strongly resembles Stubai's Aschenbrenner Führerpickel. Although stamped "
The glide ring and glide ring stop (stacked washers) appear to be homemade.
↑ 208: Fritsch & Co.
Made in Switzerland [1970s].
890x295 mm.
Weight: 850 g.
Wood Shaft.
Shaft: 32x23 mm. (Grip: 30x23 mm.)
Fixed head with carabiner hole.
Curved adze with a curved edge and a slight arch.
Adze: 90(l)x62(w)x2(arch) mm.
Straight alpine pick with a negative-clearance chisel tip and with 6 ventral teeth.
Pick: 160(l)x25(h)x8(t) mm.
Square spike.
Spike: 53(l)x10w)x10(t) mm.
Brass glide ring with homemade hand-sewn leash.
Pick tip is only 5.5 mm. high, making it nearly a point.
The teeth are irregular and angled opposite the holding direction, suggesting that they were added (filed) by a previous user rather than being original.
There are no makings on ths axe. Previous owner identified it as a Fritsch & Co. axe by a side-by-side comparison.