Torasaburo Toma owned "Toma Seisakusho," a blacksmith shop located in Sakae-cho, Higashimurayama City, Tokyo. Around 1947 Isaburo Kobayashi, who ran the mountaineering equipment store Alps in Kanda-Jimbocho. visited the store. He proposed to Torasaburo Toma and his nephew Naoji Morita (born in 1926) that they manufacture ice axes. Upon seeing the ice axe Kobayashi had brought as a sample, Morita was struck by its beauty. Accepting the proposal, Morita immediately began work on a prototype. The first product was completed in 1948. It bore a stamp featuring a double-oval design with Alps' trademark "ICEMANSHIP" in the upper section and "TOKYO" in the lower section. Ice axes bearing this mark were produced until around 1955.

Naoji Morita also produced the Toma ice axes starting around 1950 and Sherpa ice axes for the Kōyama Sporting Goods store starting around 1953. Morita took over Toma Seisakusho and changed its name to Morita Seisakusho, but continued using the Toma name for his brand. He continued producing Toma and Sherpa ice axes unitl about 1961.

Ice Axes

↑ 522: Icemanship

• Made in Japan [ca. 1950].
• 840x310 mm.
• Weight: 1030 g.
• Wood Shaft.
• Shaft: 36x26 mm. (Grip: 33x25 mm.)
• Fixed Head.
• Straight adze with a curved edge and no arch.
• Adze: 90l)x66(w)x0(arch) mm.
• Straight alpine pick with a pointed tip.
• Pick: 160(l)x17(h)x9(t) mm.
• Square spike.
• Spike: 43(l)x12(w)x12(t) mm.
• Brass glide ring with adjustable sewn cloth strap. Brass collar secured by two screws.
• This is a heavy axe with a large head including a long fan–shaped adze and a thick pick.
• Serial number 578.