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SamIntel
Jun 19, 2012, 11:55 PM
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Someone dumped a bunch of old hexes on me, and I am trying to figure out what brand they are. The only labeling they have is the size (ex. #10). They are slung with cord, completely symmetrical, and not painted. Any ideas?
(This post was edited by SamIntel on Jun 21, 2012, 5:04 PM)
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acorneau
Jun 20, 2012, 12:46 AM
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SamIntel wrote: Someone dumped a bunch of old hexes on me, and I am trying to figure out what brand they are. The only labeling they have is the size (ex. #10). The are slung with cord, completely symmetrical, and not painted. Any ideas?
Pictures could help.
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SamIntel
Jun 20, 2012, 1:46 AM
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edge
Jun 20, 2012, 12:03 PM
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I don't recall Chouinard ever being symmetrical, but maybe they did early on. I would venture to guess that they are Clog.
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moose_droppings
Jun 20, 2012, 1:02 PM
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When he first invented them they had a symmetrical shape. I believe it was a few years later when someone else came up with the asymmetrical hex we are more familiar with today.
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wivanoff
Jun 20, 2012, 1:53 PM
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moose_droppings wrote: When he first invented them they had a symmetrical shape. I believe it was a few years later when someone else came up with the asymmetrical hex we are more familiar with today.
True. It's a first generation Chouinard Hex. I have a #7 that I bootied years ago.
See the pic from the 1972 catalog
http://climbaz.com/...nard72/ch_page8.html
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grampa
Jun 20, 2012, 8:44 PM
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Chouinard originally released the Hexentric in sizes 1-10. They were symmetrical and all required cordage. Within about 2-3 years Chouinard started making asymmetrical hexentrics, and at the same time started making sizes 1-3 with wire cable.
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gunkiemike
Jun 21, 2012, 1:14 AM
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The inner bore looks too flattened at the top to be a Chouinard hex. I'm going with Clog or some other brand. The absence of the "diamond C" logo is another bit of evidence against them being Chouinard.
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wivanoff
Jun 21, 2012, 11:23 AM
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gunkiemike wrote: The inner bore looks too flattened at the top to be a Chouinard hex.
Maybe. I guess it could be a Clog. But look at the catalog page I linked. Especially the two larger sizes. And on some of the hexes I have, the "C" is certainly worn off. The stamping wasn't that deep to begin with.
OP: BTW, the larger old symmetrical Chouinard hexes I have had lightening holes drilled in the side walls. Later versions had thinner side walls. The 1972 catalog page shows a flattened inner bore, no lightening holes and a thicker wall - which I think means even older than the ones I have.
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marc801
Jun 21, 2012, 1:58 PM
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gunkiemike wrote: The inner bore looks too flattened at the top to be a Chouinard hex. I'm going with Clog or some other brand. The absence of the "diamond C" logo is another bit of evidence against them being Chouinard.
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SamIntel
Jun 21, 2012, 5:03 PM
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Wow, thanks for all the replies guys. Sound first gen Chouinards to me. Didn't realize they were that old.
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lonequail
Jun 21, 2012, 8:23 PM
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For the definitive answer contact the Nuts Museum:
http://www.needlesports.com/NeedleSports/nutsmuseum/nutsmuseum.htm
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gunkiemike
Jun 21, 2012, 9:57 PM
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wivanoff wrote: OP: BTW, the larger old symmetrical Chouinard hexes I have had lightening holes drilled in the side walls. Later versions had thinner side walls.
You sure about that? Between my college buddies and me, we had just about every version of early Chouinard hexes (and Stoppers). My memory says the lightening holes came a year or two AFTER the shape changed to the eccentric (asymmetrical) hex.
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wivanoff
Jun 21, 2012, 10:33 PM
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Heh.. I just checked. You're right! My old hexes with lightening holes were asymmetrical.
So 1st was symmetrical hexentrics
2nd was asymmetrical with thick walls and lightening holes
3rd was asymmetrical with thinner walls and no lightening holes
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edge
Jun 21, 2012, 10:50 PM
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wivanoff wrote: Heh.. I just checked. You're right! My old hexes with lightening holes were asymmetrical. So 1st was symmetrical hexentrics 2nd was asymmetrical with thick walls and lightening holes 3rd was asymmetrical with thinner walls and no lightening holes
And all inspired by the hexagonal machine bolts that British climbers used to pick up off the railroad tracks on their way into climbs.
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gunkiemike
Jun 21, 2012, 11:44 PM
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wivanoff wrote: Heh.. I just checked. You're right! My old hexes with lightening holes were asymmetrical. So 1st was symmetrical hexentrics 2nd was asymmetrical with thick walls but no lightening holes 3rd was asymmetrical with thick walls and lightening holes 4th was asymmetrical with thinner walls and no lightening holes 5th was anodized and cabled.
Corrected slightly.
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wivanoff
Jun 22, 2012, 12:23 PM
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edge wrote: And all inspired by the hexagonal machine bolts that British climbers used to pick up off the railroad tracks on their way into climbs.
And people have no idea how much homemade gear we used to use.
Which makes me smile when I see posts like: "Hey, I dropped my hex and it fell down the cliff. Is it ok, or should I retire it?"
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donald949
Jun 25, 2012, 5:42 PM
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wivanoff wrote: moose_droppings wrote: When he first invented them they had a symmetrical shape. I believe it was a few years later when someone else came up with the asymmetrical hex we are more familiar with today. True. It's a first generation Chouinard Hex. I have a #7 that I bootied years ago. See the pic from the 1972 catalog http://climbaz.com/...nard72/ch_page8.html
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healyje
Jun 25, 2012, 7:08 PM
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Save them for the next retro "National Cam-free Day" as an exciting tribute to the past everyone can participate in.
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scrapedape
Jul 16, 2012, 12:42 PM
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wivanoff wrote: gunkiemike wrote: The inner bore looks too flattened at the top to be a Chouinard hex. Maybe. I guess it could be a Clog. But look at the catalog page I linked. Especially the two larger sizes. And on some of the hexes I have, the "C" is certainly worn off. The stamping wasn't that deep to begin with. OP: BTW, the larger old symmetrical Chouinard hexes I have had lightening holes drilled in the side walls. Later versions had thinner side walls. The 1972 catalog page shows a flattened inner bore, no lightening holes and a thicker wall - which I think means even older than the ones I have.
Look more closely at that catalog. Those look asymmetrical to me. The text even describes them as having an "irregular hexagon" shape. (though a hexagon can be irregular but still symmetrical, I'll grant).
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patto
Jul 16, 2012, 12:52 PM
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They look like Faders hexes to me. In fact that one is identical to one that I lost last year right down to the cord! 
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wivanoff
Jul 16, 2012, 12:53 PM
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scrapedape wrote: Look more closely at that catalog. Those look asymmetrical to me. The text even describes them as having an "irregular hexagon" shape. (though a hexagon can be irregular but still symmetrical, I'll grant).
They were never true hexagons in the sense of having equal length sides. The "symmetrical" ones as shown on that catalog page were symmetrical along the vertical axis. Current non-symmetrical BD hexes are "skewed" along the vertical axis. No equal length sides at all.
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