Antique Swiss Hope Edelweiss Alpenstock
Marked “Hope Edelweiss 15cm”
c. 1900’s-1940’s, 20th century
Wood, Metal, Leather
33 1/2”l x 6 1/4”w
© Vintage Winter

Mistakenly called a walking stick these smaller ice axes were historically referred to as Alpenstock’s.  They were used for travel when you needed a functional tool to walk through snow and ice.  The fully forged head features negative tip clearance and an adze helpful for chopping steps.  Think of these as beefy canes allowing the user to have the security of an ice axes without the heavier weight.

This particular Alpenstock is a bit older than the newer tourist trade models that feature cast heads of a lesser quality metal.  Often the tourist alpenstock features raised flowers, eagles, etc.