Stove Leg Piton #2
Three Stoveleg pitons. These were made from legs sawn off of woodstoves. Frank Tarver made the first four. Two of his are on the left. Rich Calderwood made three more. One of those is on the right. Only seven were made because the junk yard, upon hearing about it's intended use, refused to ruin a perfectly good stove and would only sell a three-legged stove.
Name/Title
Stove Leg Piton #2Entry/Object ID
2026.1.29Description
One of the four stove leg pitons made by Frank TarverUse
pitonContext
There were only seven "Stove Leg" Pitons ever made. The first four were made by Frank Tarver, who cut off the legs of a wood-burning stove. They worked so well, that Rich Calderwood decided to make his own. He went to a second-hand store in Fresno to buy a wood stove, and the owner of the store refused to sell him a four-legged stove, since he knew the piece would be taken apart. He instead sold Calderwood a three-legged stove. After cutting the stove legs off, they hammered two ends together, braised the head for durability, and added a ring. These pitons were used on many routes, including the first ascent of The Nose, completed in 1958 by George Whitmore, Wayne Merry, and Warren Harding. Also used on other first ascents at that time, including the East Face of The Column. Climbers were not allowed to climb The Nose in the summer months, since it would cause a spectacle with tourists stopping to watch. On the East face of The Column, Calderwood was sent to the high point of the groups climb to retrieve the stove legs and other equipment. When he got up there, the cord had been chewed through by rats, and he was forced to search the ground for the pitons. Luckily, he found them.Collection
Yosemite Climbing Museum Permanent CollectionCategory
Climbing Hardware, Pitons