UKH

My wife got me a 5 cm silver ice axe off ebay. It looks like it was the pendant of a necklace, though the pick and spike are quite sharp for wearing round your neck.

After contacting the assay office I know it was 'made' in 1979 by John Stone (person or company?) who operated out of Sheffield. Its such an odd thing to be made that I was thinking it was probably a special commisioned piece.

So anyone got any ideas about who might have commissioned it and for what? Tasker & Boardman Kamchenjunga is the only event of note I can think of from that year, and doesnt seem to be their sort of thing.

Any thoughts or inteligence on its history?

Thanks

In reply to Andy Syme:
Any sign of damage on the back? Possibly where a pin may have been?
Only asking because the PyG hotel in Snowdonia do/did small silver ice axe pins for members of the Snowdon Club.

(Forget the above, just realised that 5cms May be a tad large for the SC).

In reply to aultguish:

It has a necklace ring through the leash hole at the top, so definately never a pin.