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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

Rave About Your Rack Please do not post retail SPAM.

Author
Where does the name Fifi hook come from?
TimP
2-Mar-2015
10:25:14 PM
In general climbing gear and method names have some history / story I've eventually come across — HMS carabiners, RP's, for example. But I've never seen an explanation for the fifi, does anyone know where this name comes from?

MisterGribble
3-Mar-2015
12:46:58 PM
I think the inventor was a chap called Griff Rififi or similar. Can't find any ref to him anywhere though, for once Google and Wikipedia fail me!
BA
3-Mar-2015
4:11:46 PM
I can remember them being called Griff (sp?) Fifi hooks. I think Griff was the makers name but I have no idea how Fifi fits in.

Macciza
3-Mar-2015
4:22:46 PM
Did Griff also do early bolts or brackets as well?
I associate the Griff name with bolts for some reason ...
martym
4-Mar-2015
12:04:14 PM
Anyone know how Fifi the Flower Gor her name? Are they related?


IdratherbeclimbingM9
4-Mar-2015
12:17:09 PM
Re Fifi hooks, I perused older volumes within my climbing library for history and usage, and although I came across many examples, none were specific to 'invention'.

What is interesting though, is that early fifi's often incorporated a small captive eye on the top*, to attach light cord to, to aid quick and easy retrieval of the lower ettrier, and some were also designed with a classic D shape to make them easier on the hands when attached directly to the top of etts and pulled up upon to gain height.
(*I have an original Salewa one in this style, but regard it as a modern copy of even earlier designs by others).

Hooks have been around forever, and a fifi is just another adaptation to meet a specific climbing need.
The shepherds no doubt used the crook of their staff (staves?), to help them access places...
Grappling hooks were used on castle walls in days of yore...
Ed Whymper used his early Whymper-claw-hook before summiting the Matterhorn...

Post edit.
A bit more research from French version of Wiki for etrier reveals;
Etymology

From Middle French estrier, from Old French estrief, estreu (“a ring hanging on each side of the saddle supporting a rider's foot”), from Old Frankish *streup (“buckle, stirrup”), perhaps for Old Frankish *stigareip (“stirrup”). Compare Old High German stegareif (“stirrup”), Middle Dutch stegerep (“stirrup”), Old English stīrāp, stiġrāp (“stirrup”), Old Norse stigreip (“stirrup”). See also étrivière. More at stirrup.


... given that it dates back to the 9th Century, possibly the original fifi hooks were attachment point devices for stirrups?
kieranl
4-Mar-2015
12:48:51 PM
Was Captain Hook's first name Fifi, perhaps?

IdratherbeclimbingM9
4-Mar-2015
1:12:00 PM
On 4/03/2015 kieranl wrote:
>Was Captain Hook's first name Fifi, perhaps?

Nah. I heard that Fifi was Tinkerbell's partner in later times...
;-)

MisterGribble
4-Mar-2015
1:18:50 PM
On 4/03/2015 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>On 4/03/2015 kieranl wrote:
>>Was Captain Hook's first name Fifi, perhaps?
>
>Nah. I heard that Fifi was Tinkerbell's partner in later times...
>;-)

Weren't they Bob Geldof's kids ?
jrc
4-Mar-2015
1:38:27 PM
Griff is a Germanic word meaning grip.

as in 'gute griff' or good hold which ive heard on the crag in Visp!

a griff fifi could well have been invented by griff but it was the name given to a tube style fifi with a big hold to put your hand around.

That doesn't answer the initial qn, though.
kieranl
4-Mar-2015
2:08:18 PM
If you're not of a sensitive disposition you could refer to the urban dictionary.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
4-Mar-2015
2:27:27 PM
On 4/03/2015 kieranl wrote:
>If you're not of a sensitive disposition you could refer to the urban dictionary.

~> Scratches head... and thinks to self ...how does your mind work?
Heh, heh, heh.

Imaclawfan
4-Mar-2015
3:05:09 PM
On 4/03/2015 kieranl wrote:
>If you're not of a sensitive disposition you could refer to the urban dictionary.

' Derek' ( aka Dudley Moore ) once said :

" ...I'd greased-out this toilet roll ... and I plugged it into the train set ... and every time the train went over the junction ... I got these terrific vibes ..."
BA
4-Mar-2015
3:06:55 PM
On 4/03/2015 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:

>What is interesting though, is that early fifi's often incorporated a
>small captive eye on the top*, to attach light cord to, to aid quick and
>easy retrieval of the lower ettrier,

My Fifis have the "eye" that you refer to M9, one day I'll rummage through the really old climbing stuff (not the stuff on my rack though) and see if I can find it.

Imaclawfan
4-Mar-2015
3:13:45 PM
Silly topic .. but I learned a few things ... Fifi to Josephine to Joseph ... is ancient Hebrew meaning god gives / Johovah increases

Its also French slang for feminine guy ...the stereotype is of course the arm held with a limp wrist ,,, so maybe the early french climbers , who invented aid climbing ... had this in mind .. as the fifi hook has a similar shape .... maybe ... JUST SAYIN ...

Anyway found this stuff ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_a6E_tYyVg

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/640711/The-evolution-of-the-fifi-hook



Imaclawfan
4-Mar-2015
3:21:04 PM
On 4/03/2015 BA wrote:
>I'll rummage through
>the really old climbing stuff (not the stuff on my rack though) and see
>if I can find it...

Yeah ....you race off and do that , BA , while I consider the possibility that TimP is quietly sniggering and looking forward to his troll-of-the-week gong ...

Imaclawfan
4-Mar-2015
3:50:54 PM
On 2/03/2015 TimP wrote:
>But I've never seen an explanation for the fifi, does anyone know where this name comes from?

Well TIMAAAAHHHH !!!!!.......after coming up with the best answers on this topic ... Im feelin a bit like this bloke ...


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-03/rubiks-cube-world-record/6278176



Jim Titt
6-Mar-2015
1:29:07 AM
From the German use of the word "fifi" to describe a little dog being dragged along behind an old lady, there was a reference somewhere in one of the German mags about it´s invention.
The Griff Fifi was from Peter Heibler (possibly) and was bigger with a handle to hang onto.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
11-Mar-2015
9:09:17 PM
On 4/03/2015 Imaclawfan wrote:
>On 2/03/2015 TimP wrote:
>>But I've never seen an explanation for the fifi, does anyone know where
>this name comes from?
>
>Well TIMAAAAHHHH !!!!!.......after coming up with the best answers on
>this topic ... Im feelin a bit like this bloke ...
>
>
>http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-03/rubiks-cube-world-record/6278176
>
~> ... a big name in the world of speed cubers
~> ~> ... remarkable one handed dexterity!
Are you in that league Hex, or is there some other reason why this is a
>Silly topic .. ?

Zarb
12-Mar-2015
7:36:14 AM
"Fifi" is actually Aramaic for "gets annoyingly tangled up with every single other piece of climbing gear that you own, creating one single ball of climbing chaos".

There are 20 messages in this topic.

 

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