The following information I received from a representative of the Italian Grivel Mont Blanc company:
The [Grivel] family lives in the Aosta Valley in Italy , now in Courmayeur but they came from Gressoney and were part of a distinct ethnic group called the "Walser" who came originally from Germany in the 16th century. The Courmayeur Grivels owned the village forge and where pioneers in the manufacturing of mountaineering equipment. This activity is ongoing today and GRIVEL has become a world wide name for ice axes and crampons.
