Gripper Variences

[GarytheDino]

Maybe this has been covered before but I'm looking for an in depth rating of COC grippers.

For example what years were single stamped......I believe late 90's but not sure..I belive they were the widest spread also........were they. some around 3.25!!

Then you have double stamped which seam to average around 2.7 spead and the easiest........are they.........I would guess 2001-2003 .

The coc logo grippers have an average spread but the 3's seam a little more than average.

Can we get an indepth discussion going on this topic? I think it would be interesting.

What other differences have you noticed though the years? What can we expect for 2005 if anything different?

[bencrush]

Most of my double stamped grippers are harder than their single stamped counterparts. That is not always true though, as others on the board will attest to.

I bought my first COC grippers in 2000. They are noticeably easier than all the COC grippers that I've bought since then.

In my experience the COC grippers that I have bought are getting harder every year. I don't know if it's planned or just a coincidence.

[Bill Piche]

What you an expect is 2005 to be no different. Grippers vary, period. They are like uncalibrated barbell weights. How they are stamped, knurling, etc is a different story.

[Bill Piche]

In my experience the COC grippers that I have bought are getting harder every year. I don't know if it's planned or just a coincidence.

Every time someone says this every year, I can provide an example where it isn't true. They are not getting harder every year IMO. Grippers vary.

I think this is the rub...

"Level of Hardness" is all relative. Something "hard" to me might be a toy for someone like Clay or Heath. This is one problem in itself when people make statements about them getting harder. What's hard?

[itch85]

i agree with bill there so many varying factors when it comes to grippers, spread, coil thickness, how strong the individuals grip is etc..

[bencrush]

I understand that "hard" is relative to the individual. When I talk about grippers being harder, I mean harder to me. Not Clay. Not Heath. Not anyone but ME. That seems to be pretty simple. And, like most people here, I've closed enough to know when one feels harder than another.

[Bill Piche]

I understand that "hard" is relative to the individual.  When I talk about grippers being harder, I mean harder to me.  Not Clay.  Not Heath.  Not anyone but ME.  That seems to be pretty simple.  And, like most people here,  I've closed enough to know when one feels harder than another.

←

That's not what I was saying . So, no need to get testy. The thought the #3 grippers are getting harder every year is a myth in my opinion. They vary all over the place every year. So, you think they are getting harder every year and I don't. It's ok to disagree.

[bencrush]

Sorry Wannagrip. I didn't mean to be disrespectful. I should have worded it a little differently. Some people think the grippers are getting easier. Some think they're getting harder. I also meant that it might be a coincidence that most of the grippers I've bought seem to be getting harder. Purely coincidence apparently.

[Bill Piche]

Sorry Wannagrip.  I didn't mean to be disrespectful.  I should have worded it a little differently.  Some people think the grippers are getting easier.  Some think they're getting harder.  I also meant that it might be a coincidence that most of the grippers I've bought seem to be getting harder.  Purely coincidence apparently.

←

To be honest, I've thought the same thing at times until there are reports and I've had first hand experience they still vary all over the map. For example, it was reported by several the 2004 3's were beasts. So, what happens? My friend gets one and it's on the easy side. Go figure.

[Rick Browne]

I have a boat load of grippers and I only can honestly compare

the grippers I "OWN" to each other, and not go by what another

individual might rank the grippers. When someone states this

years grippers are harder than last years, yadda, yadda, I pay

no attention to these type statements.

However when an individual states the levels of grippers such as

the #2 is harder than the #1 or the #3 is harder than the #2, etc.

I paid attention to what was said (in the beginning of my grip work)

or for any other models out there as well. That was acceptable info.

But comparing ie: several 3s they personaly own as to their difficulty,

and setting that as #3 standard, I go deaf.

I agree with Bill, in saying another individual closing your own grippers

and telling you, "Yeah that is a hard 3" while you might say that you

find it quite easy. I can not go that route, (Not trying to be obstinate

about this topic either).

[neilkaz]

Interesting thread here ! Anyhow, varience is why you developed the MM1,2 and 3 for the best gripsters here to cert on the same gripper.

I find Bob Lipinski's tests of new HG300's http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtop...=0entry132044 to be very interesting since he rates them a 2.7 to 2.9 whereas, compared to my lone IM #3 (new 2004) I think my new HG300 is considerably easier in spite of the fact that at 2 9/16 spread it is a bit wider than others report the new 300's to be.

Perhaps, one actually needs to be able to fully shut the compared grippers to be able to give a more valid comparision other than "these two are about the same" or "this one is a bit harder". You CoC's can close these fully, but I cannot.

My best squeezes (all no set) get about 1/8 to 3/16" away on the IM #2 and HG250

(wide spread) and 5/8 to 11/16" away on my HG300 and sad 1 5/16" away on the IM #3 (almost 3" spread).

Can I conclude that I have a hard #3 ? I don't quite see how until I compare it with others. Can I conclude that I have an easy HG300 ? I doubt it, unless I compare it with others, especially since it has a slightly wider spread than most new ones as reported by others.

..neilkaz..

[GarytheDino]

I didn't mean to rock the boat here.

All I'm looking for is individuals experiences with grippers.

Actually, I didn't know there were any "easier" #3's this year. The couple I tried were hard.

I have noticed the older single stamped #2's are wider and harder to close. I have a coc logo #2 that is easy compared to those.

I know of some #3's that are single stamped that are about the same as the coc logo #3's and I know of some double stamp that are easier.

The #2's don't look to be as deep set which I guess is why they are wider at the bottom. I don't know about the spring angle.

I suppose the answer to my question is that the spring batches change thoughout the year and any given year can have "harder" or "easier" grippers as a result.

[Bill Piche]

Nah Gary, this topic always comes up in cycles.

"Perhaps, one actually needs to be able to fully shut the compared grippers to be able to give a more valid comparision other than "these two are about the same" or "this one is a bit harder". You CoC's can close these fully, but I cannot."

I agree with this. A person with #1 closing strength for example can't compare #3's too well IMO. All of them probably feel like bricks.

[Rick Browne]

I didn't mean to rock the boat here.

All I'm looking for is individuals experiences with grippers.

Actually, I didn't know there were any "easier" #3's this year. The couple I tried were hard.

I have noticed the older single stamped #2's are wider and harder to close. I have a coc logo #2 that is easy compared to those.

I know of some #3's that are single stamped that are about the same as the coc logo #3's and I know of some double stamp that are easier.

The #2's don't look to be as deep set which I guess is why they are wider at the bottom. I don't know about the spring angle.

I suppose the answer to my question is that the spring batches change thoughout the year and any given year can have "harder" or "easier" grippers as a result.

←

I do not think you are rocking the boat Gary! As Warren Tetting told me

one time, the mere position of gripper springs in the oven will have an effect

on how hard our easy they become.

You take 25 springs but them in the oven ( part of the spring process)

They all will not receive the same level of heat consistently.

Maybe the grippers in the middle of the oven will receive a few degrees more

heat than the springs located to the side of the oven. This contributes

to the springs variances too.

[Lyle]

just to add my two cents, I have a #2 from around 2001 "now filed"

and just bought another #2 about 2 weeks/ago. thought the old one was weaker especially due to the closes at extended ROM but they feel the same to me, if they are different it's too little for me to tell.

[OldGuy]

The year, the stamping of the numbers, the size of the band around the handle and wether or not it is engraved is not relevant. You could buy at the same time two apparently identical grippers, with the same spread and spring depth, and they could still be different when it came to squeezing them. This is true of all brands of grippers. All you can do is work with grippers that you own. Hard or easy being subjective, makes it pretty much futile to seek a harder or easier 3 or 4 as many are doing.

[Rick Browne]

makes it pretty much futile to seek a harder or easier 3 or 4 as many are doing.

This has puzzled me for a long time. You would almost have to have the

very 1st #3 that was ever made and have it as the "benchmark" to

judge all proceeding #3s made after. Can`t happen.

Just be satisfied the onery little cusses are here in order for us to

get great strength benefits from.

[Bob Lipinski]

Another difficulty about rating the grippers is that grippers with a tougher sweep will often feel easier to people with bigger hands, even counting setting them.

This was really apparent with the HG400- This was a very tough gripper for me to close, felt harder than a 3, but for the big handed guys it felt alot easier than a 3.

I think I wrote in the original thread the HG300's were around 2.5-2.9. Most were towards the 2.5-2.7 end. I think I tested 10 of them (okay, not a huge bunch), and 2 of them were close to the strength I wanted for the comp, 2.8-2.9ish.

[GarytheDino]

I didn't mean to rock the boat here.

All I'm looking for is individuals experiences with grippers.

Actually, I didn't know there were any "easier" #3's this year. The couple I tried were hard.

I have noticed the older single stamped #2's are wider and harder to close. I have a coc logo #2 that is easy compared to those.

I know of some #3's that are single stamped that are about the same as the coc logo #3's and I know of some double stamp that are easier.

The #2's don't look to be as deep set which I guess is why they are wider at the bottom. I don't know about the spring angle.

I suppose the answer to my question is that the spring batches change thoughout the year and any given year can have "harder" or "easier" grippers as a result.

←

I do not think you are rocking the boat Gary! As Warren Tetting told me

one time, the mere position of gripper springs in the oven will have an effect

on how hard our easy they become.

You take 25 springs but them in the oven ( part of the spring process)

They all will not receive the same level of heat consistently.

Maybe the grippers in the middle of the oven will receive a few degrees more

heat than the springs located to the side of the oven. This contributes

to the springs variances too.

←

What else do you know about the process? This is good stuff to know. Very informative. I never knew they were heated.

Okay, now let me rephrase the question.............

Is anyone seeing the differences I noted earlier?

old #2's have a wide spread, the newer ones are easier and narrower.......

double stamped 3's are easier than the new ones........but I think the older wide ones are harder than the new ones which are inbetween.

[Sybersnott]

I didn't want to let the cat outta the bag, but reading this thread....

I just talked to Dr. Strossen a couple weeks ago, and he challenged me to compare the #3 grippers and to see if they are NOW benchmarked. I took him up on it and ordered 4 new #3's.

I am currently evaulating the 2nd one and so far I haffta admit - it's a lot like the first. Double-stamped, spring set into the handle the same, same width and both are stinking tough!! I am posting my findings and conclusions on the FI forum.

[jad]

I didn't want to let the cat outta the bag, but reading this thread....

I just talked to Dr. Strossen a couple weeks ago, and he challenged me to compare the #3 grippers and to see if they are NOW benchmarked.  I took him up on it and ordered 4 new #3's.

I am currently evaulating the 2nd one and so far I haffta admit - it's a lot like the first.  Double-stamped, spring set into the handle the same, same width and both are stinking tough!!  I am posting my findings and conclusions on the FI forum.

←

4 new #3's huh...well if nothing else Strossen is a heck of a salesman

[bencrush]

Sybersnott, are you able to close all of your brand new #3s? I bought one this year and it was insane hard. I had to trade it to someone who had a chance of closing it because I honestly think that I wouldn't be able to close it in my lifetime. It was that much harder than any #3 I had seen at that time.

[Sybersnott]

Sybersnott, are you able to close all of your brand new #3s?  I bought one this year and it was insane hard.  I had to trade it to someone who had a chance of closing it because I honestly think that I wouldn't be able to close it in my lifetime.  It was that much harder than any #3 I had seen at that time.

←

I have AMAZING self-control... because I am taking them out of the package and trying them one at a time. So far, I'm on the second gripper (Benchmark Gripper B).

I can barely close the second one. It is super nasty tough! It's on par with the first one I opened and tried.

Did you want to trade grippers and compare them for yourself? I'd like to try yours too. When - specifically - did you get it? I have a timeframe on all my grippers and can tell you when I got each one.

I haven't ordered the IM grippers in a good long time so when Strossen asked me to evaluate them and tell him what I think - I took him up on it. Hey, I love a challenge! These new #3's are they way they should be IMHO.... SUPER NASTY TOUGH!!

[pdoire]

I have AMAZING self-control... because I am taking them out of the package and trying them one at a time. So far, I'm on the second gripper (Benchmark Gripper B).

I can barely close the second one. It is super nasty tough! It's on par with the first one I opened and tried.

Did you want to trade grippers and compare them for yourself? I'd like to try yours too. When - specifically - did you get it? I have a timeframe on all my grippers and can tell you when I got each one.

I haven't ordered the IM grippers in a good long time so when Strossen asked me to evaluate them and tell him what I think - I took him up on it. Hey, I love a challenge! These new #3's are they way they should be IMHO.... SUPER NASTY TOUGH!!

←

Does this apply to all the 2004 #3's with the coc rings??

It is the only #3 I have...purchased it earlier this year.

[foggymountainmuscle]

Nah Gary, this topic always comes up in cycles.  

"Perhaps, one actually needs to be able to fully shut the compared grippers to be able to give a more valid comparision other than "these two are about the same" or "this one is a bit harder". You CoC's can close these fully, but I cannot."

I agree with this.  A person with #1 closing strength for example can't compare #3's too well IMO.  All of them probably feel like bricks.

←

This is absolutely true. When I started to work on closing my #2 I was about the same distance away from closing my PDA 280. Now I can close the #2 whenever and my PDA 280 hasn't moved much at all. I remember the first time, the 2004 Arnold, that I got to squeeze a #3 and a #4. The #4 didn't move much at all and the #3 moved about 1/2 an inch. The difference is night an day obviously but if I didn't know better I would have thought it was a slight difference.

I think it is an interesting question, what is hard? I think it would be a neat project to tackle to compare a variety of identical grippers to establish what the average is using the same calibration test on all of them.