grippers

[Guest Euclid]

I've been curious about this for a long time.  I think I've seen some old Sandow spring grippers before somewhere, but were these the first made?  Correct me if I'm wrong, but IM started making them in what, '91?  Another question-- how long have people been seriously training with grippers.  Have the stronger, high quality ones been around before say, 1980?  Any information on this would be very appreciated Roark.

[Roark]

Euclid,

Though now woefully incomplete, I wrote a history of the Iron Man Hand Grippers for Iron Game History in April 1990. I suspect David Horne is more up on the history of grippers

in general than am I, but I have seen ads from 1904 for the product, though, until Warren Tetting began the first of his 79 ads for his iron handled grippers in Ironman in December 1964,

grippers were more for exercise than all out single effort- with

of course, exceptions, such as Inch's gripper.

David Horne has one of the old blue Ironman grippers and I believe he considers it more difficult than his Ironmind #3- is

that correct, David?

Send me a pm with your address if you would like a copy of

the article.

Joe

[David Horne]

Joe,

Yes, your gripper is harder than the #3, possibly contributed to by the fact that it has no knurling.

I don't want to spoil this, as we are writing an article for the magazine about it at the moment, but I have a traced the dynamometer/gripper, invented and built by Edme Regnier to c. 1798. I have a copy of his booklet describing and illustrating its usage.

There have been many many grippers since this date. Spring grip dumbbells came about in the late eighteen hundreds and Sandow's were the most famous of these.

It's a fascinating subject and I have a file detailing hundreds of grippers through the ages, and as many of you have seen, I also have my own collection of all that I can find! My oldest is c.1820-1850.

David

[Guest Euclid]

Roark, could you elaborate on Inch's gripper.  I'm not sure if you covered it in your Iron History column.

David, where do I send the money for a subscription to Irongrip, how much does it cost, and do you accept American currency?  

Thanks much.

[David Horne]

Euclid,

We featured an article on the Inch gripper in Vol.1 #3 of Iron Grip. Payment from the U.S. has to be in dollars cash. Send this in between a few sheets of paper. See below.

DAVID HORNE’S

IRON GRIP MAGAZINE

INCLUDING MANY ARTICLES, RANGING FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE HISTORICAL AND HOW-TO FEATURES TO IN-DEPTH INTEVIEWS WITH VARIOUS GRIP ATHLETES

Subscription  Rates

IRON GRIP is published quarterly

Four issues per year:

£12 U.K.

£15 (cash) EUROPE

$28 (cash) U.S.A.

$30 (cash) REST OF THE WORLD

Send to:

David Horne,

27, Ingestre Road,

Stafford,

ST17 4DJ

ENGLAND

Tel: 01785 601400

Mobile: 07879 490241

[Guest Marso2]

David,

Your collection of grippers (and books/magazines and other lifting stuff) is a strength nuts wet dream  

Lookin' forward to the next Iron Grip . I hear it's another good 'un.

Cheers

Ian

[Guest 115-1005574997]

A very interesting description Ian, the image it conjures up will remain with me for a while

Dave must have the single most comprehensive collection of gripers than anyone else in the world and he'd make a fortune if he sold copys of the wall paper, its great (effort apreciated Eliz!)

Its amazing to see how gripers have developed over the years and just goes to show that nothings new in the iron game