Primitivebeasty Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 In the course of justifying the purchase of some grip equipment to my wife, I convinced her of the utility of grip strength, both in regards to fitness, and to everyday life. She is now interested in incorporating some grip training in her fitness routine. I have a green egg she has started on, and I am going to have her start pinching books and doing wrist curls with small dumbbells. She has expressed interest in a gripper, though, and that's where I'm at a loss. She has very sensitive skin and knurling on other items has bothered her in the past, so many of the obvious choices are a little undesirable. I have found the zenith grippers by ironmind seem to be a good alternative, and also the junior series by ghp. Neither have knurling, but neither has a great description of the difficulty of the grippers either. So I am a little lost when trying to choose something that will be appropriate for her. Any pointers or advice would be appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucasraymond Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Lowest level zenith would definitely be a starting point but you may just be able to get away with the plastic handled ones you can get from somewhere like Walmart or even an adjustable hand gripper which are like $10. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wobbler Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 One of the lighter silvis adjustables would be good, it's still a serious piece of equipment, knurling is not too sharp, and you can always wrap the finger side handle in electrical tape to make it more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Primitivebeasty said: In the course of justifying the purchase of some grip equipment to my wife, I convinced her of the utility of grip strength, both in regards to fitness, and to everyday life. She is now interested in incorporating some grip training in her fitness routine. I have a green egg she has started on, and I am going to have her start pinching books and doing wrist curls with small dumbbells. She has expressed interest in a gripper, though, and that's where I'm at a loss. She has very sensitive skin and knurling on other items has bothered her in the past, so many of the obvious choices are a little undesirable. I have found the zenith grippers by ironmind seem to be a good alternative, and also the junior series by ghp. Neither have knurling, but neither has a great description of the difficulty of the grippers either. So I am a little lost when trying to choose something that will be appropriate for her. Any pointers or advice would be appreciated! Get her the lowest level iron mind gripper and just cover the handle in some grip tape. Or whichever gripper she can handle. Oh sorry I see the questions already been answered by wobbler. Well I have another idea outside of the tape.... you can get 2 small smooth pipe sleeves and stick them over the handles for not tearing the hands up plus the benefit of feeling the metal in your hands. Edited January 31, 2018 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fist of Fury Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 I would get a Vulcan or Baraban adjustable (RBA) without knurling. Vulcan has a wide spread and is hard to set, the Baraban has a normal spread. The gripper Lucas is recommending is cheap and it works but that spring will break, I've had two of those and both springs did break. Vulcan and RBA will have great quality, those springs will last a very long time. Another good thing with the Vulcan and RBA is that you both can use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitivebeasty Posted January 31, 2018 Author Share Posted January 31, 2018 Thanks for the replies guys! I like the idea of an adjustable, but will still have to see if she is ok with the knurling. I don't like fixes that use tape, but that's because I work in a field where oil gets on everything and promptly ruins any adhesive. Maybe since I won't be touching this one it will be a good option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulderbrew Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Heavy Grips grippers tend to have pretty soft knurling too. My wife messes around with my HG 100 and HG 150 occasionally. She has soft hands and the knurling doesn’t bother her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KapMan Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 You could grab any gripper and get foam pipe insulation to wrap the grips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony C. Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007XOEQVK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517437750&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ghp+skin+saver&dpPl=1&dpID=41kCIkP2IeL&ref=plSrch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 8 minutes ago, Anthony C. said: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007XOEQVK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517437750&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ghp+skin+saver&dpPl=1&dpID=41kCIkP2IeL&ref=plSrch That’s a cool idea but can save the 11 dollars by just doing what Kapusta said or just wrapping some cloth over the handles. That is cool though for those that want actual stuff created special for the handles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richcottrell Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 17 hours ago, Fist of Fury said: Another good thing with the Vulcan and RBA is that you both can use it. Another thing to point out about the Vulcan --and have NO idea if this also applies to the RBA: It is a big gripper. It's spread is not just wider, but it is on the heavier side of things. When you combine the heavier weight and the larger size, it might make the tool something she will NOT want to use. It is not that the Vulcan's physical weight is super heavy, but it is top heavy as half of the grippers weight rests above your hand. It is not necessarily a deal breaker, but I own one, and I thought this would be something to point out. But once you have the Vulcan set partially closed, the smooth handles should feel nice if her sensitive skin is your main concern. That said, the Ivanko Super Gripper, while it is also very big in size, feels lighter then the Vulcan [even with two springs on the Ivanko versus just one spring on the Vulcan] More importantly, the Ivanko has a much smaller spread so it is easy to use as there is no setting involved. I never would have bought an Ivanko Super Gripper as I always thought the thing looked massive, but after attending Gripmas in 2016 where the Ivanko Super Gripper was contested as one of the events, and when Chris Rice' also included the Ivanko at his Gripmas competition this past year, I bought one. After owning it now for maybe 6 months, I have to say, that Ivanko is a much under rated tool. Also, for the price (just over $32) the value is hard to match. The handles are also smooth so this tool could also avoid the sensitive skin issue you mentioned. If the lowest strength setting with two springs proves to hard for your wife, you could always remove one of the springs so the Ivanko could be set a an extremely low level of resistance. The Vulcan could also be set to a extremely low level of resistance if you remove the spring and just use a series of rubber bands. [please note: I am NOT sponsored by Ivanko in any way; nor have I accepted any free products from companies that sell them. I also have nothing against the Vulcan. The World of Grip makes some great stuff and I have many of David Horne's products including the Vulcan.] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dax Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 It might be useful to look at the used section on CPW, currently there is a (filed) Guide at 31lb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitivebeasty Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 Rich, thanks for pointing that out. I was kicking the idea around, but she has narrow hands so I think a top-heavy gripper would prove a poor choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitivebeasty Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 I just looked at the used section on cpw and also saw a silvis velociraptor on there - for $37. There isn't a new one to compare price to, but the other silvis adjustables aren't so much. Was this model discontinued or something? We were considering one of those but the price is hard to swallow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 On 1/31/2018 at 8:27 AM, Lucasraymond said: Lowest level zenith would definitely be a starting point but you may just be able to get away with the plastic handled ones you can get from somewhere like Walmart or even an adjustable hand gripper which are like $10. In related news, we have those exact adjustables on the way right now. They'll be up on the site in February. They are EXCELLENT for women and also actually INCREDIBLE for pinch training too. I think we got 6 different colors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 9 hours ago, Primitivebeasty said: I just looked at the used section on cpw and also saw a silvis velociraptor on there - for $37. There isn't a new one to compare price to, but the other silvis adjustables aren't so much. Was this model discontinued or something? We were considering one of those but the price is hard to swallow. Hey there! You actually pointed out an error, whether intentionally or not. That used Velociraptor was the wrong price since we lowered the price on the new grippers. I updated the price on the used one. LINK It's $32.00 but does include the scored and rated mark on the handle so it can be reliably reset at 45 lbs (usually a $6.50 upcharge on top of $29.99 for the gripper). The new Silvis grippers can be found here and Velociraptor is $29.99: https://cannonpowerworks.com/collections/silvis-dinosaur-hunter-adjustables. Might be the way to go because if it's her first one to train with, there is no real reason you need a rating on there. The Heavy Grips recommendation is actually pretty good too. The knurling is very forgiving, probably even more-so than Silvis, and if it's too much you really can tape the handle. (Or do what I like to do which is only tape "hot spots" on your hand). I just can't imagine it would be too sharp. The big question with the HG100 is whether a 50# rating would be too hard to start. We would work with you on a swap if needed. That's where the Velociraptor might come in handy though. You can adjust that down quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitivebeasty Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 Hey Cannon, are the Velociraptors out of stock at the moment? When do you expect more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 1 hour ago, Primitivebeasty said: Hey Cannon, are the Velociraptors out of stock at the moment? When do you expect more? Oh yikes. I sent you a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitivebeasty Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 Thanks Matt! Sent you a PM in reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dax Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 For knurling that is too sharp you can avoid the tape option (which I think you said you didn't want to do) by sanding any sharp areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitivebeasty Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 That's a great idea Dax. We've decided to go with a Velociraptor, and if the knurling is too much for her I'm definitely going to do that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fist of Fury Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 If you go with the SIlvis adjustables you might as well ask someone who works with metal to make handles without knurling for you, it's very easy, if you know someone in that business. Or you could buy extra handles and sand them down completely, I think they sell them separately, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fist of Fury Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 On 2018-02-01 at 11:43 AM, richcottrell said: Another thing to point out about the Vulcan --and have NO idea if this also applies to the RBA: It is a big gripper. It's spread is not just wider, but it is on the heavier side of things. When you combine the heavier weight and the larger size, it might make the tool something she will NOT want to use. It is not that the Vulcan's physical weight is super heavy, but it is top heavy as half of the grippers weight rests above your hand. It is not necessarily a deal breaker, but I own one, and I thought this would be something to point out. But once you have the Vulcan set partially closed, the smooth handles should feel nice if her sensitive skin is your main concern. That said, the Ivanko Super Gripper, while it is also very big in size, feels lighter then the Vulcan [even with two springs on the Ivanko versus just one spring on the Vulcan] More importantly, the Ivanko has a much smaller spread so it is easy to use as there is no setting involved. I never would have bought an Ivanko Super Gripper as I always thought the thing looked massive, but after attending Gripmas in 2016 where the Ivanko Super Gripper was contested as one of the events, and when Chris Rice' also included the Ivanko at his Gripmas competition this past year, I bought one. After owning it now for maybe 6 months, I have to say, that Ivanko is a much under rated tool. Also, for the price (just over $32) the value is hard to match. The handles are also smooth so this tool could also avoid the sensitive skin issue you mentioned. If the lowest strength setting with two springs proves to hard for your wife, you could always remove one of the springs so the Ivanko could be set a an extremely low level of resistance. The Vulcan could also be set to a extremely low level of resistance if you remove the spring and just use a series of rubber bands. [please note: I am NOT sponsored by Ivanko in any way; nor have I accepted any free products from companies that sell them. I also have nothing against the Vulcan. The World of Grip makes some great stuff and I have many of David Horne's products including the Vulcan.] My Vulcan is 1.2 kg and RBA is 1.0 kg. Vulcan is a bit bigger. You can easily cheat set these grippers also by grabbing them above the spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wobbler Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Don't forget you only touch about half the handle when you are closing a gripper. The other side of the handle doesn't contact the hand. So with the silvis adjustable (good call) you can modify 180* of it by sanding as mentioned, and rotate the handle if you decide you want the sharper knurling later. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fist of Fury Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 50 minutes ago, wobbler said: Don't forget you only touch about half the handle when you are closing a gripper. The other side of the handle doesn't contact the hand. So with the silvis adjustable (good call) you can modify 180* of it by sanding as mentioned, and rotate the handle if you decide you want the sharper knurling later. Haha, yes that would work as well and you would also get a tiny bit of beyond the range training by doing so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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