HG 500

[lone Wolf]

I have a HG 500 gripper #271 would like to know a little bit of the history of it?

[omarlaik]

up

[omarlaik]

i think heavy grip company have Produced a limited number of those grippers, that what i know

[Climber028]

There's 500 of them, not made anymore, people like collecting them. The large handles make it tough to set but it isn't an impossible gripper and multiple people have closed it, some for reps. 

[SkyHeart]

I thought i read somewhere that there was a such thing as an HG600. or Bone Crusher 600. Not here but maybe in a youtube comment. No idea if theres an ounce of truth to it, but i can imagine what that might look like 

[Climber028]

There's a bone crusher 400 and 500, very similar and basically a copy of the heavy grips grippers. The big difference is the color, bone crusher had black handles. 

[Cannon]

We just sold one of each. Bone Crusher 400 and 500. 

The 400 has a smaller spring and tighter coil but this one had a wide spread so it and the 500 both rated the same. 200 lbs. 

[John Knowlton]

I have this same set

[Cannon]

On 11/6/2021 at 6:22 PM, SkyHeart said:

I thought i read somewhere that there was a such thing as an HG600. or Bone Crusher 600. Not here but maybe in a youtube comment. No idea if theres an ounce of truth to it, but i can imagine what that might look like 

Just noticed this. I have never heard of that, nor seen one personally. I'm not saying it doesn't exist for sure, only that I think I would have seen one by now. I do not believe there has been a 600. 

[liftyzig]

On 6/19/2019 at 9:51 AM, Climber028 said:

There's 500 of them, not made anymore, people like collecting them. The large handles make it tough to set but it isn't an impossible gripper and multiple people have closed it, some for reps. 

That's pretty crazy considering my HG350 is rated at 190 something... 

[SkyHeart]

2 hours ago, Cannon said:

Just noticed this. I have never heard of that, nor seen one personally. I'm not saying it doesn't exist for sure, only that I think I would have seen one by now. I do not believe there has been a 600. 

Absolutely. Now that i think again, it may have been a youtube comment and someone's reply to it.. kind of confusing, for I said to myself "wouldn't this have been mentioned by now? " I take your word to heart and agree there may not be one. at least not officially. Maybe someone out there has attempted their own version of what it would be.  ( also thanks for your reply ! ) 

Edited November 9, 2021 by SkyHeart

[Climber028]

2 hours ago, liftyzig said:

That's pretty crazy considering my HG350 is rated at 190 something... 

Originally 350 was going to be the top so that at least makes sense. Then the 400 and 500 came out way later, their large springs would probably be harder with normal handles but the handles in addition to being thicker are also substabailly longer, so the 400 ends up being pretty easy and I've had many people close mine. 500 is still a brick for most tho. 

[bdckr]

On 11/9/2021 at 6:46 PM, Climber028 said:

Originally 350 was going to be the top so that at least makes sense. Then the 400 and 500 came out way later, their large springs would probably be harder with normal handles but the handles in addition to being thicker are also substabailly longer, so the 400 ends up being pretty easy and I've had many people close mine. 500 is still a brick for most tho. 

The HG 350 was actually the most recent in their line of grippers.

The HG 400 and HG 500 came earlier and were only intended as special limited edition grippers.  Heavy Grips used to have a HG 300 certification list (managed by Clay Edgin iirc).  When more and more people were closing the HG 300, and they realized there was a wider demand for something stronger that wasn't being met by the small number of HG 400s and HG 500s, they released the HG 350

[Cannon]

Here is some stuff I could find. 

I searched the board for the first mention of "HG500" and back in 2004 there is a thread about Heavy Grips offering a $500 reward on their website for closing the HG500. The link in that thread is now defunct but I used the date stamp to find the page on Wayback Machine. Pretty interesting. 

The text on that page says they plan on producing 200 of the limited edition grippers "later in 2004." Those details would change quickly.    

There is a nice write-up from Bill at Heavy Sports at the bottom of the page. 

Bill updated the page a few days later with a new message at the top. That is cached here. It says "I just returned from the 2004 IHRSA show in Las Vegas where hundreds of people unsuccessfully tried to close the HG500 including professional bodybuilders and all types of strength athletes. The closest anyone came to close it was IFBB Pro Body Builder Gunter "Mr. Universe" Schlierkamp. He grabbed onto the HG500 and squeezed it within a 1/2" his first try. He then tried it again with his left hand and got it within 1/4"."

Then, in October of 2004 they started offering a pre-sale of the Limited Edition HG400 and HG500. Their ordering page says at that time there were less than 300 left of 650, but that 650 figure of total HG400s and HG500s would change before they were done. There is a link to follow for more information. That page suggests the whole point behind these limited editions was to celebrate 10,000 Heavy Grips sold in 2004 as well as their 5th anniversary. You could buy a combo of both grippers for $100 to ship before the end of 2004 although that was not actually a discount as the individual grippers were $50/ea. The combo got you free shipping. This page also clarifies, "There are only 400 'HG400 Heavy Grip Ltd. Editions' being produced and 300 'HG500's' being produced EVER." There are a ton of facts about the grippers at the bottom of the page. 

They do mention the Serial #1 grippers would be auctioned for charity. This was in December of 2004. By January 15th of 2005 this page for HG400 and HG500 no longer mentions the auction so it either happened or they decided to do something else. I could not find any information about the actual auction or how/where it took place. I also cannot find any evidence the $500 bounty was ever claimed.  

  

[bdckr]

That's really interesting, thanks for doing the research!  

A really interesting part is that they are both solid steel handles.  I've read it is a big hassle to get knurling on solid steel, which is why so few grippers feature both steel handles and knurling.  

[stranger]

I bought mine off a member on here about a decade ago, maybe longer. 

Managed a no set with the 400

 

 

[stranger]

Picture of the handles and sn's

[John Knowlton]

Very cool 

[josé adalton]

These non-conventional grippers are marvelous for collectors. What's their spring measurement of them? What makes that golden colored in the spring? Is it just a painting?

[Cannon]

6 hours ago, josé adalton said:

Is it just a painting?

Plating, I believe. Like how you can chrome plate pretty much anything. 

[Climber028]

Almost certain they are plated with yellow zinc, exactly what is used on a grade 8 bolt. Spring measurement is 0.354" or about 9mm

[Maiche 25]

Hello, I discovered a strange gripper. It appears to be a heavy grip 400. It weighs almost a kilo, the handles are made of steel, it seems authentic but there are no indications on the ends of the handles. There is the inscription 400 inside the handles which don't seem to be there usually. Is this a copy or a real one?

[Cannon]

1 hour ago, Maiche 25 said:

Hello, I discovered a strange gripper.

Looks like yours has a reverse-wound spring. I think it’s unlikely to be Heavy Grips and as above they engraved the ends of the handles. But there are a few iterations of this gripper, likely all originating from the same couple manufacturers. All the same, they are pretty rare. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one for sale. 

[Maiche 25]

Thanks Matt! Yes it should not be a heavy grip. Another difference is the distance between the handles, some can TNS a real heavy grip 400 and there it is so enormous that even Mark Félix must not be able to grip them well. The gripper is completely new and I want to leave it as it is but the RGC seems huge, well above a coc 3.5 and no less than a coc 3 like a real one.

[Maiche 25]