Have you wondered: What is the hardest gripper?

Where do my grippers lie?

What grippers can I get to bridge the gap between what I am closing now and my goal gripper?

Questions such as these are why you have to join THE GRIPBOARD.

Everything regarding Grip Strength has been discussed. If there is something that hasn’t, then you should bring it up.

In most cases, all you have to do is use the search function and you get what you need. Recently, a member on the Gripboard, Sultan_of_Spin, dug up a gem of a thread, originally started by Stalwart Sentinal. Within the post was the succession of Grippers from the easiest, the IronMind Guide, to the toughest, the RBWT (Robert Baraban’s World’s Toughest). Here is the hierarchy according to Stalwart Sentinel’s research. Take in mind that grippers with the same name can vary. For instance, due to changes made in spring material, the original Heavy Grips 300 I have is much tougher than the newer one I have. Still, even with variance in mind, this is an excellent list to base your purchases and training choices upon. THE GRIPPER HIERARCHY – WHERE DO MY GRIPPERS LIE?

 

IM Guide 60 lbs

RB70

IM Sport 80 lbs

HG100 .225

BB Beginner 100 lbs

HG150 .225

COC T 100 lbs

RB130N

RB100

RB160N

RB130

RB180N .235 BB

Advanced 140 lbs .235

COC #1 140 lbs

HG200 .241

COC 2004 #1 153 lbs

PDA243 .250

COC 2006 #1.5 168 lbs

.250 BB Super Advanced 173 lbs

GM1 cert gripper RB210N

HG250 RB160 .260

BB Master 195 lbs .260

COC #2 195 lbs

RB180 RB240N

PDA262 RB260N .273

COC 2006 #2.5 238 lbs

HG300 .275

BB Super Master 255 lbs

GM2 cert gripper

RB210 HG400 .281

BB Grand Master 280lbs .281

COC #3 280 lbs .277 RB240 .283

COC 2005 #3 290 lbs

GM3 cert gripper

RB300N HG350 .277

RB260 .295 spring, 1/4″ mount, 2.75 width

MMG1 * 306 lbs .295 spring, 3/16″ mount, 2.75 width

MMG2 * 315 lbs .295

BB Elite 320 lbs .294

COC 2006 #3.5 323 lbs

RB330N .306 spring, 1/4″ mount, 2.75 width MMG3 * 335 lbs .295

RB300 .306 spring, 3/16” mount, 2.75 width

MMG4 * 345 lbs .306

BB Super Elite 345 lbs .312

BB Grand Elite 365 lbs

RB330 .312

COC #4 365 lbs

.353 HG500

RB365 .331

BB Pro 430 lbs .345

BB World Class 470 lbs

.353? BB Galaxy 565 lbs .362

BB Super Galaxy .375

BB Grand Galaxy RBWT

Remember, some grippers will turn out weaker than others due to inconsistencies in the manufacturing process, but this gripper scale is a very accurate guide to how grippers line up according to difficulty. How well you keep them conditioned is also a factor. For years, I never cleaned any of my grippers, and because of this, they have gotten rusty which gradually makes them harder to close because the spring binds up somewhat. As you can see, there is a variety terms on this list. Here is a legend for all of the descriptors used.

The 3-place decimal number = spring size measured on a micrometer, expressed in thousandths of an inch. RB – Robert Baraban Gripper IM – IronMind Captains of Crush HG – Heavy Grips Gripper COC – IronMind Captains of Crush PDA – Piedmont Design Associates (made and sold grippers up until about 2004.) PDA285, PDA262 – These numbers dictate spring size. PDA sold their grippers by spring size. The numbers represent thousandths of an inch. GM – Grippermania.com Certification Gripper (The number tells you the level) N – Narrow. RB will make grippers with a narrow or wider handle spread. BB – Beef Builder Again, this information came from a thread started on the Gripboard by StalwartSentinel http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtopic=24458&hl= I appreciate the effort he put forth in putting this list together.

THE GRIPPER HIERARCHY – WHERE DO MY GRIPPERS LIE?

Recently, there was an innovation put together by Greg Amidon and Dave Morton that tests the amount of weight needed to close a gripper, called the Redneck Gripper Calibrator. In the future, I plan to get one of these devices to begin rating my own grippers, but at this time I do not have any information to contribute about it. Look for more down the line. In the meantime, please check out DieselCrew.com and TheGripAuthority.com for more information

 

Re-posted with permission dieselcrew.com