Atomgripz 303z Steel Grippers

[BenMorrissey]

Interesting timing on the above - was just looking for this post to update with a review!

Atomgripz are now producing a steel version of the grippers, with custom selection for handle mounting (all of the grippers in this mini review are at normal mounting height), for steel there was a choice of knurl (normal or extreme), etc. I have a set of narrow spread with normal knurl, and normal spread with extreme knurl. Given that these are customisable I'll clarify in the photos as part of this review which are which.

I've always been a fan of steel grippers, and have a few steel-handled grippers, such as the original Atomgripz, one Manus gripper (before they became Silvis, I think), one FBBC gripper, and a random Japanese gripper. The weight always feels better in terms of hand feel, given that the balance ends up in your palm rather than above. For lighter grippers it doesn't make much of a difference, but with heavier springs it certainly feels like the balance is off (like a sword which doesn't balance at the hilt). I have weighed the 5-band with steel handles, which was 535g (roughly 1.2lbs). The new 5-band spring mounted on the old stock (i.e. original Atomgripz run) handles weighs 323g (roughly 0.7lbs). The result is a substantially heavier gripper, which tends to give a more premium feel (to be clear, I have nothing against aluminium grippers - they're the most popular and available, and will continue to buy more).

Photo 1:

(4-band 303z Steel handles in normal spread and extreme knurl

Photo 2:

4-band 303z Steel handles as above, with the 5-band spring mounted on old stock (i.e. original run Atomgripz handles). The difference in colour can clearly be seen, as well as the knurling. The knurling on the initial run of Atomgripz was typically sharp.

Photo 3: 

The same two grippers as Photo #2, but close up to show the knurling. The extreme knurling is much coarser, with deeper valleys. Based on closing, it definitely feels like it grips the hands more than the original Atomgripz and the normal knurl. Going forward only normal knurl is available, which is shown below, but I believe it would be enough for most people.

Photo 4:

From top to bottom: 5-band with old stock aluminium handle, 4-band 303z steel handle with normal knurl, 4-band 303z steel handle with extreme knurl. You can see that the valleys of the extreme knurl are significantly deeper than the normal and old stock handles

Photo 5:

Full set of 303z handles, normal knurl, narrow spread. The 1-band feels heavier than any of the aluminium-handled Atomgripz. They definitely feel more premium. Consistency of mounting, handle quality, etc. are all top-notch. No complaints (except that the 5-band is so far out of my abilities, but that is more of a personal thing). 

Photo 6:

The gripper behind is a 303z prototype 4-band. The handles are the same as the production grippers, the difference is the internal diameter of the winding. Slightly hard to compare to the gripper above since the prototype is normal spread and the gripper in front is narrow, but the spring for narrow is effectively the same as the normal spread. The winding is much wider, and definitely feels like more of a brick compared to a normal 4. The gripper in front is a 303z handled 4-band in narrow spread.

Photo 7:

A comparison of the same two grippers above, in the same order. As noted above, the handle spread is different as the prototype is normal spread, with the gripper in front being the production 4-band in narrow. The winding is significantly larger, but the wire gauge is the same. 

 

Overall, I'm very happy with the quality and feel of these grippers. The jump between the 3 and the 4 is a little big (and where my grip is at the moment), but I feel that a high mounted 3 or low mounted 4 would help bridge the gap. As it stands, I'm very happy to have some unique pieces (such as the old stock handles mounted on new springs, the 303z prototype, etc) and the 303z steels will definitely feature in my training. 

I have some other prototypes which I've been meaning to take photos of and post, so will share those at some point some. Thanks to @lloyd80s for the production quality of these grippers, the speed of producing them, and communication overall given the larger size of the order given the level of customisability. 

I'd love to get them rated but I think the shipping cost would be a bit too much (not to mention fun at customs) to send out to CPW, but I'm definitely considering it.

[degradated]

15 hours ago, BenMorrissey said:

Thanks to @lloyd80s for the production quality of these grippers, the speed of producing them, and communication overall given the larger size of the order given the level of customisability. 

I'd love to get them rated but I think the shipping cost would be a bit too much (not to mention fun at customs) to send out to CPW, but I'm definitely considering it.

Hey Ben, thanks very much for posting this! Lloyd and I have a deal in the process for a full set of 6 in narrow spread, polished springs, high mount. I definitely plan on getting all of them CPW rated, so if you don't get a chance to send yours out at least you would have an idea what they might fall in ballparkwise when I get my ratings back, though yours might be slightly different configurations?

Those AtomGripz photos you posted, especially the new 303z, look so freaking nice!

Here's a sneak peek of a 1 and 2 band he's made for me thus far... 

[BenMorrissey]

5 hours ago, degradated said:

Hey Ben, thanks very much for posting this! Lloyd and I have a deal in the process for a full set of 6 in narrow spread, polished springs, high mount. I definitely plan on getting all of them CPW rated, so if you don't get a chance to send yours out at least you would have an idea what they might fall in ballparkwise when I get my ratings back, though yours might be slightly different configurations?

Those AtomGripz photos you posted, especially the new 303z, look so freaking nice!

Here's a sneak peek of a 1 and 2 band he's made for me thus far...

 

That'd be good information to know! I have ordered mine all in normal mount and narrow spread, though I'm likely going to get a high mount 3 and low mount 4 as well, so having the RGC for the high mount 3 would definitely be useful. I'd expect the low mount 4 to still be noticeably heavier, but hopefully close the gap a bit.

I assume you don't have your grippers yet - but I can vouch for their feel, they're great in the hand. In terms of ratings my normal spread normal mount 3-band feels around a 2.5, but my right hand is also slightly injured at the moment. The narrow 3-band (normal mount) feels closer to mid 110s, but it's slightly harder to gauge since my injury flares up in wider hand positions. I can't close the 4 band (not even close) so couldn't give a rough estimate of rating unfortunately

[degradated]

7 minutes ago, BenMorrissey said:

That'd be good information to know! I have ordered mine all in normal mount and narrow spread, though I'm likely going to get a high mount 3 and low mount 4 as well, so having the RGC for the high mount 3 would definitely be useful. I'd expect the low mount 4 to still be noticeably heavier, but hopefully close the gap a bit.

I assume you don't have your grippers yet - but I can vouch for their feel, they're great in the hand. In terms of ratings my normal spread normal mount 3-band feels around a 2.5, but my right hand is also slightly injured at the moment. The narrow 3-band (normal mount) feels closer to mid 110s, but it's slightly harder to gauge since my injury flares up in wider hand positions. I can't close the 4 band (not even close) so couldn't give a rough estimate of rating unfortunately

Ahhhh, gotcha! I'm guessing that the high mount + narrow spread will drop the ratings significantly enough where closing a 4-band for me might be doable if closer to 150 RGC.

So the narrow spread 3-band vs. regular spread 3-band sounds like about a ~10 lb difference from what you describe... (?) Good to know, thanks!

Injuries are no fun, I hope you heal up quickly!

[BenMorrissey]

20 hours ago, degradated said:

Ahhhh, gotcha! I'm guessing that the high mount + narrow spread will drop the ratings significantly enough where closing a 4-band for me might be doable if closer to 150 RGC.

So the narrow spread 3-band vs. regular spread 3-band sounds like about a ~10 lb difference from what you describe... (?) Good to know, thanks!

Injuries are no fun, I hope you heal up quickly!

Thanks! It's feeling a bit better, I'd been away from grippers for a while and attempting max closes didn't feel good. Throw in some bending and sledgehammer work and it makes the wrist feel a bit sore.

That reduction in RGC is only an estimate, could be closer to 15lbs. I will try again later when I have some time and come back with a better idea of what difference I'm seeing. Obviously not accounting for general variability etc.

 

[king crusher]

They look nice. 

[John Knowlton]

way cool

some day 

[C8Myotome]

They look cool but I personally find the 100-110 dollar price tag very difficult to justify when you have no idea how heavy it's going to be.

I was told 4 band is like coc 3, 5 band is like coc 3.7 etc, even that's vague, then you throw in adding in spread and mount changes, I would have no idea what to expect.

More (customization) options isn't always better, I'd prefer a more spread out lineup of grippers that is usable and know what range they will be in, as there's a very narrow window or unfiled grippers that I would actually use.

I guess I'll keep an eye out for possible future used or pre-rated, they're just currently 4x the price of a CoC for even more unpredictability, and with Standard being a third to a quarter of the price and being in a fine tuned range I much prefer those options.

It would just be such a nicer and better selling lineup with things people will actually use and therefore be more inclined to buy...something of that quality in mass production at a reasonable price could easily outperform other more well known brands.

Edited Monday at 07:46 PM by C8Myotome

[degradated]

On 9/16/2024 at 12:45 PM, C8Myotome said:

They look cool but I personally find the 100-110 dollar price tag very difficult to justify when you have no idea how heavy it's going to be.

I was told 4 band is like coc 3, 5 band is like coc 3.7 etc, even that's vague, then you throw in adding in spread and mount changes, I would have no idea what to expect.

More (customization) options isn't always better, I'd prefer a more spread out lineup of grippers that is usable and know what range they will be in, as there's a very narrow window or unfiled grippers that I would actually use.

I guess I'll keep an eye out for possible future used or pre-rated, they're just currently 4x the price of a CoC for even more unpredictability, and with Standard being a third to a quarter of the price and being in a fine tuned range I much prefer those options.

It would just be such a nicer and better selling lineup with things people will actually use and therefore be more inclined to buy...something of that quality in mass production at a reasonable price could easily outperform other more well known brands.

I totally get where you're coming from. It is difficult to justify spending that much on a gripper that might not be the ideal rating, but what about waiting until other people get them over the coming weeks/months, have them Cannon rated, read reviews, etc so you can make a more informed purchase?

To me, if I'm going to use something almost everyday, I am willing to spend a bit more on it. These new 303z, with all the customization options, seem like some of the nicest grippers that have ever been produced. It's great to be a part of this timeline in history where these are available and can be used as strength building tools, along with eventually being collector's items too.

[C8Myotome]

24 minutes ago, degradated said:

I totally get where you're coming from. It is difficult to justify spending that much on a gripper that might not be the ideal rating, but what about waiting until other people get them over the coming weeks/months, have them Cannon rated, read reviews, etc so you can make a more informed purchase?

To me, if I'm going to use something almost everyday, I am willing to spend a bit more on it. These new 303z, with all the customization options, seem like some of the nicest grippers that have ever been produced. It's great to be a part of this timeline in history where these are available and can be used as strength building tools, along with eventually being collector's items too.

I'd be interested in looking at a table of data on them, but it's like comparing a $10 five guy's cheeseburger to a $40+ random no name street vendor burger.

At the end of the day a gripper is a spring with handles on it, it's a few pieces of metal. They all do the same thing. You have to admit that some of what factors into a gripper's price stops at functionality, and begins at just aesthetics. If you were blind and given a GHP and a Standard you would never be able to tell the difference, however GHP always cost more due to the extra work of being more fancy with the visual aspect of them (end caps, multiple lines, glossy springs etc).

A certain percent of the Atomgripz line is very undeniably more for novelty/looking at; nobody is closing a 6 band ever unless it's a high mounted narrow one that maybe Carl could close, and I think I saw someone chest crush an old one on youtube. But other than that most people are also never going to close, or even make a feasible attempt at a 5 band.

So that's already one third (33%) of the entire Atomgripz lineup that is essentially useless for the everyday person. I just don't really understand the business aspect of designing the lineup this way. It would be like selling a lineup of computers where half them don't even run.

Just to compare this to the CoC lineup, this number is a bit lower, at 10-20% being essentially useless for the average person (most people have no use for a 4, more people will use 3.5's than a 5 band, but still most people won't ever need to actually use a 3.5).

[degradated]

3 minutes ago, C8Myotome said:

I'd be interested in looking at a table of data on them, but it's like comparing a $10 five guy's cheeseburger to a $40+ random no name street vendor burger.

At the end of the day a gripper is a spring with handles on it, it's a few pieces of metal. They all do the same thing. You have to admit that some of what factors into a gripper's price stops at functionality, and begins at just aesthetics. If you were blind and given a GHP and a Standard you would never be able to tell the difference, however GHP always cost more due to the extra work of being more fancy with the visual aspect of them (end caps, multiple lines, glossy springs etc).

A certain percent of the Atomgripz line is very undeniably more for novelty/looking at; nobody is closing a 6 band ever unless it's a high mounted narrow one that maybe Carl could close, and I think I saw someone chest crush an old one on youtube. But other than that most people are also never going to close, or even make a feasible attempt at a 5 band.

So that's already one third (33%) of the entire Atomgripz lineup that is essentially useless for the everyday person. I just don't really understand the business aspect of designing the lineup this way. It would be like selling a lineup of computers where half them don't even run.

Just to compare this to the CoC lineup, this number is a bit lower, at 10-20% being essentially useless for the average person (most people have no use for a 4, more people will use 3.5's than a 5 band, but still most people won't ever need to actually use a 3.5).

I agree on many levels. However, I don't think Lloyd is attempting to mass produce these at the price point they are at, mainly. I think he is trying to appeal to the gripsters that take it fairly seriously (like you and me) and make a product that would undeniably be the creme de la creme of grippers.

I'm not sure that analogy is fair, as AtomGripz is not the no-name street vendor that nobody has heard of, in my opinion. From the little that I know, this company has been around for a number of years and has a (small), but established following. You aren't necessarily taking a huge risk on an unknown brand.

I do agree that it is a little silly to have 1/3 of the product line unusable, but these grippers are more for collectors, enthusiasts and people who appreciate quality. Not everybody distinguishes between a high and low end product, which is perfectly fine. I have friends that think I'm nuts for using a $1,000+ cannabis pipe, when a $5 one gets the job done just the same. To each their own.

[Carl Myerscough]

I agree with all the points raised. I don't think you need the whole range, and they're not going to get you any stronger than cheaper grippers. However, a gripper is a gripper and a car is a car. A Ford or Toyota will get you from A to B just fine, but there are plenty that wouldn't mind having a customized Bentley in the garage, and that's what we have here.

[Slipshod]

Part of it is that it was started up years ago and then discontinued for specific reasons, which have been delved into before, and has only just returned after a 10~ year absence. If GHP returned in 10 years time with a new line of equal or better quality then I could see them running out of stock quickly.

I checked through my old email address to find the original invoice I had for my Tri Band smooth gun metal from 2011, and it was £23 (at the time that would be around $40). Maybe some of the price is related to the brand name, but costs have definitely increased significantly. GHP stopped because the margins were not enough to continue, despite making a high quality product.

[Grepm.m]

31 minutes ago, Slipshod said:

GHP stopped because the margins were not enough to continue, despite making a high quality product.

And now they’re a $100! 

[degradated]

34 minutes ago, Grepm.m said:

And now they’re a $100! 

I paid close to $200 for one of my GHPs! I can only see the prices going up from here, as time passes, demand increases and available stock becomes more and more limited. You might come across a random listing somewhere where the person doesn't know what they have - however, as I've seen before, Matt at Cannon in particular informed a seller that they massively underpriced their Gen 1s. That was a class act move on his part and should be exercised more... I don't like to see people taken advantage of. I did get a GHP2 for as little as $20 in an eBay package deal, but this was a while ago before the company closure announcement and before things started blowing up where everybody & their mother wants one now. 

Sooooooo, with that being said, GHP did make a mighty fine product, I just feel that for the same price (or less), AtomGripz can be a great substitute/alternative and the final product is substantially better overall (debatable but IMO undeniable). I haven't heard of any other gripper company that uses stainless steel handles, has customizable options and fit+finish made to perfection. Resale value should/could be substantial as well, depending on lots of factors, though. I don't see it being out of the question if 303Z's sold for $750-$1000 a piece (in 10 years time, let's say). I know that Lloyd uses nothing but the best materials & spends a lot of man hours polishing and perfecting the final product. As the grip scene grows (hopefully), so should demand for high-end equipment. You will always have people that want the full set of 10 grippers for $40, and they might get the job done, but as Carl said, some people like to drive a Bentley.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by degradated

[deadgrip]

I for one am very happy Lloyd came back-  it’s not often a LONG gone gripper maker returns and much less comes back with new ideas and super quality.

Imagine Tettings came back?

imagine PDA came back?

imagine GHP came back?

imagine Atomgripz came back? 

Right.  They did. Now go and get some if you want them OR never had a chance.