Gripper Brands > Fat Bastard Barbell Company (FBBC)

Table of Contents

Fat Bastard Barbell Company, commonly abbreviated FBBC, produced a highly configurable line of torsion-spring grippers. Unlike fixed retail ranges, FBBC offered choices of handle material, diameter, finish, geometry, and length.[1]

FBBC 4X with smooth steel handles

FBBC 4X with smooth steel handles and dumbbell logo. Photo courtesy of Clint Ziegler (liftyzig), via GripperVault.

Documented history

John Beatty announced that FBBC was taking orders for the new grippers on May 19, 2009. His announcement reproduced the catalog specifications, including the standard-spread X through 5X models and the Parallel P1 and P2 models.[6]

An archived FBBC home page describes the grippers as a new addition and links to both the FBBC line and special-edition Robert Baraban grippers. That page was captured in April 2010 and displays a last-updated date of May 19, 2009.[2]

A July 2009 GripBoard review documents a customer purchasing six of the new FBBC grippers in different materials and configurations. The timing and listed models provide independent evidence that the line was shipping by mid-2009.[3]

The surviving FBBC gripper page later reported that only a small number of springs remained from the original batch and that the original spring supplier was no longer in business.[4]

Handle options

The archived catalog offered round handles in aluminum, steel, or brass. Buyers could choose smooth or knurled finishes and diameters of 5/8 inch, 3/4 inch, or 1 inch. Brass was offered in the same three diameters, with a higher listed price for the 1-inch version.[1]

FBBC also advertised non-knurled 3/4-inch hex handles in aluminum, steel, or brass. Custom work was explicitly offered, including one or two extended handles, handle lengths from 6 inches up to 12 inches, and combinations such as one smooth handle with one knurled handle.[1]

Documented spring levels

The following spring-wire diameters appear in the archived catalog and in Beatty's May 19, 2009 announcement. He explicitly clarified that the figures were wire sizes, not poundage estimates or RGC ratings.[1][6]

Configuration Model Listed wire size
Standard spread X .243 inch
Standard spread 2X .250 inch
Standard spread 3X .272 inch
Standard spread 4X .283 inch
Standard spread 5X .306 inch
Parallel handles P1 .343 inch
Parallel handles P2 .375 inch

The same basic model could therefore appear with very different handles. Material, diameter, knurling, spread, logo, and custom handle length are all useful identification details.

P1 and P2: the Parallel series

FBBC P1 Parallel-series gripper from liftyzig’s collection

FBBC P1 with dumbbell logo. Photo: Clint Ziegler (liftyzig), via GripperVault.[8]

The P designation identifies the Parallel series. Beatty listed P1 and P2 under that heading, separately from the standard-spread models. Despite the name, the production specification placed the handles five degrees wider than parallel to accommodate initial spring seasoning.[6]

His development posts explain two related design choices. On May 13, 2009, Beatty reported that a near-No. 3 spring configured at parallel was easy enough for a two-finger close, prompting the use of much thicker wire. On May 14, he explained that widening the handles by five degrees would also provide more closing travel, because true parallel left too little range of motion.[7]

The large .343-inch and .375-inch springs therefore served a deliberately narrow-starting configuration. Their wire sizes alone should not be used to equate the P models with conventional full-spread grippers.[6][7]

Identification

Known examples include aluminum, brass, and steel handles, both smooth and knurled. Some later-recorded specimens carry an FBBC dumbbell logo. Because FBBC encouraged custom orders, two grippers with the same spring designation may not have the same handle configuration.

Individual examples can be studied through collection records such as the FBBC 4X and FBBC P1 in liftyzig's GripperVault collection.[5]

References

  1. Archived FBBC gripper catalog, May 27, 2010. ↩
  2. Archived Fat Bastard Barbell Company home page, captured April 8, 2010. ↩
  3. Review of the First FBBC Grippers, GripBoard, July 8, 2009. ↩
  4. FBBC grippers, Fat Bastard Barbell Company, accessed September 16, 2026. ↩
  5. FBBC 4X, GripperVault.

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  6. John Beatty, FBBC Grippers - Taking Orders, GripBoard, May 19, 2009. Manufacturer announcement reproducing the spring-size table, Parallel designation and five-degree allowance for seasoning; subsequent reply clarifies that the numbers are wire sizes. ↩
  7. John Beatty, FBBC Grippers Tested Today! Need Feedback, GripBoard, May 13-14, 2009. Prototype testing, heavier Parallel springs and additional range of motion.

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  8. GripperVault, FBBC P1, liftyzig collection, specimen photograph. ↩

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