Gripper Brands > Python Grip

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Python Grip

Python Grip was an Israeli maker of custom torsion-spring hand grippers operated by Yuri Gechelin. Period sources document the brand from at least July 2011 through August 2012. The former website, pythongrip.com, is no longer an active gripper storefront.[1][2]

Black-handled Python Grip beside a Captains of Crush gripper

Python Grip with black aluminum handles, shown beside a Captains of Crush gripper. Photograph by Joe Musselwhite, 2011.[1]

  • Maker: Yuri Gechelin
  • Country: Israel
  • Known period: 2011-2012
  • Status: No current production or official storefront located
  • Former website: pythongrip.com

Custom construction

Python Grip did not rely on a fixed retail ladder alone. A 2011 owner report described grippers made to a requested RGC resistance and individually calibrated before delivery. Buyers could also request custom engraving.[1] The standard brand marking was Python Grip engraved on one handle.

Documented options included:[1]

Component Documented choices
Spring direction Right-wound or left-wound
Handle surface Knurled or smooth
Handle finish Multiple colors, including black
Spring finish Silver or black
Resistance Specified by the customer and reported in RGC
Marking Standard brand engraving and optional custom engraving

The commonly photographed versions used aluminum handles. Springs were described as zinc treated for corrosion resistance.[1] Because orders could be customized, two surviving Python Grip grippers should not be assumed to have identical dimensions or difficulty.

Left-handed grippers

Spring direction was a prominent part of the line. In August 2011, IRONARM.NET published photographs of a complete left-handed set made for Swedish grip athlete Bjorn Stahl. Its springs were wound counterclockwise.[3] This is useful identification evidence because it confirms that left-wound grippers were produced as a planned set rather than only as isolated special orders.

Spring direction changes how the gripper sits and twists under load. It does not by itself establish a universal difficulty difference; the resistance and geometry of each individual gripper still matter.

Documented variants

Standard full-hand grippers

Joe Musselwhite documented a black-handled, left-wound example that calibrated at 95.7 lb RGC. His 2011 photographs also compare its overall proportions with a Captains of Crush gripper.[1]

Smooth-handle grippers

Smooth aluminum handles were available as an alternative to knurling.[1] This was an unusual factory option among heavy torsion-spring grippers. Smooth handles reduce surface friction and can make retaining the gripper in the hand a distinct part of the attempt.

Two-finger gripper

A January 2012 post records a short-handled, two-finger Python Grip gripper, described at the time as a Python Grip “IMTUG.”[4] That wording was descriptive; IMTUG is an IronMind product name and should not be treated as the formal model name without an original Python Grip catalog.

Titanium-handle gripper

IRONARM.NET documented a Python Grip with titanium handles in August 2012. The photographs were credited to Joe Musselwhite.[2] The surviving post confirms that at least one titanium example existed, but it does not establish whether titanium handles were a standard catalog option or a one-off commission.

Calibration and ratings

Contemporary descriptions state that Python Grip supplied individual RGC calibration figures rather than relying only on nominal poundage labels.[1] The former website also hosted an RGC calculator that was still being linked by gripper collectors in 2014.[5]

An RGC result is the hanging weight required to bring a gripper's handles together in a rating fixture, with the load applied near the end of the handle. It should not be interpreted as the literal force produced by the user's hand, and it should not be compared directly with nominal manufacturer poundage.

The 95.7 lb example documented by Musselwhite is evidence for that individual gripper only. The custom-order system means it is not a model-wide rating.[1]

Other Python Grip equipment

Python Grip also produced related spring equipment. Contemporary posts show a two-hand power twister with interchangeable 30 mm aluminum handles and 7, 7.5, or 8 mm spring wire.[6] A larger power twister called The Beast was described with 10, 11, and 12 mm wire options.[7] These products are relevant to the maker's history but are not hand grippers.

Identification notes

A period Python Grip gripper may have:

  • Python Grip engraved along one handle
  • Aluminum handles in a natural or colored finish
  • Knurled or completely smooth gripping surfaces
  • A silver or black zinc-treated spring
  • A conventional right-wound or counterclockwise left-wound spring
  • A separate individual RGC result rather than a standard model number
  • Optional owner-specific engraving

These traits are not sufficient by themselves to authenticate an example. Clear photographs of both handles, the spring, markings and any calibration documentation are preferable.

Historical record and open questions

The strongest surviving sources are owner photographs and dated posts from 2011-2012. They establish the maker, country, customization system and several variants. The original site is no longer available at its former address, and a complete product catalog has not yet been located.

Further primary material is needed to establish:

  • The exact start and end dates of production
  • A complete resistance range or price list
  • Handle dimensions and spring specifications
  • Whether titanium handles were cataloged or commissioned
  • The details and rules of any Python Grip certification program
  • Packaging, calibration tags and order forms
  • The relationship, if any, between Yuri Gechelin and the Arian Tepper video channel that preserved Python Grip demonstrations

External resources

References

  1. Joe Musselwhite, "Python Grip = High Quality Grippers," *Mighty Joe's Grippers & More*, July 26, 2011. ↩
  2. IRONARM.NET, "Titanium Handle Hand Gripper from Python Grip company," August 8, 2012; photographs credited there to Joe Musselwhite. ↩
  3. IRONARM.NET, "The Full Line of Left Handed Grippers from Python Grip," August 28, 2011. ↩
  4. IRONARM.NET, "Python Grip Two Fingers Gripper," January 25, 2012. ↩
  5. GripBoard, "Gripper Spreadsheet For Various Grippers Compared To CoC," January 7, 2014, linking the former pythongrip.com RGC calculator. The search result is preserved, but the current forum URL requires further recovery. ↩
  6. IRONARM.NET, "Power Twister from Python Grip," January 10, 2012. ↩
  7. IRONARM.NET, "The Beast power twister from Python Grip," April 8, 2012. ↩

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