Old version by GripperBot on 2026-09-16 15:34:14 compared to new version by GripperBot on 2026-09-16 15:34:34
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| 1 | 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] | ||
| 2 | |||
| 3 |  | ||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | *FBBC 4 with smooth steel handles and dumbbell logo. Photo courtesy of Clint Ziegler (liftyzig), via [GripperVault](https://www.grippervault.com/grippers/798).* | ||
| 6 | |||
| 7 | ## Documented history | ||
| 8 | |||
| 9 | 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] | ||
| 10 | |||
| 11 | 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] | ||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | 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] | ||
| 14 | |||
| 15 | ## Handle options | ||
| 16 | |||
| 17 | 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] | ||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | 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] | ||
| 20 | |||
| 21 | The catalog described a separate parallel-handle configuration. These handles were actually set five degrees beyond parallel, which FBBC said was intended to allow for spring seasoning.[^1] | ||
| 22 | |||
| 23 | ## Documented spring levels | ||
| 24 | |||
| 25 | The archived catalog identified the grippers by wire size. These figures describe spring wire diameter and should not be read as closing-force ratings. | ||
| 26 | |||
| 27 | | Configuration | Model | Listed wire size | | ||
| 28 | | --- | --- | --- | | ||
| 29 | | Standard spread | X | .243 inch | | ||
| 30 | | Standard spread | 2X | .250 inch | | ||
| 31 | | Standard spread | 3X | .272 inch | | ||
| 32 | | Standard spread | 4X | .283 inch | | ||
| 33 | | Standard spread | 5X | .306 inch | | ||
| 34 | | Parallel handles | P1 | .343 inch | | ||
| 35 | | Parallel handles | P2 | .375 inch | | ||
| 36 | |||
| 37 | 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. | ||
| 38 | |||
| 39 | ## Identification | ||
| 40 | |||
| 41 | 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. | ||
| 42 | |||
| 43 | Individual examples can be studied through collection records such as the [FBBC 4](https://www.grippervault.com/grippers/798) and [FBBC P1](https://www.grippervault.com/grippers/799) in liftyzig's GripperVault collection.[^5] | ||
| 44 | |||
| 45 | ## Preservation links | ||
| 46 | |||
| 47 | - [FBBC home page, April 8, 2010](https://web.archive.org/web/20100408054850id_/http://www.fatbastardbarbellco.com/) | ||
| 48 | - [FBBC gripper catalog, May 27, 2010](https://web.archive.org/web/20100527193727id_/http://www.fatbastardbarbellco.com/fbbcgrippers.html) | ||
| 49 | - [Current surviving FBBC gripper page](https://www.fatbastardbarbellco.com/fbbcgrippers.html) | ||
| 50 | - [2009 GripBoard review of the first FBBC grippers](https://www.gripboard.com/topic/32407-review-of-the-first-fbbc-grippers/) | ||
| 51 | |||
| 52 | [^1]: [Archived FBBC gripper catalog](https://web.archive.org/web/20100527193727id_/http://www.fatbastardbarbellco.com/fbbcgrippers.html), May 27, 2010. | ||
| 53 | [^2]: [Archived Fat Bastard Barbell Company home page](https://web.archive.org/web/20100408054850id_/http://www.fatbastardbarbellco.com/), captured April 8, 2010. | ||
| 54 | [^3]: [Review of the First FBBC Grippers](https://www.gripboard.com/topic/32407-review-of-the-first-fbbc-grippers/), GripBoard, July 8, 2009. | ||
| 55 | [^4]: [FBBC grippers](https://www.fatbastardbarbellco.com/fbbcgrippers.html), Fat Bastard Barbell Company, accessed September 16, 2026. | ||
| 56 | [^5]: [FBBC 4](https://www.grippervault.com/grippers/798), GripperVault. | ||
| 57 | |||