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hbfishing

Grip-tite jar lifter for canning

hbfishing
12 years ago

(hope this is the right forum) I just picked up another old grip-tite jar lifter at an estate sale. These lifters are so much better than the other conventional jar lifters, I can't believe that they don't make them any more. How many on this forum know what a grip-tite lifter is?

For those that don't know what a grip-tite jar lifter is; think of a pair of ice tongs but rather than points to grab a block of ice it has curved pieces of wire on each end to fit around the jar.

I'm tempted to try to get a machinest to see if he can come up with something similar to it.

Comments (14)

  • tomva
    12 years ago

    Ball sells these jar lifters

  • hbfishing
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Those are the conventional ones. The grip-tite lifters are MUCH better

  • digdirt2
    12 years ago

    Is this what you are referring to?

    There are all sorts of canning jar lifters made out there. I guess it all depends on what one is used to using.

    Dave

    Here is a link that might be useful: Griptite jar lifter

  • hbfishing
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Nope - not those. This one is double hinged so it can work literally w/ a finger and a thumb.

  • pixie_lou
    12 years ago

    hbfishing - instead of keeping us all guessing, why don't you post a photo of what you are talking about.

  • nancyofnc
    12 years ago

    The tool referred to is the difference between the riveted (new) vs. two pieces that intertwine in the middle (antique). There was some discussion a while back about these and we determined that they were no longer made so we have to search for the antiques. Look at the link below and look at the "hinge" - it is easier to see if you look at the bottom of the tool near the pie crimper. All the new ones have a rivet forming the hinge of the two pieces and definitely do not work as well as the antiques. Refer to tomva's photo above to compare.

    Nancy

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • jude31
    12 years ago

    Nancy, that's exactly like my jar lifter. I've had it for years and I love it.

    jude

  • hbfishing
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Here is a copy of an old ad.

    From grip-tite

    And another pic.

    From grip-tite

  • pqtex
    12 years ago

    I have the Ball type shown in the photo posted by Tomva. For the longest time, I just couldn't figure out why anyone would use them, or why such a bad design was even on the market. They were just useless because the grip on the jars kept slipping; and when they didn't slip, I had trouble with the hot water running back down my arm when I emptied the water from the jars back into the canner. Then one day I picked them up by the "wrong" end and discovered I'd been using them upside down! Oops. :-)

  • readinglady
    12 years ago

    You're in good company. A couple of years ago Bon Appetit had a canning feature in their magazine. The photo of the jar lifter showed it upside-down. Boy, did the magazine take a lot of heat for that!

    Carol

  • mellyofthesouth
    12 years ago

    Has anyone tried the "new" jar lifters that Ball is selling? I saw them in the store the other day.

  • digdirt2
    12 years ago

    The one pictured above looks like some sort of torture implement found during the Spanish Inquisition. :)

    Dave

  • zabby17
    12 years ago

    jill,

    I used mine the wrong way round, too, the first time or too!

    (Hence I was particularly gleeful when the discussion of the Bon Appetit photoshoot came up. Also because I'm an editor by trade and I teach editing and it gave me a great example of the kind of error that can happen at the production stage of a document, when photos, captions, and other stuff are put together with the main text.)

    Once I figured it out, though, it became my FAVOURITE thing. I used to burn myself and spill a lot of boiling water before I bought it.

    Those Grip-Tites look fabulous! Thanks for sharing, hbfishing. I'm going to keep my eyes open for one at second-hand places.

    Z

  • pqtex
    12 years ago

    I laughed at myself when I finally figured it out, but it's nice to know I'm in such good company! lol!

    Now I'll be on the lookout for vintage jar lifters! I know my mother's old sieve/ricer with the cone-shaped wooden pestle is much better quality than the ones I saw for sale when I first began shopping for canning supplies. I have permanently "borrowed" hers. I do check for canning items when I occasionally browse flea markets or antique stores, but I don't always recognize an item or the intended use. Now I know to be looking for an old jar lifter!