Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I [used to] love this product. But Gripmaster has reduced the palm pad to something too uncomfortable to be useful. I have a 5lb blue version, which I use often. I decided to get a 7lb medium version. What arrived was the new version, which I didn't expect - images weren't yet updated. As of this writing, Gripmaster's own site still doesn't picture the currently sold version. I've posted my own pictures here, which compare the original with the new version. The old version was nicely padded and ergonomically large. The new version has much less padding and it feels sharp and blocky. It wears on you after too few reps. With the original, I could go as long as my finger and forearm muscles would allow; with the new one, discomfort kicks in first. As other reviewers have noted, these aren't best for developing brute strength (weights are) but rather for therapy and dexterity, which require moderately high reps. If it can't do the reps without discomfort, it's just not worth using at all. And in case you own the original and you're thinking you'll just put the big pad on the new skeleton, forget it. They're not interchangeable, which is also disappointing. On the original you could put the pad on either side, allowing you to use all your fingers on the unified bar or independently on the buttons. Can't do that with the new one. (See the pictures.) Too often a company makes a good product and once it gains a market foothold, they cut costs and expect it will only increase profit margin. This is a perfect example. Well, I hope this review will encourage purchasing choices that make Gripmaster regret their choice to go cheap on their customers. Maybe they'll be compelled to resume making the great product it used to be, which led to all these positive reviews, almost all of which are NOT about the product you'll actually receive. While I expect resurrection of the original Gripmaster to be a long shot, the fact remains: here's a smart little product I used to recommend to anyone - and now I think it's nearly useless. Disappointing.