Stretching the Limits: The Grabber Blog

Welcome to The Grabber Blog!

March 27, 2025:

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by the official blog for The Grabber Canvas Stretching Pliers. I’m Angie, and I’m excited to share more about our company, our product, and the art world with you.

The Grabber was designed and patented by my dad, Walt Deane, who has been stretching canvases for nearly two decades. I live in Omaha, Nebraska, and I’m proud to help carry on his work by introducing more artists and framers to this tool. When I’m not working on The Grabber, I run a private tutoring business where I help high school and college students with math and science.

My daughter, Sophia, is kindergarten age and already has an eye for detail—she loves picking fonts for our videos (and stealing my microphone!). She keeps things fun behind the scenes, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This blog will be a place to explore all things canvas stretching, share insights from the art world, and highlight tips and tricks to help artists and framers get the most out of their tools. I’m glad you’re here, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!

Stay tuned for more posts, and feel free to explore our website to learn more about The Grabber.

— Angie

Canvas Chaos: Dull Scissors and Noisy Compressors! 

April 1, 2025:

This evening, we unleashed two videos on YouTube to sharpen your canvas-stretching skills. First up, a snappy 2-minute tutorial where my dad demonstrates his corner-wrapping wizardry using The Grabber Canvas Stretching Pliers—in particular, how to manage the pliers close to the corner. 

Then, we have a YouTube Short that underscores the importance of sharp scissors when trimming the back of a stretched canvas. Spoiler alert: dull scissors are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. 

And if you hear an unexpected “pfft” in the background, that’s just our air compressor chiming in with its unsolicited commentary. We’ve done our best to remove it from the background noise!!

Videos are linked below.

— Angie

Why We Made The Grabber Canvas Stretching Pliers - And How They Can Help You Work Smarter

April 21, 2025:

That’s how The Grabber Canvas Stretching Pliers were born.

These aren’t your average pliers. The Grabber was designed with real use in mind, offering features that make a difference whether you’re a professional artist, a gallery prepper, or a student getting into large-scale canvas work:

• Lightweight design: easy to hold and reduces fatigue
  
  

• Non-slip jaws: securely grip canvas without tearing or slipping
  
  

• Adjustable grip: get just the right tension with minimal effort
  
  

• Easy lock-and-release mechanism: so you can focus on the canvas, not the tool
  
  

Over time, we’ve heard from artists, teachers, and framers who’ve made The Grabber part of their daily work. It’s now sold at select art retailers (list of retailers available here). 

If you're an art supply store, instructor, or studio manager interested in seeing the pliers up close, we’d love to send you a free demo. Try them out, pass them around, and keep them whether or not you make a business/wholesale purchase.

We’re a small family business based in the Midwest, and we believe in sharing tools that actually make the creative process easier.

Thanks for being part of the art community and for supporting independent makers like us.

Angie Deane
The Grabber Canvas Stretching Pliers

Want to request a demo or see our wholesale pricing? Contact us here or send an email to the.grabber.na@gmail.com.