An apparatus for transferring parisons from an oven to a blow mold has the capability of straightening up tilted parisons and gripping them uniformly without flattening the ends. The apparatus includes a gripper with jaws which open wide when opened, thereby providing an entry space between the jaws for a tilted parison as well as an upright parison and which in the closed position form an essentially complete circle about the parison to uniformly grip the same in cooperation with a push piece which moves into the open end of the parison.