The inventive gripper device for a tufting machine comprises a gripper device (10). The gripper device contains a gripper (11) and a guide member (12) that has a cutting edge. The gripper (11) has two gripper sections that are at a distance from each other in the direction of movement and are preferably separated from each other by a step (33) and/or by an extension (34), said gripper sections being configured as gripper edges that are parallel to each other, but spaced apart and offset with respect to each other in view of the pile height direction. The reversal between cut pile operating mode and looped pile operating mode takes place by means of the longitudinal adjustment of the gripper (11).