Which Barbell Finish Is The Best?

[@GymCrafter]

Thanks to everyone who has added to this conversation! A couple of things to add to the video... First, @bobbyhunt3009 recommend the Vintage Weights channel as a better source or barbell restoration videos. He's right! Check 'em out if you are interested! As for the E coat and Duracoat sleeves. I talked to my friend @porter_phyed (on Instagram). He is a product designer for Bells of Steel and incredibly knowledgeable on barbell finishes. First, what I say in the video about the marks on Ecoat and Duracoat sleeves in not 100% accurate. The marks you see are actually the metal coming off of the inserts of my bumpers, not scratches in the coating. Ecoat and Duracoat are coatings that etch into the metal itself and do not easily scratch off. I went in and cleaned the sleeves and sure enough MOST of the marks came off. Not all, but most. I still think there is some scratching there. In either case, I am not the type of person who will clean the sleeves after using my barbell each time, so it doesn't really matter to me what the marks are, they are still there. I really think titanium is the best way to color a barbell sleeve and there is some cool stuff coming down the line. Barbell shafts, on the other hand, are a great place to use Ecoat and Duracoat (I believe Matt - @porter_physed said Duracoat was a bit more resilient than Ecoat, but I could have that mixed up). Since you aren't loading metal plates onto the shaft, it should look great for a long time. Matt said both of those coatings are more durable than Cerakote as Cerakote sits on top of the metal and the other two actually etch into the metal and change the color of the metal itself. If you follow him over on Instagram, he's getting ready to Duracoat one of his bars himself to match his rack and I'm sure he'll give lots of info on the process in his posts. Keep the info coming! I'll keep filling out this pinned comment with all the extra goodies! Thanks!!!

[@senorbautista6143]

One of your previous videos convinced me to get the Rep Black Diamond - Stainless steel and I cannot be any happier with it. Thanks 😊

[@GymCrafter]

That's really awesome to hear! Thank you so much for letting me know that!

[@basanth599]

Love the attention to detail on this video

[@GymCrafter]

@@basanth599 Thanks!

[@TheKurtlocker]

Awesome in-depth video and I appreciate the update in the comments!

[@GymCrafter]

Thank you! It's really cool that you are checking out my stuff and I value your feedback, I appreciate it more than I can say! And... if you know anything about "electric nickel plating", lemme know. It's from another comment and other than Kabuki using it, I'm not sure if it's a good finish or not. Would love to add that to the pinned comment too!

[@ExpeditionaryRanger]

Another argument for getting stainless despite the cost increase, is that a lot of people don’t realize when they are wiping off rust off bare steel and other bars they are removing oxidized metal… ie, the surface of the metal is gradually disappearing. Thus for the longest lasting Knurl that will dull the slowest from its factory sharpness, needs to be a good grade of stainless.

[@GymCrafter]

That's a great point! I love my stainless bars!

[@shiwakuseven5859]

Good information. Thanks for sharing!

[@GymCrafter]

Thank you!

[@bobbyhunt3009]

Top 3 video you've ever made. I had the same weight set, got it at 12 years old. I remember that silver sleeve and burgundy plastic weights. Man, I thought I was somebody when I got that. Coop's restoration video is one of the worst on KZbin, Vintage weights has the best videos on how to restore bars, plates, and dumbbells. Enjoyed this one A Whole Lot!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@GymCrafter]

Thanks, Bobby! Yep, that was it! And the bench was unusable in the incline position because the bar rested right on top of where your head was, there was not way you could unrack it! Thanks for the reco on the Vintage weights channel, I'll for sure check it out and stick that in the pinned comment!

[@bobbyhunt3009]

@@GymCrafter Exactly, I'd forgotten that, the incline position was useless!!

[@jeremyc7825]

I've got an old Ivanko bar that I bought used that had the worn black oxide finish as you noted. It was practically a bare steel bare. I decided I wanted to be the one to show the wear, so I bought an industrial black oxide application kit and re-blacked the bar. it's not as shiny as the one that came from the factory and the smell of the sealing oil takes a while to go away, but it looks pretty good. Then I polished the sleeves since the wear from plates would tear it right off. Mix of worn looking but well loved.

[@GymCrafter]

Nice! I bet that bar has a lot of meaning for you now too! I love stories like this. Too many people these days just throw stuff out and go with new. Taking the time to restore and care for something like this is really cool!

[@mattb7406]

Is Zinc in there? Looking at Strength Co Corps bar

[@JordanDYoder]

It’s a good bar for the money. I own both that and their Olympic bar. The bright zinc finish does fade over time, but the knurl is very good.

[@GymCrafter]

That's a good answer 👇🏻. There are a ton of variances in zinc. The Kabuki zinc is smooth and clean and durable and crazy expensive. A good indicator is always the company you are buying from and Strength Co. makes great stuff. I'm not familiar with that particular bar, but I have full confidence in their selection of finishes for their bars. Enjoy!

[@bobbyhunt3009]

I bought all REP cable attachments and they are listed as being Stainless Steel and they looked Great for a while, then I noticed they started rusting and it was severe enough that you could see the rust on all the attachments. Nothing I can do now except keep cleaning them every few months.

[@GymCrafter]

Hate that. When I talked to them at the show, they made a point to talk about using better stainless in all their new products. I think they realized it was a cost savings that wasn't worth it.

[@carps_gym]

You had me at barbell talk

[@GymCrafter]

Ha! I could talk about this stuff for days! I'm a total dork for every bit of it!

[@jasonwaringschmidt8699]

I had the REP Delta Basic bar and it rusted under 1 year. Sold it for Black Dimond bar. Rep was going to send me a replacement but I opted to apply the $$$ to a better bar.

[@GymCrafter]

That's great feedback, thank you for posting it. I haven't had mine a year, only a few months, but no issues so far. Do you live near a coast, saltwater, or in high humidity? Did it just get surface rust or was there a scratch or something? I'm curious as I haven't done a full review yet and I always like to include this type of stuff (it's why I don't review things until I've had them for a while, you never know how this stuff will age until it does!)

[@jasonwaringschmidt8699]

@@GymCrafter no I’m in St. Louis MO. It wasn’t terrible but was starting to under 1 year of purchase. Sold it as it wasn’t going to get any better. Used REP’s credit and applied to Single Black Diamond in black Ceracoate.

[@GymCrafter]

@@jasonwaringschmidt8699 Thank you. I'll try to remember to include this in the review. The bar isn't getting a ton of use since I have so many others. I need to put it to work so I can get a review out!

[@jasonwaringschmidt8699]

@@GymCrafter love my black diamond bar. Would have went stainless but I’ve spent a silly amount of money this year with a 6 post REP 5k, Vulcan fleck plates, 5-50 REP DUMBS, modular attached shelves for dumbs from REP, stall mats, and a lot of 1” attachments, ice bath, I’m sure I’m forgetting things. A nicer bar can wait a bit. I enjoyed your barbell comparison video. Thanks for what you’re doing.

[@GymCrafter]

@@jasonwaringschmidt8699 Sonds like a solid setup! And that black diamond bar doesn't get the love it deserves. ALL of the people I train prefer it to the double black, which is way too aggressive for all but the most serious lifters! Really glad you are enjoying it!

[@MJA89]

What do you think of electroless nickel plating? I live in Austria and I'm thinking of getting the nickel plated Bastard Power Bar from Strength Shop, because it's a reasonable price and I've heard good things about the nickel plating on the Kabuki new gen Power Bar. They also offer a stainless steel Bastard Power Bar, but since these are imported bars and I haven't seen any reviews of the stainless steel bar yet, I'm thinking of getting a mid range bar first and then later getting the Ohio Power Bar in stainless steel. Rogue bars are pretty expensive and REP isn't shipping to Austria as of now.

[@GymCrafter]

The little bit I know about nickel plating is that it depends on the mfr. Kabuki's nickel was absolutely beautiful, and priced accordingly. I also know that nickel plating is commonly used on high touch household items like faucets and doorknobs. If it's truly nickel plated and not just colored with a cheap film, it tends to last a long time. I'd check some customer reviews to see if anyone has issues with those particular bars and go from there.

[@counselingpsychology]

Bare steel won’t rust if you’re in space. Which is also where you’re likely to hit a new PB. So…win win.

[@GymCrafter]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Albs55]

Appreciate the thorough overview! Any thoughts on e-coat for the shaft? I know you discussed it for sleeves. Was considering the Rogue EZ Curl bar, trying to decide between e-coat and cerakote options. Thanks!

[@GymCrafter]

Thanks! That's an awesome question and I reached out to a friend who knows a ton more than I do about that. Important enough that I'm putting the answer in the pinned comment for everyone to see.

[@Albs55]

@@GymCrafter Thanks! I appreciate that!

[@JoeyLisano]

I tried both at the Rogue store. The e-coat (paint) feels more slippery than Cerakote (ceramic). I didn't care for the feel of e-coat with the mild Ohio bar knurling.

[@GymCrafter]

@@JoeyLisano Honestly, any bar I buy for myself going forward will only be stainless steel. I really don't like any of the coatings and since bare metal is my favorite color, I don't need any colored bars either. Rogue does a good job with their Cerakote, but I still like the feeling of bare metal better.

[@JoeyLisano]

@GymCrafter I agree with stainless steel, and I also like the look of natural metal. It's not always an option in the specialty bar category though, and sometimes there is a desirable feature (Kabuki knurl).

[@michaelthompson1680]

I love my bare steel. It's something about that bare steel when you grip the bar, it's something Else. My favorite bar is texas power bar

[@GymCrafter]

You are definitely not alone! That's why I called out the TPB specifically in the video. People really love them.

[@bryanscruggs7566]

Bare steel bar, chrome sleeves :D

[@GymCrafter]

Love how bare steel feels. Hate the rust.

[@RubenCherian-k6r]

What are your thoughts on the REP Badlands bar? I barely see anyone talking about it and its specs/price looks great. It has option for an all nickel finish or black chrome shaft with nickel sleeves. Would love to hear your input as I’m debating between this one or the black diamond

[@GymCrafter]

The Badlands has the same knurl as the double black diamond, so I wouldn't get it as your only bar. That stuff is super aggressive and not the best outside of squat, deadlift, bench. For a lower priced version of the double black diamond as a secondary, powerlifting specific bar, it's a solid choice!

[@RubenCherian-k6r]

@@GymCrafter thanks for the reply, I was thinking the same thing since it says it has a mountain knurl on their site. However on one of the Gym FB groups I’m in, someone said it was very similar to their single black diamond bar and not as aggressive

[@HughLeFitness]

I have a bare steel bar because the price is the best and I love the raw grip feel. I workout in a climate controlled basement and haven't done any upkeep.

[@GymCrafter]

Some people have great luck if they keep their house cool and dry. Others get rust almost on day 1.

[@bobbyhunt3009]

There is no Good Black or Dark finish for sleeves that I've seen. All black or dark sleeves are gonna have that beat up look and I hate that. I have a couple bars with the Gold Titanium finish and it has no rust or beat up marks so I agree with you, the titanium finish is the most durable for colored sleeves. Hard Chrome is a Great sleeve finish but I like colored sleeves. The black titanium sleeve finish will be the next thing to come out because people are not liking the E coat, Ceerakote, and Duracoat, they look terrible IMO but are the only black finish option for sleeves right now, black zinc is horrible for sleeves

[@GymCrafter]

I agree on all those points! I did learn today (check the pinned comment) that the marks on Ecoat and Duracoat sleeves aren't scratches, but the metal from the insert of the bumper plate or the inside of the iron plate. Either way, there are still marks and I'm not gonna scrub my sleeves after every use to get rid of that! Lots of promise in the titanium stuff and some really exotic colors coming in soon!

[@TheKurtlocker]

Who were the other two at Stainless Steel?!?!

[@GymCrafter]

Not sure what you mean?

[@TheKurtlocker]

@@GymCrafter late in your video you say " to the 3 people left here" when you introduce your stainless steel bar

[@GymCrafter]

@@TheKurtlocker Ahhh, that makes more sense. Those are my 2 imaginary friends! 😂 I can't believe anyone watched that long, but I really appreciate that you and lot of others actually did! Thank you!

[@YourFavoriteLibertarian]

Great comparison! I have the v2 powerbar EX from Rep. No issues yet but I'm a basement gym guy so it's always climate controlled.

[@GymCrafter]

Thanks! Not everyone got rust. Mine is extremely minimal and cleans off easily. Others looked pretty bad, but I think you nailed it. Climate controlled basement is a ton better than a garage for this.