I do love my Cerakote bars, but I agree on both major points re: feel and application of coating. I think my Kabuki power bar has a better/thinner coat than my Rogue ODL BAR, but it could just be the knurling started out slightly more aggressive to begin with.
Completely agree with everything you said! I have both the RDB in raw steel and a TDB in black Cerakote and the Cerakote feels more muted than the raw steel. Not a huge issue by any means but definitely a noticeable difference. I been mostly using SS for a while now and have some Rogue bars and a cool looking American Barbell SS heat treated (darker) Power Bar that was a one-off because of the transition to their current lineup.
@@BasementBrandon That would be fantastic but I'm not sure if it will happen any time soon. My bar is basically used as a bench bar and feels super grippy in a much different way that any of my other bars.
I have a black cerakote Texas Power bar and I love the way it looks. I baby it because don't want to mess up the finish.Im pretty sure it will be the last time I get a cerakote finish.
Ironically we are now discussing cerakote bars as a “waste” of money, yet almost all of us in these comments have multiple bars (some way more than others) that all essentially do the same thing…hold weights. 😂 Cerakote bars do add color which can only be done well enough with cerakote. If the trend helps people get into the home gym community because they can add their personality to their gym then I’m all for it. Like my wife wanted a blue bar because she loves the Dodgers and this started her into weight training instead of just cardio. To me though, give me stainless steel all day. Highest rust resistance and just looks beautiful.
For sure, I mean I'm guilty of wasting a lot of money on a lot of stuff, but I figure if someone is buying their first bar, then hopefully this will give some good insight.
Pretty much. The real practical application of cerakote is aesthetics - to most people, nothing is going to look as "pretty" as cerakote. It's also one of those things you'll never see in 99% of public gyms so I can see that aspect interesting people as well.
I own a cerakote ohio power bar and a cerakote deadlift bar. The power bar is red and deadlift bar is black. The knurling on both have never been a problem for me and feel good with the deadlift bar obviously being more aggressive. They're 3 years old and I don't clean them often and they still look great. Even the sleeves still look decent and I would be lying if I said I thought any of my lifts would increase with a bare steel or stainless bar. Cheaper than stainless and less maintenance than bare steel has been worth it for me.
No problems with cerakote so far. The uncoated bar in my garage is rusty compared to the cerakote bought earlier than it. No grip problems either on deadlifts. I'm not sure I'd want a sharper bar as my daily driver.
Big fan of keeping my shafts bare. Zinc Ohio knurl vs bare Ohio knurl is like two different kinds of feelings. Plus us basement dwellers don’t have to worry about the elements in the garage.
The problem isn't the Cerakote but the application. I have several Cerakote bars and funny enough I agree with you and like the bare steel bars and SS bars but lately find myself grabbing my Bare Steel Equipment Cerakote bars because they just feel better for those daily training sessions but the coating on them is perfect. I have a bar from Rogue that's so thick you can hardly feel the knurling.
@@BasementBrandonwhats a power bar and all these different bars..like all of them??? Would you do a video? Am not sure if there is any videos on YT on uses for all these bars. I will subscribe anyway. Thanks
And I'm sitting here working out with a black cerakote Texas Power Bar with chrome sleeves 🤨. I got it on sale when I purchased it and I live in humid GA. The knurl is still very good to me when deadlifting but may consider getting a BOS barenaked 2.0 bare steel power bar as a 2nd bar.
It depends on if the bar was designed to be cerakoted to begin with. If they start with a general bar that has a good knurl and then offer it in different coatings from bare steel to cerakote the knurling will be compromised after coating. I have the Rogue Chan bar but it was designed with a more aggressive knurl so that after cerakote it wouldn't be degraded. It is only offered in cerakote over a stainless shaft. The cerakote is obviously unnecessary over stainless but it looks incredible and doesn't compromise performance since it was factored into the final product. Best of both worlds. Honestly if the knurl was any more aggressive it would shred my hands. It's best to buy a product that's engineered with a specific endgame instead of offering different configurations to appeal to a wider market. You end up with watered down versions from the original intent. I absolutely love my Chan bar.
I went from a black zinc TPB to a red cerakote OPB and after feeling the knurling, I was disappointed in the lack of aggressiveness. I’ll be passing on cerakote in the future.
The high cost of Cerakote is a super important point. If you want the best quality, why not spend a little more for stainless? If you want the best value, why not spend even less for bare, black zinc, etc? Cerakote is lukewarm on both quality and value, and therefore rarely the best option. Great video as always.
The only deterrent you should be experiencing is bar "feel" All of the other cons you point out are from improper application which the manufacturers or applicators have not got figured out. If it is properly applied and cured properly it will wear but should never chip, if it is banged into something such as a rack it will scrape (think of marks or wear on a blued firearm) the metal can rust after the coating is worn off and even the lighter colors should clean fairly easily with a soft brush and a mild cleaning solution. I have applied cerracoat bake on finish (which is the only one anyone should consider) in my gun shop for probably 15 years and while it is not my favorite and I would not attempt to apply it to a bar it is a very good finish when done right. It sounds like much of the problem is preperation, cerracoat requires that the surface be sandblasted aggressively prior to application for the coating to have a good surface to grip, lacking that and a to heavy application will allow chipping.
Oh for sure agree on that and that's one of the reasons I wouldn't recommend them. The people doing it are not at the skill level to do it well consistently.
I agree cerakote nulls the knurl. I have a stainless steel American precision bar and their California Barbell and it’s pretty much night and day. Cerakote nulls the grippiness of AB knurl. Having said that I still want a white texas power bar. I also wounded how the cerakote would feel if the my start with a more aggressive knurl could they find a balance to get similar feel by playing with those factors
Really comes down to how much control the company has over the thickness of the ceramic coating. I do not envy having to lay down knurling factoring for how much grip would be lost due to the cerakote layer being deposited. With nothing between your palms and the knurl, stainless surely wins!
I’m fortunate to have decent climate control in my home gym area. My bars have raw shafts and I just wipe them down about every other month with 3-1 oil “just in case”. I’ve handled several ceracote bars, and even when the knurling felt good they still seem slippery compared to bare steel and need chalk where it wouldn’t be needed on bare steel. Thanks for the video!
Yes, I got the Rogue Fraser barbell, Rogue Chan barbell, and Rogue Curl bar all in Cerakote. I use some 3-N-1 oil to clean the bars every once in a while.
I decided to get a Cerakote Curl car from the boneyard which is fine by me. For my main barbell though it’s stainless steel all the way (wouldn’t try bare steel in the Florida humidity in my garage).
I have been fortunate to have both a black zinc Ohio Bar and a Black Zinc Rogue curl bar...14 months of use, 4 times per week,, they both still look great...
@@BasementBrandon No, I haven't used bare steel version. I have a garage gym in FL so it would rust in seconds. I'll see how this one holds up over time, but so far I haven't experienced the things you mentioned. You're probably right that some batches are better than others.
Cerakote was a gun finish first. I have seen some that have thousands of rounds, three gun competitions and no wear at all. So it does not wear off easily. As far as feel, it would definitely depend on how they did it.
Being in Florida, bare steel isn’t a practical option. I do love my stainless bars and I’ve got a couple cerakote Ohio Bars in OD and Pink. I will say - the pink one takes a little extra time to clean up. But, both cerakote bars have been heavily used and there’s no signs of wear or rust or anything. For the style points they provide, I don’t regret buying.
Stainless is the way to go. For less maintenance and better feel. Cerakote looks nice, but that's while it lasts. I have ecoat Rogue rackable bar which sucks as it rusts.
I prefer no coating as I own the Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting bar and it's baresteel and I love the feel. Where would you say black phosphate fall on the rust resistant spectrum? I have an EZ curl bar that has a black phosphate finish.
I had a bare steel Rogue Deadlift Bar. I found it was a bit too sharp on heavy DL. Plus I got some rust forming which I didn't like. Went with cerakote and it made it just a touch milder which I found to be perfect plus no rust. Too bad noone makes a stainless DL Bar that would be a game changer. Guess they're limited due to the standard 200k psi tensile strength SS steel so you'd lose some of the whip. Maybe someone will figure it out eventually.
After the two years I've been following you and watching your videos (which help me immensely in deciding what equipment to buy), it is good to hear and see that your advice is still consistent across the board. I went mostly SS because of it and have 1 cerakote DL bar from Rogue which I do like but definitely feel the difference in knurling between the two.
Cerakote looks good, and wears well depending on the application; however, a bar that is going to get slammed around isn't the best application for cerakote. Any topical coating is going to wear, period, and over the long term is a waste of money in my opinion.
After using a red rogue barbell went back to SS for the feeling alone. My hands sweat a lot and living in the caribbean doesn't help either when doing crossfit with no air conditioning.
Can you scuff/sand a cerakote or will it stuff it? As one thing i did to my old bar was sand/scuff the smooth parts of the bar. And that difference was night and day for me to grip it in those places (permanant hand injury). And also bits of rust appeared on my 10yr old bar. because my home gym is a garden shed. How would ceracote be in that environment? Would it build up under the coating or just over the years rust a bit her and ther.
Everything can rust (even stainless). I likely wouldn't suggest sanding it down/off as then it will just be bare steel and oxidize fairly quickly outside.
Well I don’t own cerekote yet in my bar collection. The more I research the less of a fan of it I am becoming. From chipping on the power rack on day 1 to scratches from a plastic lined jcup. If I got one I might buy it and strictly deadlift with it so it never makes contact with metal on the knurled section of the bar. Thanks Brandon
I wish texas powr bar did white cerakote for their new 29mm. Since you tried out their new cerakote on their 29mm would you still recommend cerakote now for texas power bar?
What would you recommend if neither stainless steel nor black zinc is available? I can get Cerakote, which is currently on sale and the cheapest option, hard chrome or nickel-phosphor chrome. I prefer passive knurling.
I was gonna buy a cerekote Texas deadlift bar just to prevent rust but now I’m not sure bc you said the cerekote bars can still rust. My current Texas deadlift bar is completely rusted
It's a more rare occurrence. I do like my Texas White Deadlift bar, but the knurl isn't as sharp as the bare or black zinc. Always a trade off! I'd say go for it still in this case since it's not your only bar.
Really like the look of Cerakote but the cost has kept me from getting one. Thanks for the honest opinion about how it takes away from the sharpness of the bar and knurling.
I know what you mean by feels but to me it really doesnt matter and my bare steel bars just rust very fast so i dont see a good reason to buy bare steel when the ceramote is going to last years longer years without starting to looking like garbage , especially if you are like me and too lazy to clean it
Hate Cerakote. Just got my first at-home bar, the Zombie Green Cali Bar. Didn't want to wait too long for sales when I hadn't yet had the basics. I regret it already, but I imagine that would have been true for most any purchase.
@@BasementBrandon thank you for the response I appreciate you taking time out of your day to reply and assist. I saw some reviews on the Chewy Bar 20TPI Hard Chrome sleeves. Should I go for the stock option or request 25 TPI and full stainless?
@@zdoubleyou2073 AB does not do stainless sleeves. Their hard chrome is very nice. For knurl, I prefer a lower TPI but it's really personal preference.
@@BasementBrandon thank you. I may just go with a full stainless shaft and sleeve rogue Ohio power bar. At least from a warranty and customer service standpoint I feel much more comfortable with rogue overall. I appreciate the feedback!
What about a black zinc bar? I'm thinking about the rep sabre barbell as my do everything. I like the look of the black zonc bar. Does it affect the knurling?
I have a Kabuki Power Bar in red Cerakote that I like. It seems they did the coating well. However, your point about batches differing is useful information that I’ll use when buying a deadlift bar. Do you live in a humid area? I’m in Philadelphia, so although I’d like to get a bare steel bar, I’m concerned about the upkeep for the bar. What is your opinion about bare steel, humidity, and upkeep? Thanks.
I own a Rogue OPB stainless and a Rogue Cerakote Curl bar...night and day for the knurling....honestly I got the cerakote because I thought it was the thing out there...but seriously no! Although, the finish is super slick...whenever I grab my OPB stainless, Im like yeah this is the shit ad when I grab the curl bar...im like meh.. ! For sure, Id like to see a video on how to clean cerakote bars. Thanks for the video Brandon
Liked the video? I wasn’t sure about getting creakier or E-coat when I got my bar couple years ago. Ended up getting an E-coat power bar from rogue. Can you do a video on e-coat? Or a comparison? Thanks!
I’ve used my E-Coat Ohio Bar really really hard for almost two years and there isn’t a blemish on it. Really impressed with how it’s holding up. I do have a stainless Ohio Bar and a cerakote bar and the E-Coat is more slick than those versions.
Thoughts on Cerakote for a Bella bar? I’ve been looking at black zinc vs red cerakote. I know some people say more passive knurling for CrossFit may be better? But not sure how that works.
I'd agree. Cerakote ends up looking a bit "dirty" wherever you place your hands. I have a AB mammoth and I sometimes wonder if I should have gone Elite instead. I've definitely come around to a no finish mindset. A bare steel bar that's taken care just ages better compared to any finished bar.
I just made a video about the AB Elite. It’s an unreal bar. I’m in Florida and unfortunately the bare steel bars accumulate a rust layer so fast it’s hard to justify.
I don’t know. I have an AB Elite and AB Mammoth. The Mammoth is not only deeper than the Elite (contrary to what many think, not all of their knurl patterns are the same) it is tackier. Overall, a much grippier bar. The elite feels almost slick to me some times. It isn’t any grippier than the Eleiko XF that I had and sold. I also had an AB California that was grippier than my copy of the Elite. I also think cerakote differs by manufacturer. I had cerakote Ohio bars and the AB cerakote bars feel much better. Also have had stainless OPB, stainless Ohio and the Rep Deep Knurl. Out of all of them, I think the Mammoth is probably the “best” all-arounder from a grip and feel standpoint. Comfortable bar while still grippy for DL, and it takes chalk really, really well if ever need it. For heavy low rep DL, I put the Rep above it. It is all kind of a crap shoot. Any coating is going to impact the knurl versus bare or stainless. I have found cerakote to be the least invasive, so opposite of Brandon. And my mammoth, which was designed with the cerakote coating in mind, offers a deeper, pointier, and overall more secure grip than the stainless Elite from AB. Seemed odd to me, but when I reached out to AB, they confirmed that was the intent. Still waiting for a stainless bar with the kabuki knurl, smooth sleeves and AB’s build quality and tight tolerances. If AB would introduce a stainless bar with simply a deeper knurl than what they normally do, it might be the perfect bar.
I’m sorry hard to keep attention when the guns are coming out of the arm sleeves. 😂😂😂 And i agree there on coating, I find that cerakote is the most inconsistent in thickness. Even for example the rogue E-Coat is thicker. You can easily adjust the knurl on the barbell with that coat, like an e coat agroo 2x ecoat would match a baresteel OPB. (Just a random example) With cerakote you don’t have that consistency some will match some will be thicker some thinner.
@@BasementBrandon interesting. I was looking at SS shaft with a chrome sleeve Ohio power bar. Is the chrome durable enough. I was hoping to save 70 bucks
@@thedungeon1288 Sleeves don't matter as much to me. I had a SS shaft with raw sleeves I got out of the boneyard that has held up fine. Guess it depends on the environment it's in.
Dampen any metal on metal contact that you can. You'll be surprised how much quieter racking the bar is on presses, squats, and deadlifts when the contact points are muted.
Stainless or bare steel in my opinion. I think the coolness of the colors goes away pretty quick. That said I can see having one personalized and it shouldn’t make a difference for things like bench and OHP.
I don’t agree with that view on color. People that like color don’t get tired of it like that. There’s a reason there’s more then black and gray tattoo’s. Black, white, and grey shirts get old. Color spices up life.
That’s why you don’t go with a cheap company and you don’t pick the cheapest options you get what you pay for not to mention stainless steel good quality bars are the most expensive route to go worth it but very costly
5 of my 6 Ohio Bars are cerakote. I am extremely happy with all of them. What I've noticed is some of the bars have more aggressive knurling and some not as much. This works out really well for what lift I do with each one. The more aggressive knurled cerakote I use to deadlift and less aggressive more for squat and bench. It is absolutely correct that they can show more wear and tear but I highly recommend plastic coated J-cups to prevent this. A nylon brush also works well in cleaning the bar.
Why does this pop into my feed a half hour after I order a Rogue C70s for my wife 😅. It'll be interesting to compare the feel with my Ohio Stainless bar.
@@BasementBrandon I was relieved to find little if any difference in the knurling between the Ohio stainless bar and the Cerakote C70S. Of course it doesn't have the bareback feel of the stainless but it was only offered in Cerakote. I got it for the wife but I can see myself also using it in our rather cramped workout area.
Thanks Brandon- You saved me some money. I think all coatings are overrated. I have a Bright zinc bar from Rogue and it showed wear six months after purchase. Bare steel or stainless work.
agreed, of all the bars in my arsenal the stainless steel generally are my favorite. The only exception being the Kabuki strength nickel plating. Alcohol with a little tea tree oil and a soft bristle brush does the trick on my Rogue Chan & Curl bars, both in black cerakote. I follow it up with a Japanese style Choji Oil traditionally used on katana swords. It’s simple enough to make and it imparts a very light coating, almost imperceptible except for the sheen. It’s fundamentally a mixture of 99% high grade mineral oil with a little (
As you said Cerakote can be a pain if not done right. A few years ago I ordered a Cerakoted Glock 19 and it looked great but the coating was actually interfering with the action. I had to clean Cerakote out of the slide channel and put a couple hundred rounds through it before I felt it was completely reliable. As far as barbells go I went with the Rouge Ohio power bar in stainless. Great feeling grip and easy to take care of.
I must have gotten lucky with my rogue cerakoted dl bar. Feels great. Hands make a great purchase and the bar doesn't tear my hands up as badly as other finishes. I have a rogue ohio bar in black oxide and i have never been impressed with that finish. a few years old and the finish is wearing pretty badly.
You mentioned in a different video, that you had plans on reviewing the Gungnir alrounder. Do you have any plans on doing so in the near future? I would love to hear your take on it. Most other reviewers are very positive, but I got the impression that you do not share that view, and that makes your review more interesting.
Good points Brandon. I never really compared the two. My bar is cerakote c70’s by rogue but it’s a darker color and I love it. Maybe if they make it in stainless??? I’ll check it out to compare.
Prefer stainless. Miss my rep power bar ex in bare stainless. Had to downsize for space and got ceracoat rogue shorty barbell that only came in ceracoat at the time. I was surprised how the matte black finish was grippy. Wasn't too disappointed in the grip. I was disappointed that a year later rogue released "the stump" wich was a more preferred stainless and 29mm.
Brandon talking about shafts? I'm in
At least take me out to dinner first.
Giggity
@@BasementBrandongiggity goo
I do love my Cerakote bars, but I agree on both major points re: feel and application of coating. I think my Kabuki power bar has a better/thinner coat than my Rogue ODL BAR, but it could just be the knurling started out slightly more aggressive to begin with.
appreciate the insight!
Completely agree with everything you said! I have both the RDB in raw steel and a TDB in black Cerakote and the Cerakote feels more muted than the raw steel. Not a huge issue by any means but definitely a noticeable difference.
I been mostly using SS for a while now and have some Rogue bars and a cool looking American Barbell SS heat treated (darker) Power Bar that was a one-off because of the transition to their current lineup.
Dope! Waiting for AB to release something a bit more aggressive soon!
@@BasementBrandon That would be fantastic but I'm not sure if it will happen any time soon. My bar is basically used as a bench bar and feels super grippy in a much different way that any of my other bars.
I have a black cerakote Texas Power bar and I love the way it looks. I baby it because don't want to mess up the finish.Im pretty sure it will be the last time I get a cerakote finish.
Nice!
Ironically we are now discussing cerakote bars as a “waste” of money, yet almost all of us in these comments have multiple bars (some way more than others) that all essentially do the same thing…hold weights. 😂
Cerakote bars do add color which can only be done well enough with cerakote. If the trend helps people get into the home gym community because they can add their personality to their gym then I’m all for it. Like my wife wanted a blue bar because she loves the Dodgers and this started her into weight training instead of just cardio.
To me though, give me stainless steel all day. Highest rust resistance and just looks beautiful.
For sure, I mean I'm guilty of wasting a lot of money on a lot of stuff, but I figure if someone is buying their first bar, then hopefully this will give some good insight.
Pretty much. The real practical application of cerakote is aesthetics - to most people, nothing is going to look as "pretty" as cerakote. It's also one of those things you'll never see in 99% of public gyms so I can see that aspect interesting people as well.
What are some good brand options as far as stainless steel barbells ?
I own a cerakote ohio power bar and a cerakote deadlift bar. The power bar is red and deadlift bar is black. The knurling on both have never been a problem for me and feel good with the deadlift bar obviously being more aggressive. They're 3 years old and I don't clean them often and they still look great. Even the sleeves still look decent and I would be lying if I said I thought any of my lifts would increase with a bare steel or stainless bar. Cheaper than stainless and less maintenance than bare steel has been worth it for me.
Have you tried the bare steel versions by chance?
No problems with cerakote so far. The uncoated bar in my garage is rusty compared to the cerakote bought earlier than it. No grip problems either on deadlifts. I'm not sure I'd want a sharper bar as my daily driver.
Thanks for the feedback!
Big fan of keeping my shafts bare. Zinc Ohio knurl vs bare Ohio knurl is like two different kinds of feelings. Plus us basement dwellers don’t have to worry about the elements in the garage.
Preach!
The problem isn't the Cerakote but the application. I have several Cerakote bars and funny enough I agree with you and like the bare steel bars and SS bars but lately find myself grabbing my Bare Steel Equipment Cerakote bars because they just feel better for those daily training sessions but the coating on them is perfect. I have a bar from Rogue that's so thick you can hardly feel the knurling.
Bare steel = cerakote?! 👀
Agreed, it's def an art form and most barbell companies can't do it super consistent
@@BasementBrandonwhats a power bar and all these different bars..like all of them??? Would you do a video? Am not sure if there is any videos on YT on uses for all these bars. I will subscribe anyway. Thanks
@@LOUIS-nx8jd I have a few vidoes on different bars. Usually it comes down the diamter and knurling.
@@BasementBrandon thanks for the reply
And I'm sitting here working out with a black cerakote Texas Power Bar with chrome sleeves 🤨. I got it on sale when I purchased it and I live in humid GA. The knurl is still very good to me when deadlifting but may consider getting a BOS barenaked 2.0 bare steel power bar as a 2nd bar.
Right on! I still like my Texas bars that are cerakote, but they def do not feel as good as their other finishes to me.
I love my ceracoat Rogue Ohio bar with chrome shafts. Best barbell I've ever used to compared to commercial gyms.
Right on!
I bought the rogue Chan bar and love it. Stainless steel with cerakote
Why does it need cerakote if already stainless?
It does look sweet.
It depends on if the bar was designed to be cerakoted to begin with. If they start with a general bar that has a good knurl and then offer it in different coatings from bare steel to cerakote the knurling will be compromised after coating. I have the Rogue Chan bar but it was designed with a more aggressive knurl so that after cerakote it wouldn't be degraded. It is only offered in cerakote over a stainless shaft. The cerakote is obviously unnecessary over stainless but it looks incredible and doesn't compromise performance since it was factored into the final product. Best of both worlds. Honestly if the knurl was any more aggressive it would shred my hands. It's best to buy a product that's engineered with a specific endgame instead of offering different configurations to appeal to a wider market. You end up with watered down versions from the original intent. I absolutely love my Chan bar.
I believe the bars still need to be sand blasted
My Rogue Matt Chan Bar has held up fine after 2 years of use! No chipping or fade of the black cerakote
nice!
I went from a black zinc TPB to a red cerakote OPB and after feeling the knurling, I was disappointed in the lack of aggressiveness. I’ll be passing on cerakote in the future.
Dang, sorry to hear!
The high cost of Cerakote is a super important point. If you want the best quality, why not spend a little more for stainless? If you want the best value, why not spend even less for bare, black zinc, etc? Cerakote is lukewarm on both quality and value, and therefore rarely the best option. Great video as always.
agreed! the only counter to that I'd say is not all bars are offered in Stainless :(
The only deterrent you should be experiencing is bar "feel" All of the other cons you point out are from improper application which the manufacturers or applicators have not got figured out. If it is properly applied and cured properly it will wear but should never chip, if it is banged into something such as a rack it will scrape (think of marks or wear on a blued firearm) the metal can rust after the coating is worn off and even the lighter colors should clean fairly easily with a soft brush and a mild cleaning solution. I have applied cerracoat bake on finish (which is the only one anyone should consider) in my gun shop for probably 15 years and while it is not my favorite and I would not attempt to apply it to a bar it is a very good finish when done right. It sounds like much of the problem is preperation, cerracoat requires that the surface be sandblasted aggressively prior to application for the coating to have a good surface to grip, lacking that and a to heavy application will allow chipping.
Oh for sure agree on that and that's one of the reasons I wouldn't recommend them. The people doing it are not at the skill level to do it well consistently.
I have an elitefts power bar in black cerakote that still feels amazing in the hand
Nice!
I agree cerakote nulls the knurl. I have a stainless steel American precision bar and their California Barbell and it’s pretty much night and day. Cerakote nulls the grippiness of AB knurl. Having said that I still want a white texas power bar. I also wounded how the cerakote would feel if the my start with a more aggressive knurl could they find a balance to get similar feel by playing with those factors
Sound like me, only reason I got them were b/c I could in white lol.
Really comes down to how much control the company has over the thickness of the ceramic coating. I do not envy having to lay down knurling factoring for how much grip would be lost due to the cerakote layer being deposited. With nothing between your palms and the knurl, stainless surely wins!
Agreed!
I’m fortunate to have decent climate control in my home gym area. My bars have raw shafts and I just wipe them down about every other month with 3-1 oil “just in case”. I’ve handled several ceracote bars, and even when the knurling felt good they still seem slippery compared to bare steel and need chalk where it wouldn’t be needed on bare steel. Thanks for the video!
Appreciate the insight Marty!
Yes, I got the Rogue Fraser barbell, Rogue Chan barbell, and Rogue Curl bar all in Cerakote. I use some 3-N-1 oil to clean the bars every once in a while.
Thanks for sharing!
Rogue cerakote deadlift bar is only cerakote I got and maybe my favorite bar to use of the 8 I have.
Right on. I think the Rogue can be good if you get a good deal on it, but it does tend to give the least flex of the DL bars I've used.
@@BasementBrandon I just set my new PR 355.. truly no bend yet ! hahaha
I decided to get a Cerakote Curl car from the boneyard which is fine by me. For my main barbell though it’s stainless steel all the way (wouldn’t try bare steel in the Florida humidity in my garage).
Good choice!
I bought the cerakote USA aluminum barbell collars from Rogue and they started chipping immediately
aw man, still awesome collars!
I have been fortunate to have both a black zinc Ohio Bar and a Black Zinc Rogue curl bar...14 months of use, 4 times per week,, they both still look great...
Awesome!
Mine is black E-Coat, quite happy with it so far. Having said that, my next barbell is definitely going to be stainless steel.
Right on!
I love my Rogue DL Cerakote bar. Super aggressive and looks beautiful
Have you used the bar steel version?
@@BasementBrandon No. I only have Cerakote/Stainless Steel/Ecoat
I haven’t used bare steel because of the rust issue. I love SS tho!
I have a Rogue Ohio Power ball in cerakote and the knurling is sharp and it's been easy to clean. The color is olive drab. Maybe I just got lucky?
Have you used a bare steel version?
@@BasementBrandon No, I haven't used bare steel version. I have a garage gym in FL so it would rust in seconds. I'll see how this one holds up over time, but so far I haven't experienced the things you mentioned. You're probably right that some batches are better than others.
Cerakote was a gun finish first. I have seen some that have thousands of rounds, three gun competitions and no wear at all. So it does not wear off easily. As far as feel, it would definitely depend on how they did it.
I think this goes back to it's going to vary based off application.
Being in Florida, bare steel isn’t a practical option. I do love my stainless bars and I’ve got a couple cerakote Ohio Bars in OD and Pink. I will say - the pink one takes a little extra time to clean up. But, both cerakote bars have been heavily used and there’s no signs of wear or rust or anything. For the style points they provide, I don’t regret buying.
Right on!
Hi have to blast the bar before you put on the cericoat which knocks down the knurling
Yeah I know Texas for sure does that as mentioned, but wasn't sure about some of the others!
Stainless is the way to go. For less maintenance and better feel. Cerakote looks nice, but that's while it lasts. I have ecoat Rogue rackable bar which sucks as it rusts.
Ah I think you're the first I've heard with issues on the ecoat.
My shaft is lighter too, upkeep is a pain, but I agree; it has to feel right in your hand.
hey now!
Appreciate ur you tube segments on cerakote vs bare metal and ROUGE vs texas power deadlift bar.
Thanks man
I prefer no coating as I own the Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting bar and it's baresteel and I love the feel. Where would you say black phosphate fall on the rust resistant spectrum? I have an EZ curl bar that has a black phosphate finish.
Right near bare steel.
I had a bare steel Rogue Deadlift Bar. I found it was a bit too sharp on heavy DL. Plus I got some rust forming which I didn't like.
Went with cerakote and it made it just a touch milder which I found to be perfect plus no rust.
Too bad noone makes a stainless DL Bar that would be a game changer. Guess they're limited due to the standard 200k psi tensile strength SS steel so you'd lose some of the whip.
Maybe someone will figure it out eventually.
That is a good call if you actually like something with a little less bite than normal.
I am getting cerakote because my gym is themed blue/white. Otherwise I would just get a black zinc coating from rogue.
Makes sense!
There a cerakote Ohio bar at the gym I go to, And it’s slippery. Anything over 405 it’s hard to grip for reps without straps.
appreciate the insight!
After the two years I've been following you and watching your videos (which help me immensely in deciding what equipment to buy), it is good to hear and see that your advice is still consistent across the board. I went mostly SS because of it and have 1 cerakote DL bar from Rogue which I do like but definitely feel the difference in knurling between the two.
Haha I'm an old man stuck in my ways.
@@BasementBrandon old man? We are in our prime! Now get off my lawn!
Cerakote looks good, and wears well depending on the application; however, a bar that is going to get slammed around isn't the best application for cerakote. Any topical coating is going to wear, period, and over the long term is a waste of money in my opinion.
Fair enough!
Yes, please make that cerakote cleaning video!
Will do!
After using a red rogue barbell went back to SS for the feeling alone. My hands sweat a lot and living in the caribbean doesn't help either when doing crossfit with no air conditioning.
Might be worth the trade off to live down that way though :)
@@BasementBrandon I mean it's cold during the winters here in santo domingo mate, it got low 70s F here 😂😂
Can you scuff/sand a cerakote or will it stuff it?
As one thing i did to my old bar was sand/scuff the smooth parts of the bar. And that difference was night and day for me to grip it in those places (permanant hand injury).
And also bits of rust appeared on my 10yr old bar. because my home gym is a garden shed.
How would ceracote be in that environment? Would it build up under the coating or just over the years rust a bit her and ther.
Everything can rust (even stainless). I likely wouldn't suggest sanding it down/off as then it will just be bare steel and oxidize fairly quickly outside.
Well I don’t own cerekote yet in my bar collection. The more I research the less of a fan of it I am becoming. From chipping on the power rack on day 1 to scratches from a plastic lined jcup. If I got one I might buy it and strictly deadlift with it so it never makes contact with metal on the knurled section of the bar. Thanks Brandon
They def can look cool, but I think there are usually better choices.
I wish texas powr bar did white cerakote for their new 29mm. Since you tried out their new cerakote on their 29mm would you still recommend cerakote now for texas power bar?
The 29mm ones I have are bare steel and black zinc. I wouldn't go cerakote personally.
What would you recommend if neither stainless steel nor black zinc is available? I can get Cerakote, which is currently on sale and the cheapest option, hard chrome or nickel-phosphor chrome. I prefer passive knurling.
I’d go cerakote in that case
@@BasementBrandon Thank you! 🙂
I was gonna buy a cerekote Texas deadlift bar just to prevent rust but now I’m not sure bc you said the cerekote bars can still rust. My current Texas deadlift bar is completely rusted
It's a more rare occurrence. I do like my Texas White Deadlift bar, but the knurl isn't as sharp as the bare or black zinc. Always a trade off! I'd say go for it still in this case since it's not your only bar.
Man, theyre getting super popular. This was very insightful!
Thanks for taking a look!
I think the colored bars are ideal for basements but stainless is definitely better for a garage gym or for someone who needs chalk.
To me the biggest issue is they just dull the feel too much for my liking!
@@BasementBrandon you probably lift more than me and therefore need more grip than I do.
Really like the look of Cerakote but the cost has kept me from getting one. Thanks for the honest opinion about how it takes away from the sharpness of the bar and knurling.
Sure thing!
Have you tried Rogue's e-coat? Does e-coat have the same issues as cerakote?
I'd say it's more in line with zinc
I know what you mean by feels but to me it really doesnt matter and my bare steel bars just rust very fast so i dont see a good reason to buy bare steel when the ceramote is going to last years longer years without starting to looking like garbage , especially if you are like me and too lazy to clean it
Just a call out based off my preferences. I don't have any issues since I run a dehumidifier, so don't really deal with rust.
Hate Cerakote. Just got my first at-home bar, the Zombie Green Cali Bar. Didn't want to wait too long for sales when I hadn't yet had the basics. I regret it already, but I imagine that would have been true for most any purchase.
At least those were on sale for a really good price!
I use a Bells of Steel cerakote Utility bar for deadlifts because the knurl doesn't rip my shins! And yes, please do a cerakote cleaning video!
Will do!
@basmentbrandon
I’m looking at ceracote power bar from kabuki as it’s a bit less than the chewy bar from AB. thoughts?
Kabuki has some good knurling (grippy not sharp), but overall build quality is not on par with what they charge IMO.
@@BasementBrandon thank you for the response I appreciate you taking time out of your day to reply and assist. I saw some reviews on the Chewy Bar 20TPI Hard Chrome sleeves. Should I go for the stock option or request 25 TPI and full stainless?
@@zdoubleyou2073 AB does not do stainless sleeves. Their hard chrome is very nice. For knurl, I prefer a lower TPI but it's really personal preference.
@@BasementBrandon thank you. I may just go with a full stainless shaft and sleeve rogue Ohio power bar.
At least from a warranty and customer service standpoint I feel much more comfortable with rogue overall. I appreciate the feedback!
What about a black zinc bar? I'm thinking about the rep sabre barbell as my do everything. I like the look of the black zonc bar. Does it affect the knurling?
Yes but not as much as cerakote.
Cerakote scratches off very easily. I accidentally hit my belt buckle doing rows and it scratched the cerakote right down to the steel.
I think part of this will depend on application and what you hit it on.
Stainless steel barbell not available in my place so which one should I go for cerakote or black zinc??
Depends. Black Zinc feels better to me, but can fade with time. Cerakote dulls the feel more, but will last longer.
@@BasementBrandon thanks for info just another thing if a cerakote has 1.5mm volcano knurl wl it do fine for deadlift n squats??
@@jollyrocks7357 Yes, just know the cerakote will dull the feel, but should be doable depending on the application.
Dumb question: Aside from colour, is the only reason not to go with Stainless cost?
Usually.
I have a Kabuki Power Bar in red Cerakote that I like. It seems they did the coating well. However, your point about batches differing is useful information that I’ll use when buying a deadlift bar. Do you live in a humid area? I’m in Philadelphia, so although I’d like to get a bare steel bar, I’m concerned about the upkeep for the bar. What is your opinion about bare steel, humidity, and upkeep? Thanks.
It's not overly humid, but I run a dehumidifier in the basement to make sure humidity stays below 50%
@@BasementBrandon Thanks. We run a dehumidifier here as well
Cerakote barbell cleaning video please! Thanks!
Noted!
Rogue is still my favorite cerakote or not.
Right on
I own a Rogue OPB stainless and a Rogue Cerakote Curl bar...night and day for the knurling....honestly I got the cerakote because I thought it was the thing out there...but seriously no! Although, the finish is super slick...whenever I grab my OPB stainless, Im like yeah this is the shit ad when I grab the curl bar...im like meh.. ! For sure, Id like to see a video on how to clean cerakote bars. Thanks for the video Brandon
Appreciate the first hand feedback!
Basement biceps lookin good dude!
😇
Liked the video? I wasn’t sure about getting creakier or E-coat when I got my bar couple years ago. Ended up getting an E-coat power bar from rogue. Can you do a video on e-coat? Or a comparison? Thanks!
I’ve used my E-Coat Ohio Bar really really hard for almost two years and there isn’t a blemish on it. Really impressed with how it’s holding up. I do have a stainless Ohio Bar and a cerakote bar and the E-Coat is more slick than those versions.
I will add it to the list.
I purchased a bells of steel cerakote powerbar and it scratched instantly on the sleeves, which looks awful, but that actual bar is holding up
Appreciate the feedback!
Another thing about cerakote is the powder coating constantly wears off - it rubs off on your hand and anything else that touches it. Super annoying.
Ah I haven't had that issue yet, knock on wood!
Does this theory extend to zinc and finishes like that too or just cerakote?
Black zinc is even more garbage. It's basically a less durable version of cerakote.
@@lastfirst2241 interesting. So are basically all finishes bad?
Black zinc can fade in time and fills in the knurling (but not as much in my experience).
@@joevandevusse3004 Any "thick" finish sucks. I only buy bare steel or SS.
Thoughts on Cerakote for a Bella bar? I’ve been looking at black zinc vs red cerakote. I know some people say more passive knurling for CrossFit may be better? But not sure how that works.
It's really a personal preference. I train for powerlifting so aggressive knurl is desired, not so much in crossfit so you should be fine.
I'd agree. Cerakote ends up looking a bit "dirty" wherever you place your hands. I have a AB mammoth and I sometimes wonder if I should have gone Elite instead. I've definitely come around to a no finish mindset. A bare steel bar that's taken care just ages better compared to any finished bar.
I think stainless steel is the ultimate, especially in a humid environment when garage kept
I just made a video about the AB Elite. It’s an unreal bar. I’m in Florida and unfortunately the bare steel bars accumulate a rust layer so fast it’s hard to justify.
Yeah def the way to go if you can afford it!
I don’t know. I have an AB Elite and AB Mammoth. The Mammoth is not only deeper than the Elite (contrary to what many think, not all of their knurl patterns are the same) it is tackier. Overall, a much grippier bar. The elite feels almost slick to me some times. It isn’t any grippier than the Eleiko XF that I had and sold. I also had an AB California that was grippier than my copy of the Elite. I also think cerakote differs by manufacturer. I had cerakote Ohio bars and the AB cerakote bars feel much better. Also have had stainless OPB, stainless Ohio and the Rep Deep Knurl. Out of all of them, I think the Mammoth is probably the “best” all-arounder from a grip and feel standpoint. Comfortable bar while still grippy for DL, and it takes chalk really, really well if ever need it. For heavy low rep DL, I put the Rep above it.
It is all kind of a crap shoot. Any coating is going to impact the knurl versus bare or stainless. I have found cerakote to be the least invasive, so opposite of Brandon. And my mammoth, which was designed with the cerakote coating in mind, offers a deeper, pointier, and overall more secure grip than the stainless Elite from AB. Seemed odd to me, but when I reached out to AB, they confirmed that was the intent.
Still waiting for a stainless bar with the kabuki knurl, smooth sleeves and AB’s build quality and tight tolerances. If AB would introduce a stainless bar with simply a deeper knurl than what they normally do, it might be the perfect bar.
Would you recommend the black zinc for humid environments? I’m trying to decide between that and the ISF DL in black oxide.
Zinc will offer more protection, but both may wear over time.
Is the $50 more worth it for the Texas DL over the ISF?
@@chrislyons8951 So the ISF is a great bar, but the TDB has a big more space between the collars. It's really a toss up of made in USA vs Imported.
I’m sorry hard to keep attention when the guns are coming out of the arm sleeves.
😂😂😂
And i agree there on coating, I find that cerakote is the most inconsistent in thickness.
Even for example the rogue E-Coat is thicker. You can easily adjust the knurl on the barbell with that coat, like an e coat agroo 2x ecoat would match a baresteel OPB. (Just a random example)
With cerakote you don’t have that consistency some will match some will be thicker some thinner.
Invested in some smaller shirts.
How much would you sell that white texas power bar for? 😅
Not selling b/c not easy to get a white bar!
Does E-coat affect the knurling like cerakote does?
Yes ecoat is even worse and slick
Yes any coating will, but in most cases a lesser extent.
How different does the black zinc and stainless steel OPB feel?
pretty significant to me!
Do you know where I can get a knurled shake weight???
I'm the North American retailer.
@@BasementBrandon I’ll take 5 I need all the help I can get lol
Yeah, I hate the feeling of cerakote bars and will just use them if I know my versa grips are gonna go over the knurling for deadlifts
People still use grips??? :)
How do you feel about hard chrome shaft for a power bar?
Not a fan personally. In most cases I like stainless the best when available. Hard chrome is typically a plating, so you lose some feel.
@@BasementBrandon interesting. I was looking at SS shaft with a chrome sleeve Ohio power bar. Is the chrome durable enough. I was hoping to save 70 bucks
@@thedungeon1288 Sleeves don't matter as much to me. I had a SS shaft with raw sleeves I got out of the boneyard that has held up fine. Guess it depends on the environment it's in.
Nice Obtain Strength placement, thank you
Michael, I need you to show me how to make something to eat, protein waffles, smoothies, anything. It’s been too long. Stay big.
always!
Thank you for teaching me the correct pronunciation.
Haha sure thing
Dampen any metal on metal contact that you can. You'll be surprised how much quieter racking the bar is on presses, squats, and deadlifts when the contact points are muted.
Right on!
Stainless or bare steel in my opinion. I think the coolness of the colors goes away pretty quick. That said I can see having one personalized and it shouldn’t make a difference for things like bench and OHP.
I don’t agree with that view on color.
People that like color don’t get tired of it like that.
There’s a reason there’s more then black and gray tattoo’s.
Black, white, and grey shirts get old. Color spices up life.
Agreed!
That’s why you don’t go with a cheap company and you don’t pick the cheapest options you get what you pay for not to mention stainless steel good quality bars are the most expensive route to go worth it but very costly
The thing is though that these cerakote bars are from good companies and on the expensive side.
I have a red Cerekote Ohio Power bar and a stainless steel Ohio Bar. The knurl on the Ohio bar feels more aggressive than on the Ohio power bar.
ouch :(
That is some good insight there. I would have thought that the opposite would have been true.
5 of my 6 Ohio Bars are cerakote. I am extremely happy with all of them. What I've noticed is some of the bars have more aggressive knurling and some not as much. This works out really well for what lift I do with each one. The more aggressive knurled cerakote I use to deadlift and less aggressive more for squat and bench. It is absolutely correct that they can show more wear and tear but I highly recommend plastic coated J-cups to prevent this. A nylon brush also works well in cleaning the bar.
Right on! Thanks for the feedback!
Why does this pop into my feed a half hour after I order a Rogue C70s for my wife 😅. It'll be interesting to compare the feel with my Ohio Stainless bar.
I think a lot of people still will like cerakote, I just wouldn't want it for my main bar for strength training is stainless is an option.
@@BasementBrandon I was relieved to find little if any difference in the knurling between the Ohio stainless bar and the Cerakote C70S. Of course it doesn't have the bareback feel of the stainless but it was only offered in Cerakote. I got it for the wife but I can see myself also using it in our rather cramped workout area.
What barbell would you recommend for training the big 3?
I think the OPB is the best all around for the money and options in finish
I don’t like paint on a barbell.
💪
Thanks Brandon- You saved me some money. I think all coatings are overrated. I have a Bright zinc bar from Rogue and it showed wear
six months after purchase. Bare steel or stainless work.
Def my preferred as well!
agreed, of all the bars in my arsenal the stainless steel generally are my favorite. The only exception being the Kabuki strength nickel plating. Alcohol with a little tea tree oil and a soft bristle brush does the trick on my Rogue Chan & Curl bars, both in black cerakote. I follow it up with a Japanese style Choji Oil traditionally used on katana swords. It’s simple enough to make and it imparts a very light coating, almost imperceptible except for the sheen. It’s fundamentally a mixture of 99% high grade mineral oil with a little (
Never tried anything other than the alcohol, maybe need to step my game up!
Thank you, from italy
Welcome!
Why doesn't anyone make a stainless steel deadlift bar?
My thought is it has to do something with the steel being softer.
A shake weight is not a plate... With that said I use my own and it's built in
Not with that attitude it's not :)
As you said Cerakote can be a pain if not done right. A few years ago I ordered a Cerakoted Glock 19 and it looked great but the coating was actually interfering with the action. I had to clean Cerakote out of the slide channel and put a couple hundred rounds through it before I felt it was completely reliable. As far as barbells go I went with the Rouge Ohio power bar in stainless. Great feeling grip and easy to take care of.
appreciate the insight!
I must have gotten lucky with my rogue cerakoted dl bar. Feels great. Hands make a great purchase and the bar doesn't tear my hands up as badly as other finishes. I have a rogue ohio bar in black oxide and i have never been impressed with that finish. a few years old and the finish is wearing pretty badly.
appreciate the response!
You mentioned in a different video, that you had plans on reviewing the Gungnir alrounder. Do you have any plans on doing so in the near future? I would love to hear your take on it.
Most other reviewers are very positive, but I got the impression that you do not share that view, and that makes your review more interesting.
I do not share that view, which is why I have yet to do the video lol. I'll try to get to it soon.
@@BasementBrandon Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to respond and look forward to watching your review.
Good points Brandon. I never really compared the two. My bar is cerakote c70’s by rogue but it’s a darker color and I love it. Maybe if they make it in stainless??? I’ll check it out to compare.
You can def use a cerakote bar for every day training, I just don't like it comparatively speaking!
Prefer stainless. Miss my rep power bar ex in bare stainless. Had to downsize for space and got ceracoat rogue shorty barbell that only came in ceracoat at the time. I was surprised how the matte black finish was grippy. Wasn't too disappointed in the grip. I was disappointed that a year later rogue released "the stump" wich was a more preferred stainless and 29mm.
The REP EX has some great knurl.
Will lifting on a non cera coat bar get me arms like yours?🤤🤤
You mean little? You don't have to lift any bars to have them look this way lol.