Rep, Rogue, and American Barbell Knurl Compared

A detailed comparison, with high-resolution images, of 7 barbells and their knurling:

Rep: SS Power Bar V2, SS Power Bar EX, Delta, Black Diamond, and Double Black Diamond
Rogue: Ohio Power Bar
American Barbell: Chewy Bar

Delta Bar:

Black Diamond Power Bar:
Review - Coming soon

Double Black Diamond Power Bar:

Chewy Bar:

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[MrPanthers]

Loved the breakdown. I have a SS OPB and a SS DBD. Im a squat, bench, deadlift guy. I wanted a 2nd bar to help set up multiple stations. I love both bars. I like the rep DBD better, bc i like the aggressive kjurling. My hands have been toughened up with the Rogue OPB, and now i like deadlifting with the rep DBD. The slop in the sleeves is much better in the Rep DBD also.

[DerickCross]

Great review with a surprising best pick. I’m gonna take a longer look at the black diamond bar now. Thanks and keep them coming!

[iserlonia]

Really appreciate your nuanced comparisons!

[vintageweightspgh]

Interesting comparison and great photography!

[larrylarkin]

Great review and I agree with your conclusion. I have the SS Ohio Power Bar and love the aggressive knurling. However, my wife and teenage kids refuse to use it and complain that it is too sharp.

[CraigularjJoeWoodworks]

Loved the video! I was going to get both your favorites, but veered towards oly lifts. Love my pyrros bar. Next bar is a single black diamond for sure, or maybe rogue hybrid power bar

[GavinBrown]

Cheers for the comparison. I've only ever used one "good" barbell. The Rogue SS OPB 20kg. I love it. Well worth the purchase of any good barbell over the bars you find in a random commercial gym. I would love to try/compare to other bars but alas... The only other bar I would like to purchase is a weightlifting bar for weightlifting (of course), but also for front squats and overhead squats. One day...

[spforevr]

got my cerakoted single black diamond in last week. honestly my only complaint with it is the color! I wish the red was a much deeper red.

I did go back and forth between the cerakote and SS for quite awhile, and after seeing this video I am a little sad I didn't splurge the extra for the SS. but that just means I can put it towards a new REP bench too :)

[moreilly]

Great video! You still planning on doing the review of the Rep Black Diamond?

[ozzyml]

Good video. Any chance you could make one on how to smooth out the knurling on an overly aggressive bar? I searched for it but there doesn’t seem to be a single video about this on youtube. Reason I ask is because my trap bar is crazy aggressive compared to my regular bar.

[guy]

Great review on the power barbell comparison. It would be great if Rep Fitness offered a "bare" option to there barbell lineup. The Texas Power Barbell 29mm or the ISF "Lift Evil Chaos Power Barbell" (not offered anymore) are my go too for the sharpness feel. My brother bought a Kabuki Oregon Power Bar which is awesome, very grippy not sharp, I would recommend. I have a Rep Helios Squat Barbell, a great bar, just not a fan of the cerakote which dulls the knurl as you stated. Again great review 👍👍

[joshwoods]

How would you compare the play on the sleeves between the DBD and chewy? Great comparison btw

[bobbyhunt]

Excellent Video
I bet 99% of home gym owners ain't forking out the money for the Chewy bar, they priced themselves out of the entire market except rich people.
I'm looking for a power bar and I like your recommendation.
My go to bar right now is the Midas bar from Fringesport, I just love the look of it but it has no center knurl. That's not a big factor with me but I do want a power bar in my gym.
Thnkx for this

[jasonmckinney]

So will the new stainless deadlift bar be making its way into your gym for the people’s deadlift days?? It looks very distinct!

[garageganggyms]

Thank you for this video! After this video I went ahead and bought an AB Chewy Bar! By the way, what camera do you use to shoot your videos?

[wbmeyer]

Great review of powerlifting bars. Are you going to do any reviews of weightlifting bars next?

[NoFate]

Agree that it's not a one size fits all. Everyone has their preference and everyone's hand is different as well.

[carps_gym]

Yeah, I was never excited about reps previous line up of barbells I believe Rogue definitely had the edge on them there even though you may not like rogue they made a better bar at that time, but now Reps new lineup seems
to be on par. There are now many companies making good quality imported bars and Rep is one of them, but if you’re looking for made in the USA or just the best bar at that price I think it’s gotta be the American barbell chewy bars, They seemed to best well-made bar regardless of price. One thing that bothers or concerns me is why didn’t rep use the Colorado bar sleeve construction on the double black diamond and single black diamond power bars? That man gave him a leg up on the Rogue bars if they did kinga like the Rogue Hydrid bar.

[zdoubleyou]

Price aside. Chewy bar or Rogue Ohio power bar in full SS for experienced lifter benching 275-315 regularly

[ExpeditionaryRanger]

Not defending Rogue, but having been searching for the 'one power bar to rule them all' for about 2 years now, there are some advantages. 1) Work hardening on their stainless (which is new), which seemingly no one else is doing right now, giving a significantly stronger bar 2) Rogue has confirmed via email that the hybrid power bar tolerances for axial and radial float are now incorporated into the other ohio power bars (but not the aggro yet). The grippy-ness of the Chewy is quite interest, as Gluck's gym had it ranked most passive. Darn, it's hard to decide. Looking for the grippiest 29 mm power bar possible, to allow at least double overhand chaulkless deadlifts 405+, which I can't do now on my B&R 2.0 bare steel. Thoughts? I thought an aggro 2x would be the one, but the chewy proposition is interesting.