REP fitness Deep Knurl power bar vs Black Sabre barbell

This is a comparison between the REP fitness deep knurl power bar and the REP fitness Black Sabre barbell. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the REP fitness Black Sabre barbell

This is an overview of the REP fitness Black Sabre barbell including the pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in which barbell to buy from REP Fitness. Follow the links for more information.

Rep Black Sabre Barbell $209

The black sabre barbell is the bread and butter barbell from REP fitness with the added pixie dust of being black. The sabre line manifests a considerable drop in barbell quality and warranty length in exchange for being about $100 apiece cheaper than the higher Gladiator and Excalibur line. The full specifications of this barbell are:

20 kg (45 lbs)
150k tensile strength
1000 lb rating
28.5mm diameter
87.4" length
Black Zinc coating
Bushing design with snap rings
Dual knurl markings for Olympic and Power lifting
1-year warranty

This is a solid barbell for anyone who really wants to optimize their budget for a home gym but still wants to get something else than steel color. A commercial buyer might get these as a "use and abuse" barbell to graduate from the technique bar for beginners or to have some visual distinction between different user groups.

Pros of the Rep Black Sabre Barbell

The pros of the Black sabre REP fitness barbell are:

Color option
Cheap and cheerful

This is the right barbell for someone on a budget or with a lot of money to spend but wants to get the most out of every dime invested. With the black color, it is a little more interesting than just a regular steel-colored barbell, if you are into that kind of stuff. Not a lot that can go wrong with $200 against a barbell.

Cons of the Rep Black Sabre Barbell

The cons of the Rep black Sabre barbell are:

No bearing
No aggressive knurl
1-year warranty
Imported
150k tensile strength
Doesn't go all the way

For $100 less REP fitness makes a considerable drop in what you are getting for your money. This barbell has no bearing, no aggressive knurling and the metal being used also takes lesser tensile strength. Top this of a 1-year warranty compared to a 5 year or lifetime warranty you are able to get around $300 and you are leaving a lot of value on the table just to save $100. If the bottom line is all you care about, e my guest, but then buy the Sabre or even the basic barbell from REP fitness instead.

This barbell is also imported, so if you want to source all your gear from the US from a vendor that maximizes job creation locally, then Sorinex or Rogue fitness are the better options.

Alternatives to the Rep Black Sabre Barbell

Alternatives to the REP fitness black Sabre bar are:

The rep sabre bar is the more logical alternative in my opinion if all you care about is to get a fairly decent barbell at the lowest possible price. If you are already taking a big hit on features, you might as well strip the color of the barbell and maximize your savings.

The Rogue Ohio bar with Cerakote coating is an option if you have the money, but want more color options than just black. Rogue provides quite a few combinations of colors and material in their portfolio. So if it is the creative freedom you are after for your barbell, then Rogue has a lot more to offer.

The TITAN Atlas bar is the bread and butter barbell on the low end from TITAN fitness. If you want the cheapest possible home gym, while still getting commercial-grade equipment, then TITAN is your best bet. The only downside is that as a company they seem to cut more corners for low prices than other vendors. This might have an impact on your individual experience when buying from them.

Conclusion for the Rep Black Sabre Barbell

The black sabre barbell is a good option if you want to buy from REP fitness and to make a statement, but not for more than $200. It is so far also the only barbell with color in the REP fitness lineup. If you want to maximize savings the Basic barbell or steel-colored Sabre barbell are also options.

Overview and review of the REP fitness Deep Knurl power bar

This is an overview of the REP fitness Deep knurl power bar including the pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in which barbell to buy from REP Fitness. Follow the links for more information.

Rep Deep knurl power bar EX $399

The REP deep knurl power bar is the upper end of the spectrum in Olympic barbells which you can get from REP fitness. The main distinguishing features of this bar are its aggressive knurling and the full stainless steel construction covering the sleeves and the bar itself. The full specifications are:

29mm diameter.
Knurl Markings: Powerlifting - 32" between markings.
Knurl Depth: 75% deeper than any standard offering
Tensile Strength: 200k
Bushing design with snap rings.
Shaft: Stainless Steel.
Sleeves: Stainless Steel.
Bushing design with snap rings for optimal Powerlifting performance.
Warranty: Lifetime*

This is a great barbell for the serious powerlifter who does not mind getting calluses on their hands. For most commercial gms this barbell might be a bit too much in price per item and the uncompromising design.

Pros of the Rep Deep knurl power bar EX

The pros of the REP deep knurl power bar are:

Deep knurling
Full stainless steel construction
29mm shaft

This bar is great if you mainly train the squat, bench press, and deadlift and you know that you are serious about it. With this bar you go uncompromising for the next record on your total to provide maximum grip to your hands. Even at the cost of tearing the skin.

Cons of the Rep Deep knurl power bar EX

The cons of the REP deep knurl bar are:

Imported
Pricing
Color options
Knurling
No bearing
No Whip

This barbell comes imported from overseas to save costs. That being said I am personally surprised at the price point of $400 for this barbell. This is not enough of an advantage to make me want to switch from Rogue Fitness who on top of that produces locally in the US. If you are looking at a rack and plates also you can make some considerable savings, but if it is just between the Rogue Ohio power bar and the Deep Knurl from REP I am not convinced.

Stainless steel is not available from most vendors to be powder coated with some other color. Why ruin the high-quality steel with some kind of spray-on tan? Compared to other vendors REP fitness still has a noticeable lack of colored barbells, which they will probably fix once their overseas producer figures at how to get cerakote on the barbells. I think that is only a matter of time, but for now, the only colored option in the REP fitness lineup is the Black sabre bar.

The knurling on this bar is aggressive which rules it out for most commercial uses. If you have a cheap rack with cheap J Cups I would also recommend an upgrade as this bar will quickly eat into inferior metal and rubber.

If you are looking for a barbell for your home gym/garage gym or commercial establishment this is not the bar to get. It does not provide any whip and also has no bearing. This bar is high priced and only good for powerlifting, so buy it as such. Otherwise, opt for the all-round Sabre bar, or for the Gladiator series if your focus is on Olympic weightlifting.

Alternatives to the Rep Deep knurl power bar EX

Alternatives to the REP Deep knurl bar are:

The Rogue Ohio power bar in the stainless steel version is currently hailed as the Ferrari amongst the powerlifting barbells. There are some other barbells from Kabuki strength and EliteFTS that specifically pander to the powerlifting community, but these are more niche. As the price gap is not that noticeable I personally would go with the Ohio power bar instead of the deep knurl unless your entire gym is already REP fitness-themed.

The Blues city power bar is TITAN fitness's approach to the world of powerlifting bars with heavy knurling. TITAN is known for minor quality issues in return for the lowest prices amongst their competitors. As you are specifically buying this barbell for their knurling I would watch out for TITAN, as this is exactly the kind of detail that lower standard quality procedures would give a pass when they should not.

If you are into stainless steel but like Olympic weightlifting a lot better than powerlifting, then you should go for the REP fitness Gladiator stainless steel bar. This bar provides more whip, has a less aggressive knurl, ad the sleeves rotate on bearing. This makes this bar netter suited for Olympic weightlifting than powerlifting.

Conclusion for the Rep Deep knurl power bar EX

This is the top bar to get from REP fitness when you are into powerlifting. There is not a lot you can do wrong with this so be confident and move ahead if you have the money. The only reconsideration would be if you are planning on having one brand scheme rather than multiple brands in your gym. Then a decision between TITAN, Rep fitness, and Rogue fitness would need to be made before loading up the shopping cart.