Rogue Bars - how bad are they ?

[G1981C]

I received my Rogue Junior 10KG bar that i ordered for Technique practice and ...

The quality of it is quite low.

Here is my unboxing video:



The "minor defect" at one of the ends next to the cap, that i point out in the video, appears to be rust.

After doing the unboxing video i noticed there is a bit of bright zinc showing through the black zinc coating, so the finish is already wearing through, not only on the ends of the bar but also on the main shaft.

It is remarkable how much "wear" the bar appears to have considering it was totally protected in shipping. Apparently it was damaged at the factory / warehouse. It is not damaged to the point where i would return it, but it is damaged.

I examined the bar for straightness and it appears relatively straight. I can see some imperfection in its shape but it is not so significant that i would be able to feel it when lifting. my guess the deviation from being perfectly straight is on the order of half a millimeter or so.

The bar ends rotate smoothly but with a lot of viscous resistance - like the bushings are filled with honey or something - which is what that stuff pouring out of them looks like. Doesn't appear to be a sign of quality.

Perhaps the most annoying part though is that the Rogue "R" logo caps at the end of the bar make a loud ringing noise if you shake the bar - it is a sound similar to dropping a coin on the pavement. I really don't need my bar ringing - that's just dumb. It is also obvious that this cap is so thin you could easily bend it - it appears to be as flimsy as a top of a beer can.

As for the bevel at the edge of the bar - it is sh1t. It is not rounded at all - just a single 45 degree bevel. Considering it is ALREADY rusted at that spot just wait until you slide a few plates over those sharp corners to really take that nano thickness zinc coating off and expose the steel.

Oh yeah and the knurl is all but nonexistent. My Fenix tactical flashlight has 10 times better knurling than this bar.

The "black zinc" finish looks cool but when you slide your finger across the smooth center portion of the bar you can tell the finish is quite slippery. For some reason i expected it to be stickier than that, don't know why.

Overall, grabbing this bar is like grabbing a wet soap bar - it is hopeless.

Now, this was the cheapest 10KG technique bar i could find at $175. The next step up would have been Pendlay and GP both in the $300 range and then Eleiko for $500. As such, i am fine with the crap quality of this bar ...

However it really puts in question my plans to get the Rogue Westside Power Bar which is essentially just a big brother of the crap bar i just unboxed.

So is this abysmal quality typical of Rogue or is it just the Junior bar that is afflicted this way ?

Because honestly i'm finding it hard to imagine how the quality of the bar i received could have been lower. It gets high marks for quick delivery and good packaging, and looking cool and having the 10KG weight that i wanted, but that's about it.

[Bryan Dobson]

My first rogue bar was damaged in shipping and I sent it back. ( I had hell with freight service in my area)My current bar a rogue Castro raw steel and it has been a great bar, great quality and the knurlung is perfect for training( I prefer super aggressive for competition) The raw steel has a great feel and the bar would be great for Olympic lifts if I did any because it is straight and the sleeves turn with ease.

My only regret is not getting a bar with center knurl. Which I am in the market for.

[G1981C]

the knurlung is perfect for training( I prefer super aggressive for competition)

it appears to me, that deep knurling is more expensive to machine than shallow knurling.

at the same time it appears to me that to soften excessive knurling is easy by using gloves, tape or in extreme case maybe even wrapping some duct tape on the bar if it gets to that point.

on the other hand when the knurling is too soft, it doesn't appear as if there is anything you can do to fix that. you could use a lot of chalk, but that's about it.

as such it appears to me that all else being equal shallow knurling is a sign of low quality more than anything. i think i maybe experienced once or twice knurling that was painful, but 9 times out of 10 whenever i grab any handle it's just different degrees of slippery - from slippery, to more slippery. 9 out of 10 times when i grab a steel handle ( whether it is an olympic bar, a dumbbell or a handle on a pulldown machine or whatever ) i wish it had more knurl to it.

i like the feel of rubber handles on chinup stations - nonslip and non-injuring, but of course we can't have that on a bar - the rubber would be destroyed by racking the bar or using a deadlift jack.

[John Hanley]

For the sake of this forum, please get laid more.

I somehow let myself get sucked into the saga of your consumer neuroses. I sort of hate myself now.

Seriously, sex. Do it. Or pop a few valium.

[veryhrm]

Can't tell too much from the video obviously, but that knurling looks ok to me. There are finer and rougher knurlings... and finer ones are more shallow, but some of them provide good grip. The coarse and shallow ones... those are bad.

Also, the ribbing on the sleeves is a feature, not a bug (though i forget what it's supposed to do. I think it's about the plates going on and off easier maybe ? (i don't really care for it doesn't bother me either.)).

IDK what you were expecting, but these specific issues don't mark it as a bad bar in my eyes.
The bevel also doesn't seem like that big of a deal. I don't think i've ever seen a bar where the finish on those corners isn't worn...

One thing you didn't mention is what seem to be specs of rust on the face of the sleeve that would be nearest to your hand. That, and the blemish on the end of the sleeve are a little disappointing. Still, for the price seems fine.

The biggest question i have is how well it spins.

Also, you've mentioned a DL lift once or twice and the impact it would have on your bar. Just put some rubber or HDPE or whatever on the lift already! it shouldn't be TOO much of a project.

[G1981C]

For the sake of this forum, please get laid more.

I somehow let myself get sucked into the saga of your consumer neuroses. I sort of hate myself now.

Seriously, sex. Do it. Or pop a few valium.

well exercise is a drug too. if you help me get on with my training maybe i will become less annoying.

it would be nice if this forum had an equipment section. most forums do. however other forums aren't dealing with olympic lifts so i can't discuss something like Eleiko WL bar on them for example.

[G1981C]

One thing you didn't mention is what seem to be specs of rust on the face of the sleeve that would be nearest to your hand. That, and the blemish on the end of the sleeve are a little disappointing.

i didn't mention them because they're mostly just shredded cardboard from the packaging. however now that i took a look at it - i think some of them are actually indeed blemishes. but this was only unboxing - not a review. if anybody expresses interest in this bar i can review it later after i actually had a chance to use it.

The biggest question i have is how well it spins.

not very well. but then, it is not a bearing bar so what do you expect.

Also, you've mentioned a DL lift once or twice and the impact it would have on your bar. Just put some rubber or HDPE or whatever on the lift already! it shouldn't be TOO much of a project.

to me it is annoying to have to modify equipment. what is this - Soviet Union ? people went into space half a century ago - why can't something as simple as a bar jack be done right without me having to modify it myself like this is stone age where you have to make all your own tools by hand. ridiculous.

[John Hanley]

well exercise is a drug too. if you help me get on with my training maybe i will become less annoying.

it would be nice if this forum had an equipment section. most forums do. however other forums aren't dealing with olympic lifts so i can't discuss something like Eleiko WL bar on them for example.

For the powerlifting bar: TPB or Rogue Westside. Done. Neither bar will be a limiting factor in your quest for strength. If you're going to be a globally competitive powerlifter within 5 years, spring for the Eleiko.

[veryhrm]

...
not very well. but then, it is not a bearing bar so what do you expect.

Well... a lot of bushing bars spin quite decently while some barely spin at all. There's a LOT of variation between models. Smoothness also varies a lot.

On general principle one would think that ball / roller / "needle" bearings would always be better, but good bushing bars are more than adequate and crappy ones ... well... they're rough and noisy and high resistance.

to me it is annoying to have to modify equipment. what is this - Soviet Union ? people went into space half a century ago - why can't something as simple as a bar jack be done right without me having to modify it myself like this is stone age where you have to make all your own tools by hand. ridiculous.

Don't look at it as a modification... look at it as an accessory.
It'll be yet another research project: what's the best material and best way of attaching it ?

[Dastardly]

You could have just purchased an old school 1" standard barbell for $10.

People actually do big lifts on 1" bars, I know someone who does zerchers in the region of 220kg on a cheap 1" spinlock bar.