York Barbell Club

[BloodType3R]

Great haul today.. The bar was what I was really after and it didn't dissapoint me one bit when in person, I realized it was stainless steel.




I REALLY needed a new 28mm bar to replace my [not quite straight] 60's/70's split-sleeve. That bar gets pushed to beater status and this 80's Split-sleeve is now my dedicated Olympic lifts bar.

The Bun DB's were just too good to pass up, even though I didn't need them. They're too light to be of any use to me so they are going in the bedroom as decor (also to keep them in their perfect rust free state). LOL Unless someone ends up making me a good offer on them I think they'll be relegated to "magnificent papeweight" duties.

The milled plates will be looking for a new home along with another 245lbs from the 60's/70's. Ivanko's already got me covered on the Olympic plates.



I'll get some more/better pics in the next few days.

[morebarbell]

Very nice haul! I'm jealous of the bar. I've been looking for a split sleeve.

Are you sure those dumbbells are buns? ...not sure but I thought they were roundheads

[BloodType3R]

Very nice haul! I'm jealous of the bar. I've been looking for a split sleeve.

Are you sure those dumbbells are buns? ...not sure but I thought they were roundheads

Thanks man. I couldn't be happier about finding this bar. A 28mm Oly bar was at the very top of my list for awhile so that frees up that spot.

I'm not the York afficiando that most of these guys are but I thought that the one piece castings of the smaller weights were referred to as buns and the multi piece heavier ones are roundheads.

[GarageIron]

What does a straight American split sleeve power bar go for?

[AttyGuy]

Dude, sweet finds. I will be in touch on these and your previous finds. In the last week I picked up 1600 pounds of York plates, a power bar, and a curl bar.

What does a straight American split sleeve power bar go for?

$150, brother. I have two. Want one?

[BloodType3R]

Dude, sweet finds. I will be in touch on these and your previous finds. In the last week I picked up 1600 pounds of York plates, a power bar, and a curl bar.

Sounds good. Wanna start a York Barbell Club- Stainless edition?
I want #2.

$150, brother. I have two. Want one?

Really, that low? I thought they were less common than the Oly bars.

[AttyGuy]

Sounds good. Wanna start a York Barbell Club- Stainless edition?
I want #2.

You and me, brother.

Really, that low? I thought they were less common than the Oly bars.

For you, brother, I can work a deal. They are less common.

[BloodType3R]

Can you comment on the Bun vs RoundHead topic?
Did I have that correct that the 4 to 12lb 1-pieces are referred to as Buns?

[GarageIron]

$150, brother. I have two. Want one?

Yes. absolutely.

[SpinLock]

Can you comment on the Bun vs RoundHead topic?
Did I have that correct that the 4 to 12lb 1-pieces are referred to as Buns?

What you have are roundheads. Probably from the 80s when that Bar and Collars were purchased. Do they have USA stamped on bottom? The reason that they are "one piece" is because they are 12lbs and under. They didn't do the two piece construction (steel bar handels with two poured iron ends) until you got to 15lbs and up.

Roundheads have a pill shaped end. Buns have a more rounded bun shape and are older.


Anyway, Very nice pick up! Love that bar and those speed collars are cool too, and not as common as the spin lock variety in my opinion. Also, nice job on getting the Oakie Grip collars. I have a pair just like that! Do yours have Made in USA on them cast into the side of the collar or just the silver sticker that says Oakie Strenght etc?

[BloodType3R]

What you have are roundheads. Probably from the 80s when that Bar and Collars were purchased. Do they have USA stamped on bottom? The reason that they are "one piece" is because they are 12lbs and under. They didn't do the two piece construction (steel bar handels with two poured iron ends) until you got to 15lbs and up.

Roundheads have a pill shaped end. Buns have a more rounded bun shape and are older.


Anyway, Very nice pick up! Love that bar and those speed collars are cool too, and not as common as the spin lock variety in my opinion. Also, nice job on getting the Oakie Grip collars. I have a pair just like that! Do yours have Made in USA on them cast into the side of the collar or just the silver sticker that says Oakie Strenght etc?

Thanks much for the clarification.
No "USA" stampings on the DB's or the plates. I wasn't sure what to think of that, knowing that they were from the 80's but not marked "USA"...

Here's a better pic of the Oakies:


They do have "MADE IN U.S.A." stamped right above the indentation where it says "HINGLELOK".

I'm diggin the York Speed Collars too. I already have a set of the more common spin locks but I hadn't seen these ones in person before.

[SpinLock]

I'm guessing sometime in late 80s early 90s they started to stamp USA. So yours could be a little earlier. Those Oakies are nice. The pair I have has the Hingelock- made in USA part waxed out for some reason, but still has the silver sticker. Made me wonder if they started making them overseas or something.

[matrix563]

i like those clamps

[AttyGuy]

I'm guessing sometime in late 80s early 90s they started to stamp USA. So yours could be a little earlier. Those Oakies are nice. The pair I have has the Hingelock- made in USA part waxed out for some reason, but still has the silver sticker. Made me wonder if they started making them overseas or something.

Jan Dellinger talks about this on IH. My recollection is that it was in the 1990's that York started marking its more expensive American-made plates "USA" to distinguish from the inexpensive foreign-made plates it sold. The York "Hercules" Olympic plates were their lower-end plates, though these were first manufactured in the US before moving off-shore. They were not milled.

[Slumpbusters]

Those Hingelok collars are super cool. I've never seen a set of those before

[TLYNCH777]

Those Hingelok collars are super cool. I've never seen a set of those before

Yea those Okie collars are built so well ... unfortunately they don't make them any more

[southpawbk]

Picked up this bar for $45 tonight. Little background, guy selling was super cool. Older guy that owned many gyms he said back in the day. He had old school cybex, nebula, and hammer machines. Pretty cool stuff and in great condition. This bar I picked up still spins great and has great patina. No markings on it for York, and he didn't know if it was or not. Either way, its a great looking bar, but man I would love for you guys to confirm if I got the infamous York bar I've been searching for some time now...

[Slumpbusters]

Yea those Okie collars are built so well ... unfortunately they don't make them any more

Are they hard to get? If anyone has a "spare" set I would be interested in putting a little cash on the table for a pair.

[AttyGuy]

OK, Nancies, the York Gang is here. http://groups.bodybuilding.com/york_gang

[southpawbk]

[QUOTE=southpawbk;1028490773]Picked up this bar for $45 tonight. Little background, guy selling was super cool. Older guy that owned many gyms he said back in the day. He had old school cybex, nebula, and hammer machines. Pretty cool stuff and in great condition. This bar I picked up still spins great and has great patina. No markings on it for York, and he didn't know if it was or not. Either way, its a great looking bar, but man I would love for you guys to confirm if I got the infamous York bar I've been searching for some time now...


Bump

[BloodType3R]

Hey southpaw, you can rest easy. Everything points to York, imo.
On those unbranded bars (especially with odd features like the set screwed shoulder), folks may be hesitant to call it a York but I don't think that anyone is going to tell you that it isn't a York. A few pages back someone posted two of his bars side by side and one hd the same features of yours.

[southpawbk]

Hey southpaw, you can rest easy. Everything points to York, imo.
On those unbranded bars (especially with odd features like the set screwed shoulder), folks may be hesitant to call it a York but I don't think that anyone is going to tell you that it isn't a York. A few pages back someone posted two of his bars side by side and one hd the same features of yours.

Thanks Bloodtype. I saw that same pic too of the two bars. All the things I've read in this thread tell me its a York, it just doesent have it stamped like I normally see.

[AttyGuy]

York bars were not stamped before the 1980's.

[southpawbk]

York bars were not stamped before the 1980's.

Thanks Atty! Makes sense since the original owner said they were in his gyms about 40 years ago... I have been searching for some time now the thread that discusses how to properly clean and dismantle these bars... Can you point me in the right direction so I can give my eyes a rest...

[AttyGuy]

Thanks Atty! Makes sense since the original owner said they were in his gyms about 40 years ago... I have been searching for some time now the thread that discusses how to properly clean and dismantle these bars... Can you point me in the right direction so I can give my eyes a rest...

There is a barbell thread that Keetman started in which he shows how he took apart and cleaned his 80's era bar. IH also has some guidance. It is an art, not a science. Does your bar have much of the original finish left on the bar (similar to gun bluing)? Your options are steel wool, CLR and green plastic scrub pads, WD40 and a wire brush, or a wire wheel brush on a drill preferrably (not cordless). Which option to choose depends upon the amount of finish and rust on the bar. Oh, and your bar has set screws, right? You need a really small Allen head wrench to remove them. You may want to soak the screws with something first to unfreeze them.

[southpawbk]

There is a barbell thread that Keetman started in which he shows how he took apart and cleaned his 80's era bar. IH also has some guidance. It is an art, not a science. Does your bar have much of the original finish left on the bar (similar to gun bluing)? Your options are steel wool, CLR and green plastic scrub pads, WD40 and a wire brush, or a wire wheel brush on a drill preferrably (not cordless). Which option to choose depends upon the amount of finish and rust on the bar. Oh, and your bar has set screws, right? You need a really small Allen head wrench to remove them. You may want to soak the screws with something first to unfreeze them.

Great info, thanks! I may try with an allen wrench, since the sleeves are just a bit loose... no real biggy, but if I could tighten them up I would.I don't notice any real 'gun bluing' but the finish is in decent shape. The knurling is an 8 out of 10 IMO.

[AttyGuy]

The bar looks like it was painted. . .

[BloodType3R]

Pretty impressive for a 30 year old bushing bar that has never been disassembled and/or had it's rotating assembly lubricated...

[morebarbell]

Pretty impressive for a 30 year old bushing bar that has never been disassembled and/or had it's rotating assembly lubricated...

Nice bar and video! I'm jelly...

[BloodType3R]

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