What's your ideal "shorty" Olympic bar?

[IvankoBarbellCo]

A few of us have talked about shorty Olympic bars. And someone here suggested I start a new thread about it. I've got a lot of shorter (under 7' 2" that is the standard Olympic bar length) pieces of really good bar stock. And material for the sleeves.

What would the specs on your ideal shorty bar be?

Sleeve length, inside collar to inside collar length, etc. Stainless steel or not? If stainless, blue finish or a more polished finish? If not, raw finish or black oxide?

Knurling preferences? (If you want to know more about how to measure knurling see one of the answers to the question about it here on p. 2) :

http://www.ivankobarbell.com/press/a...nko_part_2.pdf

Maybe unusual hand spacing marks (I've got a few ideas on this myself )

Tom's been wanting to make up another shorty bar for a long time. And few people have e-mailed me about it too, but I wanted to get some more feedback first.

So, if you've got ideas (even if you're not interested in a shorty bar itself), I'd love to hear 'em.

Thanks for your time,

Vinko

[fishpat86]

I prefer a 6ft bar for deadlifts, maybe you could send me a sample 6ft Ivanko barbell?

[fishingeek]

I've seen several people interested in a 6' bar that is rackable. Some of the rooms that us home gym junkies use require a shorter bar.
I believe Hampton makes one that usually gets recommended. They just shorten the sleeves to make it work.
Not sure if your pieces would be long enough to fit the bill here or not.

I have the OBX-20kg, the OB-60B and the OBZ-30.
The OBZ-55 is a bar that has my interest peaked. I like the looks of the bend on it and the upgraded end caps.
It looks shorter than my OBZ-30 though and I am very happy with its length.
I would like to see a bar like the OB-60B with the upgraded bar caps and perhaps the more aggressive knurling like my OBX has. Not sure I could justify the upgrade though, it has been a great bar for me.
As far as the finish goes, I like the black oxide bars but I have never had the privilege to try one of your stainless ones so I can't comment on them.

Not sure if any of this helps you or not but I think the 6' rackable bar would be worth looking into.
As a side note, I wish you guys would consider bringing back the Quick collar. I know you had an unhappy customer recently but there are a few of us that really like the collar. I think that the packaging was the issue the gentleman had with it. The Ivanko name on it would have probably made a difference...
Anyway, I love the set I have and would get more if you brought it back.


Geek

[AttyGuy]

This should be a good thread. Definitely a rackable 6' bar is nice, but so too would be a non-rackable 6' bar that will take as many plates as a regular Oly bar. I too use a 6' bar for deadlifts. . .

No preferences for knurling, but I don't think you'd need center knurling.

[fishpat86]

This should be a good thread. Definitely a rackable 6' bar is nice, but so too would be a non-rackable 6' bar that will take as many plates as a regular Oly bar. I too use a 6' bar for deadlifts. . .

No preferences for knurling, but I don't think you'd need center knurling.

Maybe a little over 6 foot would be good to make it rackable.

My deadlift bar is almost smooth from chalk, what's a good way to clean it out?

[RBLOCK]

I would most definitely buy a 6' Olympic bar. BLUE STEEL is the only look, as we all know. I hate Ben Stiller, though.

[Wildtim]

I like any metal left in the raw. so blue for stainless or raw for other. I really don't see any huge advantage to the stainless, so I really prefer not to pay extra for it.

Love to hear the ideas on hand spacing marks. I think it would be nice to have marks very frequently so I could be precisely consistent from week to week, or I could progress wider to narrower then wider again over time in a measurable consistent way.

Past that the major requirement is going to be rackable.

[RBLOCK]

I like any metal left in the raw. so blue for stainless or raw for other. I really don't see any huge advantage to the stainless, so I really prefer not to pay extra for it.

Love to hear the ideas on hand spacing marks. I think it would be nice to have marks very frequently so I could be precisely consistent from week to week, or I could progress wider to narrower then wider again over time in a measurable consistent way.

Past that the major requirement is going to be rackable.

How often are you thinking? Marks every inch maybe?

[darkfact]

Maybe a little over 6 foot would be good to make it rackable.

My deadlift bar is almost smooth from chalk, what's a good way to clean it out?

A wire brush and a toothbrush is what I've used in the past, but I haven't used chalk in awhile so maybe there's a better way nowadays.

[RBLOCK]

A wire brush and a toothbrush is what I've used in the past, but I haven't used chalk in awhile so maybe there's a better way nowadays.

Not to my knowledge.

[IvankoBarbellCo]

I like any metal left in the raw. so blue for stainless or raw for other. I really don't see any huge advantage to the stainless, so I really prefer not to pay extra for it.

This sort of "blue finish" can be seen here, for the OBS-66 -- not quite the length of bar that some may want. I like this finish a lot more than a polished finish. As for stainless, there can be (but certainly not by necessity) a problem with some grades of stainless used for the sleeves. I've got some OB-66's that I think I'm going to make maybe a dozen or so, since I've got the sleeves.

I like the raw too, like the old Schnell bars. The advantage for stainless can be for gyms who want to keep things looking good over a long period of time -- (not that stainless won't rust) but it certainly can retard rust and some clubs like the finish. That said, there's a lot of different types of stainless -- so it can't be a monolithic discussion concerning that metal. That said, I do like our OBS-20KG. It's a really good looking piece of equipment.

[IvankoBarbellCo]

I've seen several people interested in a 6' bar that is rackable. Some of the rooms that us home gym junkies use require a shorter bar.
I believe Hampton makes one that usually gets recommended. They just shorten the sleeves to make it work.
Not sure if your pieces would be long enough to fit the bill here or not.

I have the OBX-20kg, the OB-60B and the OBZ-30.
The OBZ-55 is a bar that has my interest peaked. I like the looks of the bend on it and the upgraded end caps.
It looks shorter than my OBZ-30 though and I am very happy with its length.

I like the OBZ-55 too. We're proud of it. We had a really fearsome debate in house over the nitty-gritty of this bar -- because the production costs were relatively high and Tom, who designs all the bars, refused to compromise on any aspect of it. You've always got to fight the sales and marketing people who think bottom line. A constant struggle against mediocrity and the easy dollar. The OBZ-55 uses the snap ring fasteners for the sleeves. In and of itself snap rings aren't superior to hex bolts, but it costs a lot more to do the hex bolts right. Where as you can more cheaply get an effective bar using snap rings - this is somewhat too much of a generalization and perhaps requires qualification, but it's analogous to the bushing vs. bearing debate (that been nicely covered here by a couple of guys) and which Tom discussed here:

http://www.ivankobarbell.com/press/a...nko_part_2.pdf

I would like to see a bar like the OB-60B with the upgraded bar caps and perhaps the more aggressive knurling like my OBX has. Not sure I could justify the upgrade though, it has been a great bar for me.

What might work for you is the OB-66 (it was the "shorty" version") of the OB-84. It's got hex-bolt fastening for the sleeve but I'd put it next to anyone's shorty bar. As I mentioned above, we'll hopefully make some of these again, but the problem with that bar as well as the OB-84 was that they cost more to make (at least to make right) than some of the snap ring designs.

Not sure if any of this helps you or not but I think the 6' rackable bar would be worth looking into.

Yeah, it all helps One thing I'm getting from pretty much everyone is something as short as possible yet still rackable. I'm kind of thinking longer sleeves than would be proportional for this bar. But maybe just 10-1/2" or so. But then you're back up to pretty much a full size bar.

What Atty Guy said is sort of what I was thinking:

This should be a good thread. Definitely a rackable 6' bar is nice, but so too would be a non-rackable 6' bar that will take as many plates as a regular Oly bar.

If anyone else has ideas, keep 'em coming. Be specific if you can. If you've got preferences for inside length between sleeve collars, and actual sleeve lengths (or total length of bar) that would be helpful too. Something rackable is doable but limits some more creative options as well I think. I might turn out that one rackable with shorter plate loading length and one shorty with longer plate loading length might be the way to do.

With knurling, you can always, easily, make it less sharp -- but you can't do the reverse. So a knurling with higher peaks might be the way to go.

As a side note, I wish you guys would consider bringing back the Quick collar. I know you had an unhappy customer recently but there are a few of us that really like the collar. I think that the packaging was the issue the gentleman had with it. The Ivanko name on it would have probably made a difference...
Anyway, I love the set I have and would get more if you brought it back.

If you e-mail me I can check if I have any scratch and dent pairs. I doubt it, but maybe something here or there. But the thing is you can now get them direct from the manufacturer (I think). It's a long story, and I'd rather not discuss publicly as to why we don't want to carry it anymore. I feel I answered all that guys questions honestly and fully. It's been a while, but I don't think the subsequent replies were of any new substance.

But I do think that Quick collar has limitations. We did improve it. But in my opinion, its very design is inherently limited. I think the compression-ring collar is just as quick and is a much more elegant solution that doesn't have the drawbacks of that particular Quick-type collar. Plus it's less expensive.

We are thinking of two new collar designs plus a return of the COX Series collars well. One of the "new" designs will pay homage to an older Polish style collar that we have. And the other may well prove to be an improvement over the Compression ring collar.

I prefer a 6ft bar for deadlifts, maybe you could send me a sample 6ft Ivanko barbell?

Maybe you could send me a sample deposit?

[echase5]

A wire brush and a toothbrush is what I've used in the past, but I haven't used chalk in awhile so maybe there's a better way nowadays.

Brush on an angle grinder. Leave the bar sitting on the floor with plates in the collars for easy rotation.

[AttyGuy]

This sort of "blue finish" can be seen here, for the OBS-66 -- not quite the length of bar that some may want. I like this finish a lot more than a polished finish. . .

The OBS-66 looks like a beautiful bar. Wow. Of course, then I saw what it goes for. Definitely I high-quality, no-compromise bar.

[dumb.bell]

Anyone heard any updates on these shorty bars?

[ProtienandIron]

My perfect shorty bar;

6ft
Rackable
Super sharp, deep knurl
Centre knurl (not as sharp or deep as the hand knurl)
Raw finish (although stainless would probably be more sellable to most consumers)
Very stiff
Powerlifting marks (just because I am used to using these for my hand spacing on)

Extras;

Birth date and Serial #
Ivanko logo on caps and on inside collars

[Andrew_WOT]

Already mentioned Hampton IB-72CE.
http://www.hamptonfit.com/shop/produ...&CurCatalogID=
It's rackable just has shorter sleeves.

[pumping4life]

Hopefully Vinko shows up. He keeps promising these and I would love an update.

[qaz123]

6'4 bar that fits in a rack would be nice.

[Detrus]

Hampton bars seem to have shorter collars. Can't tell if it's really shorter from pics but seems like a worthwhile innovation to try. On full length OB-20 the full sleeve is 17, plate loading area is 15 3/8, collar takes up 1 5/8". For space constrained bars those are important inches. In addition could make the bar 76" instead of 72". The bar would be rackable but with more useful sleeves.

So regular 6' rackable is about 52.5" grip area (or minimum required for racking) + 2 x 1.6" collars + 8.1" loading area
My 76" rackable would have 52.5" grip area + 2 x .6" collars + 11" loading area

I would imagine this as a midrange bar, not an $800 no compromise masterpiece like the OB66.

Well off topic but I also imagine olympic weight sets for home reminiscent of current standard weight sets. With thin plates and 14-16" dumbbell handles that make you feel you're getting more for your dollar by getting more stuff, that is bar and dumbbells not just bar. Using standard plates I don't see why you need such thick plates for lower weights with olympics. 45 lb plates could be 1 1/4" but the rest can be thinner, especially 10 lb and under. With such a set and a rackable yet compact bar you could someday upgrade to a quality rack. The rackable aspect is driven by the fact that no one makes smaller quality racks and width adjustable squat stands are lacking.

[Andrew_WOT]

I own 6' Hampton bar and between sleeves it's exactly the same as 7' Hampton Powerlifting bar (got it as I started running out of room on sleeves), same distance, same marks, spare lack of center knurling. Sleeves are shorter, so the total length is 6'. Interesting that another Hampton 6 footer - aluminum, has same characteristic but also sports center knurling, not sure what's the reasoning for difference.

Hampton bars seem to have shorter collars. Can't tell if it's really shorter from pics but seems like a worthwhile innovation to try. On full length OB-20 the full sleeve is 17, plate loading area is 15 3/8, collar takes up 1 5/8". For space constrained bars those are important inches. In addition could make the bar 76" instead of 72". The bar would be rackable but with more useful sleeves.

So regular 6' rackable is about 52.5" grip area (or minimum required for racking) + 2 x 1.6" collars + 8.1" loading area
My 76" rackable would have 52.5" grip area + 2 x .6" collars + 11" loading area

I would imagine this as a midrange bar, not an $800 no compromise masterpiece like the OB66.

Well off topic but I also imagine olympic weight sets for home reminiscent of current standard weight sets. With thin plates and 14-16" dumbbell handles that make you feel you're getting more for your dollar by getting more stuff, that is bar and dumbbells not just bar. Using standard plates I don't see why you need such thick plates for lower weights with olympics. 45 lb plates could be 1 1/4" but the rest can be thinner, especially 10 lb and under. With such a set and a rackable yet compact bar you could someday upgrade to a quality rack. The rackable aspect is driven by the fact that no one makes smaller quality racks and width adjustable squat stands are lacking.

[keyboardworkout]

http://ivankobarbell.com/products/ob72/

OB-72 Olympic Bar, Chrome, 6', Econo Line
OUT-OF-STOCK. DISCONTINUED.



US. Made shorty bar (made in USA) coming in mid/late 2012.

[fishpat86]

Maybe you could send me a sample deposit?

If you want me to ****, jizz, spit or bleed in a pot and send it to you in exchange for a barbell I have a poop scoop, porn website, mouthful of spit, razor and a pot in hand ready!

Brush on an angle grinder. Leave the bar sitting on the floor with plates in the collars for easy rotation.

If only I had an angle grinder!

My perfect shorty bar;

6ft
Rackable
Super sharp, deep knurl
Centre knurl (not as sharp or deep as the hand knurl)
Raw finish (although stainless would probably be more sellable to most consumers)
Very stiff
Powerlifting marks (just because I am used to using these for my hand spacing on)

Extras;

Birth date and Serial #
Ivanko logo on caps and on inside collars

Agree except for the bolded part, I would like a bar that practically hooks into me!

[AttyGuy]

Checking in for any news.