Due to popular demand... The Ivanko Barbell crew!

[Cleveland33]

why only weekends?

[darren.dugan]

why only weekends?

The crew I train with trains at 8am on the weekdays and 10am on Sunday. I work until 1am M-Th so, going in at 8 is out of the question for me. That, and I've invested too much into my home gym to not use it all the time

[Cleveland33]

and a lovely home gym it is. I feel similarly, however if I was close enough to be a member of Iron Sport (and actually use it) I would.

Then again, I would be able to OHP properly.

[darren.dugan]

and a lovely home gym it is. I feel similarly, however if I was close enough to be a member of Iron Sport (and actually use it) I would.

Then again, I would be able to OHP properly.

Yeah, I hear ya. If the other PL'ers all trained at 10am, I'd probably be in there all week instead of just Sunday's. But if that were the case, my wife would bug me to no end about my home gym that is gathering dust in the basement.

[thejosef]

Can you post some close up photos of the knurl when you get it? Also... I forgot to say "congrats!"
.

I sure will. Thanks! I plan to have a nice lil photo session with the DSLR & tripod once the bar comes in. I picked up some awesome bars in the past few months after selling a few things & getting a healthy Christmas bonus.. I think I'll be done buying bars for a long time.

The gym I go to on weekends just added 1,000kg of Ivanko calibrated

Thanks for posting those pics darren. Those new calibrated plates are STUNNING! Nice home gym too bud.

[darren.dugan]

Thanks for posting those pics darren. Those new calibrated plates are STUNNING! Nice home gym too bud.

Thanks! Now for me to get back on topic - rubber revolvers!

[Synthetickiller]

Two pretty nice stainless Ivanko bars sold yesterday on eBay..

I picked up the stainless curl bar for for $375 shipped. Not an awesome deal by any means, but it has the older satin finish in the middle that I like. The new ones "look" like chrome in the middle (may be high polished stainless).. either way, I'm not a fan. I'm glad I found an older one, and didn't have to pay the new price they're asking of $655.

My current curl bar is a new-ish imported OBZ-30 curl bar, but I'm gonna get rid of it due to the lack of knurling in the main area I grip it, right past the first bends. It appears the imported bar has changed a bit over the years. Old pictures of it show the knurl going more into the center section and they also have "Ivanko OBZ-30" stamped on the sleeves. The newer ones no longer have the stamping (confirmed by Ivanko customer service), and the knurling only goes in the center section (past the first bends) about an inch or two. Just an FYI based on my findings.

The other bar sold was a stainless Olympic bar (OBS-20kg).. Sold for $535 shipped! That's the lowest I've seen that bar go. Somebody is getting a really nice bar at a great price. Anybody on here pick it up??

That is a crazy price for an OBS-20kg. I'm surprised the seller didn't put a minimum reserve price much higher than that.

How are you liking the curl bar?

[thejosef]

That is a crazy price for an OBS-20kg. I'm surprised the seller didn't put a minimum reserve price much higher than that.

How are you liking the curl bar?

No kidding. I thought it would jump up at the end but it didn't.. The curl bar should be arriving next week. I'll post here some pics and impressions when I get it.

[urbanlifter]

Two pretty nice stainless Ivanko bars sold yesterday on eBay..

I picked up the stainless curl bar for for $375 shipped. Not an awesome deal by any means, but it has the older satin finish in the middle that I like. The new ones "look" like chrome in the middle (may be high polished stainless).. either way, I'm not a fan. I'm glad I found an older one, and didn't have to pay the new price they're asking of $655.

My current curl bar is a new-ish imported OBZ-30 curl bar, but I'm gonna get rid of it due to the lack of knurling in the main area I grip it, right past the first bends. It appears the imported bar has changed a bit over the years. Old pictures of it show the knurl going more into the center section and they also have "Ivanko OBZ-30" stamped on the sleeves. The newer ones no longer have the stamping (confirmed by Ivanko customer service), and the knurling only goes in the center section (past the first bends) about an inch or two. Just an FYI based on my findings.

The other bar sold was a stainless Olympic bar (OBS-20kg).. Sold for $535 shipped! That's the lowest I've seen that bar go. Somebody is getting a really nice bar at a great price. Anybody on here pick it up??

Wish I would have known this a couple weeks ago when I got the OBZ-30 on sale. Just ran outside to open the package to inspect, and was pretty underwhelmed by my new curl bar . I see what appears to be surface rust in the knurling, no Ivanko stamp on my bar, and the grip area does stop only a couple inches into the first bend. However, design wise the knurling feels nice and the curl width is perfect for me. Quality wasn't quite what I was expecting, even though I know it's their cheapest bar @ $182 shipped. Do I make the 'Crew' anyway with such a lowly purchase? LOL

[Synthetickiller]

The gym I go to on weekends just added 1,000kg of Ivanko calibrated

I wish that gym could add 1000kg of CBPPs to my gym, lol. That's sick.

The crew I train with trains at 8am on the weekdays and 10am on Sunday. I work until 1am M-Th so, going in at 8 is out of the question for me. That, and I've invested too much into my home gym to not use it all the time

Awesome reverse hyper. You'll enjoy the pendulum. It's so much better than the strap. It's nice to see people buying these!

I've never tried this, but if the unit is stable, try building a wedge so you can angle it. It's wild how different it feels & what muscles it targets.

[Northernmoris]

Those plates are awesome. I'm surprised as well how shiny they are.

Darren, sick gym. Especially considering how you built most of it. On spread.

[morebarbell]

Wish I would have known this a couple weeks ago when I got the OBZ-30 on sale. Just ran outside to open the package to inspect, and was pretty underwhelmed by my new curl bar . I see what appears to be surface rust in the knurling, no Ivanko stamp on my bar, and the grip area does stop only a couple inches into the first bend. However, design wise the knurling feels nice and the curl width is perfect for me. Quality wasn't quite what I was expecting, even though I know it's their cheapest bar @ $182 shipped. Do I make the 'Crew' anyway with such a lowly purchase? LOL

I've seen at least three of those bars listed higher than retail on Ebay AND sell. Unfortunately, they must have thought they were buying the more expensive bar. I had a few of the economy bars. There is a bid difference between the economy bars and the commercial bars. I bought all of them on the secondary market but some were essentially new in the tube. They had a pretty thick layer of oil on them and didn't have any rust. There were some dark spots of dried oil but it cleaned up easily. I just used WD-40 and a lint free rag to wipe them down. You might try that or maybe WD-40 and a nylon bristle brush.

Do you want a club number?

[rlundregan]

Darren, sick gym. Especially considering how you built most of it. On spread.

+1 on this. I really like that bar stand that you built.

[urbanlifter]

I've seen at least three of those bars listed higher than retail on Ebay AND sell. Unfortunately, they must have thought they were buying the more expensive bar. I had a few of the economy bars. There is a bid difference between the economy bars and the commercial bars. I bought all of them on the secondary market but some were essentially new in the tube. They had a pretty thick layer of oil on them and didn't have any rust. There were some dark spots of dried oil but it cleaned up easily. I just used WD-40 and a lint free rag to wipe them down. You might try that or maybe WD-40 and a nylon bristle brush.

Do you want a club number?

Absolutely, I was super excited to get this bar and join the Ivanko ranks! I'll have to clean it up a bit and see if that helps, smelled like oil and was in a dirty bag inside the tube. That took away from the unveiling, but man the knurling has a SUPER fine feeling. Hopefully it's the first of many Ivanko bars.

[thejosef]

Absolutely, I was super excited to get this bar and join the Ivanko ranks! I'll have to clean it up a bit and see if that helps, smelled like oil and was in a dirty bag inside the tube. That took away from the unveiling, but man the knurling has a SUPER fine feeling. Hopefully it's the first of many Ivanko bars.

Yeah it's still a great bar. The rust should clean up with some WD-40. The knurling is excellent for sure.. Don't let my minor complaints ruin your fun. I tend to be picky with my stuff. Enjoy the bar bud

[ajsat23]

Absolutely, I was super excited to get this bar and join the Ivanko ranks! I'll have to clean it up a bit and see if that helps, smelled like oil and was in a dirty bag inside the tube. That took away from the unveiling, but man the knurling has a SUPER fine feeling. Hopefully it's the first of many Ivanko bars.

Been wanting to upgrade my curl bar forever. Let me know how you like it. Congrats on the sweet bar.

[jtaliani]

The other bar sold was a stainless Olympic bar (OBS-20kg).. Sold for $535 shipped! That's the lowest I've seen that bar go. Somebody is getting a really nice bar at a great price. Anybody on here pick it up??

I really hope it did go to someone on the forum as I had full intention of buying it. Set my alarm on my phone almost a week ago. Went out with some friends and either didn't hear it or it didn't go off....so I missed the end. Oh well, hopefully it went to a good home.

[thejosef]

I really hope it did go to someone on the forum as I had full intention of buying it. Set my alarm on my phone almost a week ago. Went out with some friends and either didn't hear it or it didn't go off....so I missed the end. Oh well, hopefully it went to a good home.

Ugh, that's painful to hear. I always waffle on whether I should post eBay stuff here.. I hate to mess up someone on here who is planning to buy by introducing more competition.
Anyways.. really sorry you missed out on this one.

[Northernmoris]

Ugh, that's painful to hear. I always waffle on whether I should post eBay stuff here.. I hate to mess up someone on here who is planning to buy by introducing more competition.
Anyways.. really sorry you missed out on this one.

I've done that to someone before. Now I'll only post ebay privately.

[aclockworkoi]

OB-86-30 for sale with some 10lb bumpers and iron 45s in my area for $165. Have absolutely no use for it but was considering buying just to have an Ivanko bar lol.

[morebarbell]

OB-86-30 for sale with some 10lb bumpers and iron 45s in my area for $165. Have absolutely no use for it but was considering buying just to have an Ivanko bar lol.

There might still be some on clearance but it looks like the price has increased since last year. http://ivankobarbell.com/products/ol...bar_clearance/
Since you're in California, I'd definitely be looking for a used OB or OBX-20KG or vintage OB-84 on Craigslist. They're my favorite bars.

Absolutely, I was super excited to get this bar and join the Ivanko ranks! I'll have to clean it up a bit and see if that helps, smelled like oil and was in a dirty bag inside the tube. That took away from the unveiling, but man the knurling has a SUPER fine feeling. Hopefully it's the first of many Ivanko bars.

The dirty oil bag is not particularly attractive but it's necessary for a black oxide bar, especially a black oxide bar shipped on the slow boat from China. The black oxide on the economy bars is a bit different than on the commercial bars but neither will do much to prevent rust. They need to be maintained. The good thing is it won't chip or peel like chrome. I don't presently have an Ivanko curl bar but I've been eyeing the rackable bar.

I think we're up to 77...

Official List

fishingeek []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #1 []---[]
dumb.bell []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #2 []---[]
Northernmoris []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #3 []---[]
rpark []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #4 []---[]
rthawker []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #5 []---[]
dnb.. []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #6 []---[]
darkfact.. []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #7 []---[]
ndmike99.. []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #8 []---[]
Keetman.. []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #9 []---[]
jfidon []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #10 []---[]
nflan133.. []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #11 []---[]
HealthNutMD.. []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #12 []---[]
skidmarx.. []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #13 []---[]
davidoff1974.. []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #14 []---[]
grunpytude []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #15 []---[]
slimverdies []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #16 []---[]
mroc17.. []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #17 []---[]
PassinThrough []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #18 []---[]
keyboardworkout -- []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #19 []---[]
ReeveConstruct []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #20 []---[]
Matrix []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #21 []---[]
TinyB []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #22 []---[]
Extremistpullup []---[] Ivanko Crew #23 []---[]
TheDude8734 []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #24 []---[]
Southpawbk []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #25 []---[]
BloodType3R []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #26 []---[]
Buccaneer82 []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #27 []---[]
ICEcap2 []---[] Ivanko Crew #28 []---[]
rlundregan []---[] Ivanko Crew #29 []---[]
psukydd []---[]Ivanko Crew #30 []---[]
GRAYPANTHER []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #31 []---[]
morebarbell []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #32 []---[]
notfamousyet []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #33 []---[]
tazman7 []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #34 []---[]
StephanBB []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #35 []---[]
SpinLock []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #36 []---[]
DamonB82 []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #37 []---[]
jlockeOSU []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #38 []---[]
SkinnySquats []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #39 []---[]
aclockworkoi []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #40 []---[]
judgecrandall []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #41 []---[]
Cartr1dgeBased []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #42[]---[]
Darren.dugan []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #43[]---[]
jdforsy []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #44 []---[]
Dinerobill []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #45 []---[]
swoonfitness[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #46 []---[]
thejosef[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #47 []---[]
djslik916[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #48 []---[]
tjlewis10[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #49 []---[]
IvankoBarbellCo []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #50 []---[]
AttyGuy []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #51 []---[]
Synthetickiller []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #52 []---[]
ubernoob []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #53 []---[]
alexthaman []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #54 []---[]
dhartnet []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #55 []---[]
irongrandpa []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #56 []---[]
CYMlift []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #57 []---[]
STR8OUT []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #58 []---[]
aj2754[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #59 []---[]
filmare []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #60 []---[]
obey46[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #61 []---[]
Bench905[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #62 []---[]
RestoringTally[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #63 []---[]
59phinz[]---[]Ivanko Barbell Crew #64 []---[]
dragon360[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #65 []---[]
swimmer32[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #66 []---[]
maltralson[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #67 []---[]
Rajon25[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #68 []---[]
CropDusterMan[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #69 []---[]
Conquer92[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #70 []---[]
Capt196a[]---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #71 []---[]
SmokinJoe87 []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #72 []---[]
oldschoolifter []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #73 []---[]
brucedelaney []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #74 []---[]
MonkeyT []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #75 []---[]
Sdca7718 []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #76 []---[]
urbanlifter []---[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #77 []---[]

[lumocolor]

Recently got these....

[urbanlifter]

Got the bar on sale when Ironcompany did the 10% off, so I thought I was getting a good deal on a brand that rarely goes on sale. Honestly, I'm proud to join the Ivanko crew but I'm not quite sure how I feel about the bar. The knurling feels great, the angle of the inner bend is perfect for how I like to curl, but the quality of the finish is not what I was expecting for a $182 curl bar. What do you guys think, is this what I should expect from Ivanko, even if its their 'Made in China' bar? Function wise I think it will serve me well, and will also be great for tricep work and upright rows. But like thejosef said, the knurling stops half way thru the grip on the inner bends and I'm not quite sure the idea behind making that change compared to older OBZ-30 bars.

Ivanko B-OBZ-30


First thing I noticed after I wiped off the oil, uneven finish.


Love the knurling, but areas randomly go from smooth to sharp (inconsistent)


Example: Dark area is very smooth, lighter areas have a sharper feel when gripping.

[morebarbell]

The finish on the sleeve is not normal for an economy bar. They have some Made in China bars with imperfect black oxide in the clearance section so maybe they're having problems with the finish on the bars. I doubt they open all the tubes and inspect the bars before sending them out. The black oxide will wear off with use, especially on the sleeves, but only you can decide if you want to keep it.

The knurl on these curl bars is very similar to the knurl on the straight bars that are also made in China. It's a mild checkering and sort of reminds me of the knurl on a 80s York bar. It's very different from the knurl on their commercial bars.

The knurl on most curl bars stops shortly after the inner bend. I also wish the knurl extended further on these bars. It also stops short on this Hampton but it's a shorter 4' bar and there's less real estate between the knurled areas.

Ivanko has some 4 footers in the clearance section but there's no photo. Here's an older photo but I don't know if the knurl has changed. In the photo it has a knurl after the inner bend.

[urbanlifter]

Funny you mention the knurl on the 80's bar. I have an old standard bar (unknown brand) that is one solid steel piece, and the knurling on that one is very comparable to how the OBZ-30 feels. I guess the finishing on the ends doesn't make that big a difference, since the plates sliding on and off will scratch them to hell anyway. Just thought it was strange for Ivanko quality.I waited over a year to pull the trigger on a quality curl bar, I'll probably just keep it since returning it would likely come at my own expense.

[morebarbell]

I suspect that the economy bars with the imperfect finish in the clearance section might be returns but who knows.

I think the economy bars are popular, especially on eBay and Craigslist, mainly because they have the Ivanko name. There's a big difference between the quality of the commercial bars and the economy bars. But they sell better on Craigslist or eBay for much closer to their original cost. Personally, I don't think the economy bars are a particularly good value. They're not bad bars but they're not cheap either.

I also mostly use a curl bar for triceps extensions and upright rows. But since I also have a "hammer curl" bar (basically a cross between a Swiss bar and a triceps bar), the curl bar doesn't get much attention. I picked up my Hampton curl bar for cheap during a Black Friday clearance last year otherwise I'd probably still be using a $30 CAP curl bar.

[morebarbell]

Here are a few examples of other economy bars for comparison of the finish. On these bars, the dark spots are dried oil. The black oxide is uniform. All of the economy bars that I've bought were similar. Most of them were bought on Craigslist but some of them had little or no use. I did end up replacing them with commercial bars but they are decent bars and I would buy them again for the right price on Craigslist.

[Sdca7718]

Got the bar on sale when Ironcompany did the 10% off, so I thought I was getting a good deal on a brand that rarely goes on sale. Honestly, I'm proud to join the Ivanko crew but I'm not quite sure how I feel about the bar. The knurling feels great, the angle of the inner bend is perfect for how I like to curl, but the quality of the finish is not what I was expecting for a $182 curl bar. What do you guys think, is this what I should expect from Ivanko, even if its their 'Made in China' bar? Function wise I think it will serve me well, and will also be great for tricep work and upright rows. But like thejosef said, the knurling stops half way thru the grip on the inner bends and I'm not quite sure the idea behind making that change compared to older OBZ-30 bars

You know the OBZ-55 commercial bar is only $230 +shipping from one of the official Ivanko suppliers. I know that is a little more than what you paid but the quality difference is obviously better.

[thejosef]

You know the OBZ-55 commercial bar is only $230 +shipping from one of the official Ivanko suppliers. I know that is a little more than what you paid but the quality difference is obviously better.

Got a link or source? It's $355 shipped everywhere I've looked..

[morebarbell]

Got a link or source? It's $355 shipped everywhere I've looked..

http://www.gympart.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=OBZ55B&eq=&Tp=

It's presently out of stock. Gympart isn't particularly good at updating their prices and product info. I suspect that the price will be bumped up once they get new stock from Ivanko. In my experience they don't honor the prices on out of stock items when there's a price increase from Ivanko. They'll call or email you with the new price. That was my experience a year or so ago.