VF Precision Kettlebell

[KBKB]

Back in April, I ordered a 24kg VF Precision Kettlebell from World Kettlebell Club. It was supposed to ship on April 15, but the ship date was slipped to end of June, which again slipped by about two months. I received it earlier today. I'll use this thread to post photos of the VF Kettlebell along with my thoughts on this kettlebell as I gain experience using it. If I decide to purchase more than one of these kettlebells, I'll use this thread to show them as well, especially if they differ in any appreciably way from the one I received today.

I chose a 24kg kettlebell because, at the moment, that's a good weight for me. I've been working on increasing my volume of both swings and snatches with this weight. I already have several other 24kg bells, but I wanted a competition style bell at this weight. The handle on the competition style bell is of a slightly smaller diameter than that of my 24kg Lifeline USA bells, which should make it easier to hang onto as my forearms start to get tired.

The VF Precision kettlebell has flat spots for the wrist, perhaps making it more comfortable to hold in the rack and overhead too. That seemed like a compelling feature to me, though there were several other features touted which were of interest too. The handle is supposed to be manufactured in such a way that it doesn't need to be sanded to be made usable. The bell is also supposed to have some kind of surface treatment that allows it to perform well either with or without chalk.

The box arrived in very good condition. The very first thing I noticed about the box was that it's significantly larger than any other box I've gotten containing a kettlebell. It may be instructive to compare this packaging to that in which I received a competition kettlebell from Power Systems. That packaging was very misshapen when I got it; however, Power Systems did double box it and, much to my surprise, the kettlebell within was in suprisingly good condition despite having almost no padding. (I think there might've been a few bits of crushed styrofoam in the Power Systems packaging.)

Here are two photos of the VF Precision Kettlebell box prior to being opened:





I came across a "Read This First!" notice when I opened the top flaps of the box:



That's a picture of Valery Fedorenko on the top side of the notice. His initials are "VF" - hence VF Precision Kettlebell.

Turning the notice over, this is what I saw:



I thought it was annoying that the kettlebell contained a residue that had to be removed by the customer. I would have much preferred that this be done as part of prepping the kettlebell for shipment.

I'll show the contents and interior of the styrofoam shell and what the kettlebell looks like with the residue on it in the next post.

[KBKB]

The styrofoam shell containing the VF Precision Kettlebell has a top and bottom half, making it very easy to get at the kettlebell contained within. All of the shells that I had previously seen for packing kettlebells need to have both halves removed at the same time. The kettlebell was wrapped in a plastic bag. Unlike the VF Fitness Kettlebell that I purchased from the same company, the bag for the Precision Kettlebell did not contain a packet of desiccant which could be crushed and mar the finish of the kettlebell.



Here's a photo of the top half of the shell. I thought it odd that the styrofoam was stained brown. It seems that this is some of the residue that must be cleaned from the bell prior to use. (When I look at this photo, it appears to me that styrofoam is sticking up where the handle goes. This is an optical illusion; it's actually a deep recess for the handle.)



The bottom half of the shell has the same brown discoloration also (presumably) from the residue on the bell. Apparently the residue permeates the bag?



Two views of the kettlebell prior to my attempts at cleaning off the residue:





In the next post, I'll discuss what I did to clean the kettlebell and show several photos of it after being cleaned.

[KBKB]

As shown in the first post, the "Read This First!" notice states that the VF Precision Kettlebell has a surface treatment residue which should be removed prior to using the kettlebell. The preparation instructions are as follows:

1. Place the kettlebell on a suitable cleaning surface, such as disposable cardboard.
2. Generously spray the entire kettlebell with an ammonia-based window cleaner such as Windex, or with mild detergent and water. Wipe it clean with a lint free cloth. Let the kettlebell completely dry. *Be sure to follow the instructions of any cleaning product you use.
3. Your kettlebell is ready to accept chalk or be sanded to your desired smoothness.

I followed steps 1 and 2 exactly except for the lint free cloth part of it - I used paper towels instead. The paper towels turned brown when I wiped the surface of the bell after spraying on Windex. The paper towels also left bits of themselves on the surface of the bell due to its texture.

While pondering how to remove the "lint" left from the paper towel, I noticed that there were still brownish patches on the bell that weren't removed by wiping the windex off. I applied more windex and wiped more vigorously, but noticed no appreciable difference.

I then srubbed the kettlebell using a plastic-bristled bar brush after hosing the kettlebell down with a garden hose. I also sprayed on more windex and scrubbed. I might have removed some of the brown spots, but many still remained.

I then scrubbed some of the areas of discoloration with some steel wool, but this didn't appear to make much of a difference either.

Finally, I sprayed the kettlebell one last time with Windex and wiped it down again, this time with a lint-free cloth. I think that whatever discoloration remains must be a part of the surface treatment.

Below are several views of the kettlebell after cleaning...

This is the side with the VF emblem. If you look closely, you can see the flat spots for the forearm and wrist just below where the handle attaches to the main mass of the bell.


The other side shows the weight in kilograms and pounds.


A side view:


A view looking down on the handle from above.


The bottom is nice and flat.


I'm disappointed in the appearance of the surface treatment. It almost looks like there are rust spots on the surface of the bell. I don't think it's rust; whatever it is didn't come off with vigorous brushing, nor with steel wool, although I didn't try all that hard with the steel wool. I think if it were rust, the steel wool would have removed it. For the moment, I'm not going to let the appearance bother me. My fear is that if I get too aggressive with trying to remove those spots, I may also remove the surface treatment which is supposed to provide better grip, etc.

I'll post comparison photos with other bells that I own and thoughts about how the bell performs in later posts.

[jackbravo]

yea, it kind has that 50yo iron patina look to it even though it's a new bell

[KBKB]

I weighed my 24kg VF Precision Kettlebell today. It's very slightly overweight. It's just enough over that you could probably sand the handle and have it end up exactly right. (I'm not planning on sanding the handle; so far, I like the texture as is.)

According to the photo of my postal scale set to kilograms, it weighed 24.05 kg. That was the low reading. The scale couldn't quite make up its mind; the high reading was 24.08 kg. It would jump a lot between 24.06 and 24.08.



Here's a photo showing the weight in pounds:



Edit: I notice that the bell looks different in the photo above than it did in my earlier photos. My only explanation for this is that my lighting set up was different. Today, I left the room lights off, which left only natural light coming in through the windows as the only ******t light source. I used an Orbis Ring Flash both yesterday and today, coupled with a Sony flash (speedlight). Today, I added two more flashes, one which I bounced off the wall behind the kettlebell and the other which I bounced off the ceiling above. The white balance values were significantly different between the two lighting set ups. It may be that the bell had more of a brownish cast yesterday due to these differences in white balance, plus the fact that I was mixing light of different color temperatures.

[ProtienandIron]

Thats a nice looking kettlebell KB, its retained that nice oldskool look. I'm impressed with the packaging used, every kb I've ever bought has arrived bouncing about by itself in a split open cardboard box. The casting on it looks impressive to me- many modern kbs are coated in a kind of filler to smooth out the appearance of the bad casting, whereas yours has no need for it.

Great review.

[KBKB]

I own four 24kg kettlebells, two cast iron bells from Lifeline USA, one VF Fitness Kettlebell, and now the VF Precision Kettlebell. In this post, I'll show these bells side by side to show differences in size and shape.

The cast iron Lifeline USA bell is the smallest of the bunch. The VF Precision Kettlebell is a competition style kettlebell which are all of the same size and (mostly) shape. I'll post photos of my competition bells later; these will show slight differences in shape and handle design. The VF Fitness Kettlebell is bigger than the cast iron Lifeline USA bell, but is smaller in size than a competition style kettlebell. The handle on the VF Fitness bell is too small for me to use comfortably.





The handle diameter of the VF Precision Kettlebell is 1.31" (33.3 mm). The Lifeline USA bell has the fattest handle at 1.60" (40.6mm). The VF Fitness bell has a handle diameter only somewhat fatter than the Precision Kettlebell; I measured it at 1.38" (35.1 mm).



This photo below surprised me. When I look at the Lifeline bell in real life, the bottom looks flat to me. This photo makes it look as though some grinding had to occur to make the bottom flat. In any case, each of these bells sit well one a flat surface without wobbling. That said, the VF Precision kettlebell has a much wider base which can be a help when doing renegade rows. I have noticed that I have to really concentrate on balancing over the bell when using the Lifeline USA bells for renegade rows.

[KBKB]

This post considers the hand insertion depth for the 24kg kettlebells that I own.

When doing a snatch or a clean, the hand should be inserted into the handle so that the web of skin between the thumb and first finger is in/on the corner of the handle. The side of the handle opposite that corner should be resting against the forearm just below the wrist. If the handle is not wide enough or tall enough, then there is insufficient space for the hand to be inserted into the handle in a comfortable manner. It should be possible to straighten the hand all the way out with the wrist in a neutral position. The mass of the bell should (IMO) be resting on the forearm, not on the wrist. If the mass of the bell is too high, the forearm flexors have to work in order to maintain a straight wrist. (The flexors have plenty to do at other times.)

I find the handle of both the VF Precision kettlebell and the 24kg Lifeline USA kettlebell to be big enough for me to comfortably insert my hand into the handle for a snatch or clean (or any other movement requiring the kettlebell to be locked out overhead). The handle of the (green) VF Fitness kettlebell is too small for me. It's not readily apparent from the photo below, but I have to work to keep my wrist straight and there is discomfort because the mass of that bell is resting too much on my wrist. I think it would be an ideal size, however, for someone with smaller hands.

The VF Precision Kettlebell has flat or perhaps even slightly concave areas where the forearm rests against the bell. I find this to be more comfortable than other bells which lack this feature. The VF Fitness kettlebell also has those flat spots, but as noted earlier, the handle is too small for me to find it comfortable. So, even though the VF Fitness kettlebell has the flat areas, the handle size makes it considerably less comfortable to hold overhead than either of the other bells.

If you look closely at the top sequence of photos below, it appears that I'm able to get the deepest insertion using the 24kg Lifeline USA bell (middle photo). I find this somewhat surprising, though it's less of a surprise when we compare the shape of the VF Precision kettlebell to that of other competition style kettlebells (in a future post).

[KBKB]

yea, it kind has that 50yo iron patina look to it even though it's a new bell

Thats a nice looking kettlebell KB, its retained that nice oldskool look. I'm impressed with the packaging used, every kb I've ever bought has arrived bouncing about by itself in a split open cardboard box. The casting on it looks impressive to me- many modern kbs are coated in a kind of filler to smooth out the appearance of the bad casting, whereas yours has no need for it.

I did some swings, snatches, and alternating cleans & presses with it a short time ago. The handle has a nice and grippy texture. It's has the grippiest handle of any kettlebell that I own. The Punch / AOS bells probably come in second. I don't think the finish of the VF Precision kettlebell is very pretty, but it sure is functional.

It'll be interesting to see if I get more or fewer calluses with this handle.

[jtaliani]

Great review and pics! You are developing quite the KB collection KBKB

[GirevikRoy]

As shown in the first post, the "Read This First!" notice states that the VF Precision Kettlebell has a surface treatment residue which should be removed prior to using the kettlebell. The preparation instructions are as follows:

1. Place the kettlebell on a suitable cleaning surface, such as disposable cardboard.
2. Generously spray the entire kettlebell with an ammonia-based window cleaner such as Windex, or with mild detergent and water. Wipe it clean with a lint free cloth. Let the kettlebell completely dry. *Be sure to follow the instructions of any cleaning product you use.
3. Your kettlebell is ready to accept chalk or be sanded to your desired smoothness.

I followed steps 1 and 2 exactly except for the lint free cloth part of it - I used paper towels instead. The paper towels turned brown when I wiped the surface of the bell after spraying on Windex. The paper towels also left bits of themselves on the surface of the bell due to its texture.

While pondering how to remove the "lint" left from the paper towel, I noticed that there were still brownish patches on the bell that weren't removed by wiping the windex off. I applied more windex and wiped more vigorously, but noticed no appreciable difference.

I then srubbed the kettlebell using a plastic-bristled bar brush after hosing the kettlebell down with a garden hose. I also sprayed on more windex and scrubbed. I might have removed some of the brown spots, but many still remained.

I then scrubbed some of the areas of discoloration with some steel wool, but this didn't appear to make much of a difference either.

Finally, I sprayed the kettlebell one last time with Windex and wiped it down again, this time with a lint-free cloth. I think that whatever discoloration remains must be a part of the surface treatment.

Below are several views of the kettlebell after cleaning...

This is the side with the VF emblem. If you look closely, you can see the flat spots for the forearm and wrist just below where the handle attaches to the main mass of the bell.

I'm disappointed in the appearance of the surface treatment. It almost looks like there are rust spots on the surface of the bell. I don't think it's rust; whatever it is didn't come off with vigorous brushing, nor with steel wool, although I didn't try all that hard with the steel wool. I think if it were rust, the steel wool would have removed it. For the moment, I'm not going to let the appearance bother me. My fear is that if I get too aggressive with trying to remove those spots, I may also remove the surface treatment which is supposed to provide better grip, etc.

I'll post comparison photos with other bells that I own and thoughts about how the bell performs in later posts.

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That discoloration on the bell and on the styrofoam is easy to identify. That is rust. It looks like its a bare steel kettlebell treated with black oxide. Black oxide is good for grip because it really isnt a coating. It is a chemical treatment. The problem with Black Oxide is that it offer absolutely no corrosive protection. I am wondering how your bell looks now after being exposed to the acidity of human perspiration and humidity. They say on their website that their handle isn't grinded mechanically but in your pics you can see that it has been. I mean, it makes sense. How else would you get the casting seams out without a grinding pad. How is the surface treatment now after using it for a while? Any more pics?

[KBKB]

That discoloration on the bell and on the styrofoam is easy to identify. That is rust. It looks like its a bare steel kettlebell treated with black oxide. Black oxide is good for grip because it really isnt a coating. It is a chemical treatment. The problem with Black Oxide is that it offer absolutely no corrosive protection. I am wondering how your bell looks now after being exposed to the acidity of human perspiration and humidity. They say on their website that their handle isn't grinded mechanically but in your pics you can see that it has been. I mean, it makes sense. How else would you get the casting seams out without a grinding pad. How is the surface treatment now after using it for a while? Any more pics?

I don't know enough about black oxide to say whether you're right or wrong. What I can say about that surface coating was that it had a slightly sticky feel to it before cleaning as much of it off as I could. If it was rust, should it have felt that way?

I'll try to take some more photos in the next few days and post them here...

[GirevikRoy]

I don't know enough about black oxide to say whether you're right or wrong. What I can say about that surface coating was that it had a slightly sticky feel to it before cleaning as much of it off as I could. If it was rust, should it have felt that way?

I'll try to take some more photos in the next few days and post them here...

Thanks, I would like to see how it is holding up after use. I would say that the stickiness was probably some type of grease or wax to inhibit rust and the brown spots are actual rust. It looks like there is still some brown/oxidation visible after you removed the protectant. The problem with bare steel in general is that it's really hard to keep it from rusting short of painting it, no different than car or anything else made of steel, it has to be primered or painted to completely stop rust. You can read about black oxide here: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_oxide

[JUGERNAUT]

This is by far my favorite looking kb. If batman were to use a kb this would be it! I ordered some Rage competition bells for Christmas, perhaps I'll start a thread with pics of them. They currently have a good Black Friday sale going on.

[KBKB]

This is by far my favorite looking kb. If batman were to use a kb this would be it! I ordered some Rage competition bells for Christmas, perhaps I'll start a thread with pics of them. They currently have a good Black Friday sale going on.

I encourage you to make a thread showing / reviewing the kettlebells that you get from Rage. I'll definitely take a look...

With regard to the VF Precision Kettlebell, I've found the surface texture on some parts of the bell to be annoying, though it's certainly possible that I'm not properly appreciative of this coating. When I do snatches with it, I find that it abrades my wrist and forearm. If I wore wrist wraps, this wouldn't be a problem and the grippiness of the bell might actually be an aid for certain movements - or perhaps not, I don't really know.

Of all the kettlebells that I own, I still like the Lifeline USA bells the best. It's the middle bell in many of the photos posted earlier in this thread. I prefer the thicker handle of these cast iron bells and like the powder coated surface texture better.

[KJ4GR]

If Rogue does their 5 for $5 again next year, I might pick up the 26lb-70lb bells. Hopefully someone will do a in-depth review on them like you did on the others.

http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-kettlebells.php

[KBKB]

If Rogue does their 5 for $5 again next year, I might pick up the 26lb-70lb bells. Hopefully someone will do a in-depth review on them like you did on the others.

http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-kettlebells.php

I'd like to see a review of the Rogue Kettlebells too. They look really good in the photos on Rogue's site.

[JUGERNAUT]

As soon as I get my rage bells ill post them up. Id like to see the Rogue bells too. I was very torn on buying rage, rogue, and lifeline.

[JB426]

Very nice review and pics. Thanks for posting.

[KBKB]

How is the surface treatment now after using it for a while? Any more pics?

I took this photo today...



I don't think there's much difference from when I first got the bell.

[KBKB]

I found several videos on Youtube discussing the VF Precision Kettlebell.

Here is a favorable review. It mentions use of rubbing alcohol to remove the oil from the bell so that it can be painted with two to four coats of Krylon paint. (I might try this.)



Here are two videos from the same guy which discuss the surface treatment and discoloration that can occur after washing the bell. The second of these two videos shows a lot more discoloration than I see on my VF Precision Kettlebell.

[pitchboy]

This post considers the hand insertion depth for the 24kg kettlebells that I own.

When doing a snatch or a clean, the hand should be inserted into the handle so that the web of skin between the thumb and first finger is in/on the corner of the handle. The side of the handle opposite that corner should be resting against the forearm just below the wrist. If the handle is not wide enough or tall enough, then there is insufficient space for the hand to be inserted into the handle in a comfortable manner. It should be possible to straighten the hand all the way out with the wrist in a neutral position. The mass of the bell should (IMO) be resting on the forearm, not on the wrist. If the mass of the bell is too high, the forearm flexors have to work in order to maintain a straight wrist. (The flexors have plenty to do at other times.)

I find the handle of both the VF Precision kettlebell and the 24kg Lifeline USA kettlebell to be big enough for me to comfortably insert my hand into the handle for a snatch or clean (or any other movement requiring the kettlebell to be locked out overhead). The handle of the (green) VF Fitness kettlebell is too small for me. It's not readily apparent from the photo below, but I have to work to keep my wrist straight and there is discomfort because the mass of that bell is resting too much on my wrist. I think it would be an ideal size, however, for someone with smaller hands.

The VF Precision Kettlebell has flat or perhaps even slightly concave areas where the forearm rests against the bell. I find this to be more comfortable than other bells which lack this feature. The VF Fitness kettlebell also has those flat spots, but as noted earlier, the handle is too small for me to find it comfortable. So, even though the VF Fitness kettlebell has the flat areas, the handle size makes it considerably less comfortable to hold overhead than either of the other bells.

If you look closely at the top sequence of photos below, it appears that I'm able to get the deepest insertion using the 24kg Lifeline USA bell (middle photo). I find this somewhat surprising, though it's less of a surprise when we compare the shape of the VF Precision kettlebell to that of other competition style kettlebells (in a future post).

I'm sorry to bother you OP, but would it be possible to tell me the measurement of your GREEN BELL's (competition grade) SPACING BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE HANDLE AND THE TOP OF THE BELL, i.e. the "gap" where the hand and wrist go through. I've spent last 2 hours searching everywhere to see if there is a "standard" width of this spacing for the steel bells, but all in vain. The best I got is a rule of thumb, whereby this space should be just wide enough to slide your horizontal fist through.

The reason why I ask is because I got 2 steel bells, supposedly competition grade, but i find them a bit too narrow so the bell rests to high on my wrist (but not on the actual bone). I've been exercising extensively for last 2-3 years with bells, but it was all cast iron, so now I don't know if it is just me needing time to adjust to the new steel bell's shape, or perhaps the bells are indeed too small for my hand and I need a model with a larger spacing between the handle and the bell.

Your answer (or anyone's for that matter) would be much appreciated.

Thanks...

[KBKB]

I'm sorry to bother you OP, but would it be possible to tell me the measurement of your GREEN BELL's (competition grade) SPACING BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE HANDLE AND THE TOP OF THE BELL, i.e. the "gap" where the hand and wrist go through. I've spent last 2 hours searching everywhere to see if there is a "standard" width of this spacing for the steel bells, but all in vain. The best I got is a rule of thumb, whereby this space should be just wide enough to slide your horizontal fist through.

The reason why I ask is because I got 2 steel bells, supposedly competition grade, but i find them a bit too narrow so the bell rests to high on my wrist (but not on the actual bone). I've been exercising extensively for last 2-3 years with bells, but it was all cast iron, so now I don't know if it is just me needing time to adjust to the new steel bell's shape, or perhaps the bells are indeed too small for my hand and I need a model with a larger spacing between the handle and the bell.

The green kettlebell is actually a VF Fitness Kettlebell. I bought it thinking that it was a standard competition size, but it is not. (It's significantly smaller) The handle is not as wide as that on a standard competition style bell, but the distance from the bottom of the handle to the top of the bell is the same as that of my competition style bells. There are more photos of the green bell in the VF Fitness Kettlebell Photos and Review thread.

Here is a photo showing the VF Fitness kettlebell on the left and a 28kg MDUSA V2 Pro Series Competition Kettlebell on the right. The inside measurements of the handle of the VF Fitness bell is 4-1/4" horizontally (at its widest) and 2-1/8" vertically (at its narrowest). The inside measurements of the handle of the MDUSA bell is 5-1/8" horizontally and 2-1/8" vertically. So the VF Fitness bell has a much narrower hole in the handle from side to side, but still maintains the same vertical distance from the bottom of the handle to the top of the bell.



While I was at it, I took some measurements of two other competition style bells that I own.

My 24kg VF Precision Kettlebell (which is the topic of this thread) has a handle whose inside measurements are almost 4-7/8" horizontal and 2-1/8" vertical.

My 20kg Power Systems Kettlebell has a handle whose inside measurements are 5" horizontal and 2-1/8" vertical.

[KBKB]

The reason why I ask is because I got 2 steel bells, supposedly competition grade, but i find them a bit too narrow so the bell rests to high on my wrist (but not on the actual bone). I've been exercising extensively for last 2-3 years with bells, but it was all cast iron, so now I don't know if it is just me needing time to adjust to the new steel bell's shape, or perhaps the bells are indeed too small for my hand and I need a model with a larger spacing between the handle and the bell.

After rereading this again, it seems to me that the answer to your problem may lie in how you insert your hand into the bell. It is quite common to hold the handle in the center so that your hand position looks like this when the bell is held overhead. Note that my wrist is bent. While it is possible for me to straighten my wrist, it takes effort to do so. When I straighten my wrist, the bell ends up moving up to rest on a bonier part of my wrist/forearm - this part is not pictured.



This photo shows a better way to insert the hand into the bell's handle. The web of skin between the thumb and first finger is all the way up at the corner of the handle and the outside of the wrist is making contact with the other side of the handle. I am able to keep my wrist straight with no effort whatsoever.



Here is the picture (from earlier in this thread) which shows the same insertion technique being used for the 24kg VF Precision Kettlebell, a 24kg Lifeline USA cast iron kettlebell, and the 24kg VF Fitness Kettlebell:



You may also find this post to be useful. It shows some of these same photos, but I spent more time writing the descriptive text:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1123610303