best sleeve finish to avoid chipping

[MrComfortable]

I'm looking to upgrade my bar, since the cheap chrome coating on the sleeves began chipping after one month due to the metal-on-metal scraping when loading my iron plates.

I think I've decided on Rogue's Ohio Power Bar, but now I'm trying to decide on the best finish: black zinc vs. e-coat vs. cerakote. (I'd like to avoid the bare steel, since I don't think I'll be diligent enough on maintenance, and the stainless steel is out of stock right now.) Corrosion-resistance is not a huge priority for me, since my basement stays pretty dry. I'm mainly concerned about avoiding more sleeve chipping in the future, since my iron plates don't have anything on the interior ring that would cushion them against the sleeve.

I read that the cerakote might be prone to chipping on the sleeves, so that gives me some pause. But I also read that zinc sleeves also tend to scratch pretty quickly. As for the e-coat, I'm pretty sure Rogue only coats the shaft with that finish, and the sleeves are still zinc.

So, which finish would be best to minimize chipping? Should I hold out for stainless steel to come back in stock? (I'll note that the stainless steel version w/stainless steel sleeves runs about $175 more than the zinc and $135 more than the cerakote, which isn't nothing.)

[Garage Rat]

I couple bars with black zinc.
They don't chip and hold up well functionally and ascetically.
Dont know about the others you mentioned.
I also have a cheap chrome plated bar that I've actually got splinters from the flaking off.

[radrd]

None of Rogue's bars will chip or flake with normal use. Cerakote has the potential to scratch but only on the sleeves and I wouldn't worry about it unless you care more about aesthetics than training.

Check out this thread:

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...51&pagenumber=

Any Rogue bar, even zinc coated, will be a great upgrade over your Troy bar with decorative chrome.

[ampire]

Another thing to mention is cheaper plates with rough center holes will destroy decorative chrome plating.

[NHAngler]

Bare steel or stainless. Anything coated may last a while but subject to wear. If barbell fashion is a thing for you, cerakote will hold up well for a while.

[radrd]

Bare steel or stainless. Anything coated may last a while but subject to wear. If barbell fashion is a thing for you, cerakote will hold up well for a while.

True, but bare steel requires regular maintenance if you want to minimize oxidation. And any legitimate coating other than decorative chrome shouldn't flake off, which is OP's real concern.