Buddy Capps Starting Strength 20 kg Bar

  • Manufacturer: Texas Power Bars/Buddy Capps
  • Purpose: Multipurpose
  • Bar Weight: 20kg
  • Gender: Men
  • Tensile Strength: 190,000
  • Yield Strength: N/A
  • Knurl Type: Medium
  • Center Knurl: Yes
  • Knurl Marks: Dual
  • Shaft Finish: Bare Steel
  • Shaft Diameter: 28.5mm
  • Sleeve Finish: Bare Steel
  • Sleeve Type: Grooved
  • Rotation System: Bushing
  • Made In: USA
  • Warranty: Lifetime

Read below to get a closer look at the 20kg Starting Strength Bar including product details, features, real user feedback, and more.

$314.00

Buddy Capps Starting Strength 20kg Bar

This bar was developed by Buddy Capps in collaboration with Mark Rippetoe of Starting Strength.

It’s a fully bare steel multipurpose bar with one primary difference when compared to the Texas All American Bar: the collar is thicker at 3.25″ and shorter in length. This allows for a longer loadable sleeve for additional plate space.

Otherwise, the specs are very similar. The tensile strength comes in a 190,000 PSI, it has dual rings, a center knurl, a recessed end cap, and a pinned sleeve.

The bar is made in the USA and it comes with a lifetime warranty.

Here are some further details about the bar:


Features & Highlights

  • Bare Steel – Bare Steel is the most cost effective “finish” available because… well… it’s not finished in anything. Because of that, it ranks very highly in the ‘feel’ department. You’ll get a completely raw texture that provides outstanding grip. It also takes chalk very well. The downside to bare steel is that it’s very prone to oxidation. There is no preventing it, although 3-in-1 oil or similar is commonly used to mitigate it. 
  • Medium Knurl – This bar offers a medium knurl that is very similar to the All American Bar.
  • 28.5mm Shaft – The 28.5mm shaft on the Buddy Capps Starting Strength Bar is comfortable in the hands and provides a nice balance between rigid and whippy, making it ideal for a variety of lifts.
  • Grooved Sleeves – The grooved sleeves will tend to keep the plates on the bar better than a smooth sleeve when not using collars, but they will also be louder.
  • Center Knurl – The bar does offer a center knurl in the same pattern as the outer knurl.
  • American Made – This bar is made in America.

From the Manufacturer

The Starting Strength bar lineup was designed in 2018 by Buddy Capps and Texas Power Bars at the request of Mark Rippetoe for Starting Strength Gyms. These bars are bare steel all the way, a comfortable 28.5 mm* in diameter with the best knurl in the industry. The collars on the SS bars were redesigned with a bigger (3.25”) **diameter, shorter overall length, which also increases the plate space. The collars and sleeves are machined to a near smooth finish. The shafts have a center knurl (20 kg only) and dual ring marks. The 3-bar lineup includes a 20 kg, a 15 kg, and 10 kg option for all ages and strength levels. A natural steel bar that will age gracefully with your gym, The Starting Strength Bar will be your favorite piece of equipment for decades.


What They’re Saying at Texaspowerbars.com

The Buddy Capps 20kg Starting Strength Bar receives positive feedback from users. With an average rating of 5/5 at texaspowerbars.com, here are some of the things they have said:

Positive

  • “Great product with perfect feel, balance and performance.”
  • “Very pleased with the quality of this product.  Use it for everything – bare steel with great knurling.”
  • “I love the look and feel, the knurl is grippy but much less aggressive than my power bar.”
  • “This is a fantastic bar and it arrived quickly. I’m new to weightlifting although I’ve been doing bodyweight strength training for some time. I’m reading Starting Strength as well as The Barbell Prescription so this seemed like the most logical bar to get. Couldn’t be happier with it! Thank you!”
  • “The knurl is perfect. Not too sharp, and not too dull.  It grips great and doesn’t cut while hooking like a lot of other bars.  I prefer a stiff bar and this one seems fairly rigid. I loaded 420lbs on it for my first set of squats and the bar didn’t flex on the ride.  To be fair, I can only compare this against your typical commercial gym bars and the original Texas power and deadlift bar (which have very sharp knurls). Still, I totally think it’s worth the price and I can’t wait to see how my sweat ages on it.”

Critical

  • There are a couple of negative reviews discussing the lack of communication during COVID-19 and existing orders. There is no history of this happening prior to the pandemic.

Garage Gym Lab Review

Garage Gym Lab has not yet reviewed this bar.


Other Options

The below barbells were picked as alternatives to the Buddy Capps Starting Strength 20kg Bar: