Rep Fitness Black Sabre Bar

REP Fitness Black Sabre Bar

The REP Fitness Black Sabre Bar is a no-frills multi-purpose bar that comes in at a great price, but isn’t going to blow the stat sheet away.

Here are some further details about the bar:

Knurling

The knurling on the REP Black Sabre Bar is a medium-depth knurl that has a relatively flat knurl. This makes it easy on the hands while still providing adequate grip for a variety of lifts. This will likely appeal to those who are performing higher rep/volume workouts (HIIT, CrossFit, etc…).

The bar does not offer a center knurl, which will further increase comfort when in the front rack position or in the high-bar back squat position.

Dual knurl marks make it easy to perform Olympic Style lifts as well as powerlifting movements.

Shaft

This REP bar offers a 28.5mm shaft, which is a common diameter for a multi-purpose bar because it creates a nice blend of whip and rigidity. The tensile strength on the bar is 150,000 PSI, which is more suitable for beginner lifters or for those who don’t plan to load a significant amount of weight onto the bar.

The black zinc shaft will provide a good-not-great feel and you’ll get the same when it comes to resistance to oxidation.

Sleeves

The sleeves on the Black Sabre Bar are smooth, which creates a quieter sleeve as compared to a grooved sleeve. The benefit of a grooved sleeve is that it tends to keep the plates on a little better when you’re not using a collar.

The sleeves are also coated in black zinc and they utilize bronze bushings to spin the bar. Bushings are very common in a multi-purpose bar since they create a smooth spin that isn’t too fast. They also help keep the price down since they aren’t as costly as bearings. 

Aesthetics

Aesthetically, the Black Sabre Bar will look very nice early on in its life. As time goes by, black zinc has a tendency to lose some of its finish. If you train in a humid environment, it’s recommended that you oil this bar on occasion with something like 3-in-1 oil to keep it looking good for a longer time.

The sleeves also use a black zinc finish. As plates slide on and off, this finish will begin to show some imperfections.

The end cap uses a simple design that overall looks nice.

Features & Highlights

• Black Zinc – Black Zinc is a cost-efficient plating that does an OK job at fighting off rust. You won’t get the same feel as you would with a non-plated finish like bare steel, stainless steel, etc… but you get a good blend of feel and rust resistance without the larger price tag.
• 28.5mm Shaft – The 28.5mm shaft is common in multi-purpose bars. You’ll be able to perform a variety of lifts, but you won’t get the same whip or the same rigidity as you would with a dedicated Oly or power bar.
• Smooth Sleeves – The smooth sleeves will generally create less noise when loading/unloading plates compared to a grooved sleeve.
• No Center Knurl – Unlike most Oly bars in this price range, the REP Black Sabre Bar does offer a center knurl, which will provide that extra grip that some prefer.

What They’re Saying at Repfitness.com

The REP Black Sabre Bar receives very positive feedback from users. With an average rating of 5/5 at repfitness.com, here are some of the things they have said:

Positive

• “Very durable, reasonably priced and overall a great beginners bar.”
• “I am now the most powerful Jedi after using this barbell. It is the ultimate weapon – Dark Sabre!!! Seriously, it is a great barbell with amazing grip and whip. I don’t let anyone use it!!!”
• “I’m very pleased with my Sabre barbell. Solid and well built!!”
• “Good spin, good grip, and man it looks good! Quality work again rep.”
• “I really like the look of this black bar. Super sleek. The knurling is also perfect. Not too tough that it tears up my hands but grippy enough to get a good hold of when pulling some heavy weight. Also the price was excellent. Next time I need a bar it will be another Sabre bar.”

Critical

• “The only downside is the black will scratch off where you put the plates on.”

Garage Gym Lab Review

Garage Gym Lab has not yet reviewed this bar, but stay tuned!

Other Options

The below barbells were picked as alternatives to the REP Fitness Black Sabre Bar.