Written by: Jake Jaworski
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Introduction
The Hardcore Power Bar would make a fine choice for anyone looking to add an everyday powerlifting barbell to their gym. It’s built to handle a heavy load and isn’t overpriced. The cerakote coating will protect the barbell but not dull the knurl too much. The overall build quality is solid.
In this SportKraft Hardcore Power Bar Review review, you’ll get a close-up look at this bar, and I’ll narrow down if this bar is right for you.
Overview
- Shaft Coating & Knurl: The strength of this bar is its cerakote/knurl combination.
- Specs for the Rest of the Bar: It lines up pretty similar to some of the top power bars on the market with a few minor differences.
- Cost: It’s not a “cheap” bar but reasonably priced.
- Who Would Benefit the Most from this Bar?: With so many options out there, this section should help you figure out if this is a bar you want to consider.
- Conclusion: Some final thoughts.
Cerakote but Relatively Grippy Knurl
A volcano knurl and cerakote coating combination create an easy-to-grip bar that will hold up well under many conditions. This allows it to be a solid “everyday bar” for many home gym owners, and it’s likely a bar that would hold up well in commercial settings.
This bar’s biggest differentiator is its sharp-ish knurl feel even though it’s coated in cerakote, which takes away quite a bit of the original “knurl feeling” on many other barbells – a reason why many would stay away from cerakote bars.
With the Hardcore Power Bar, it’s relatively easy to get an excellent grip, but I do find myself wanting chalk for the workouts that get sweaty, which isn’t always the case with stainless steel or bare steel bars.
While this bar includes a sharper knurl compared to many other cerakote bars, it does not compare to the enhanced grip on one of those bars.
Nevertheless, stainless steel bars will be more expensive, while bare steel bars are tougher to maintain.
Therefore, this is an excellent in-between option.
Even with the cerakote coating, there is potential to have a sharper knurl. For example, in the picture below, the orange cerakote barbell has a more mountainous/peaking knurl. This is sharper and would make for an excellent option for Sportkraft USA to consider as an alternative option in the future.
While this isn’t affecting the bar’s performance, it would be nice to have some color options considering the cerakote coating. One of the primary reasons some ultimately choose cerakote is so they can pick a specific color.
Overall, the knurl sharpness is moderate, which is an excellent option for high rep days but will also be fine for a 1RM.
Additional Details
This bar generally includes specs similar to many of the other top power bars on the market. This barbells’ overall “performance” is at the same level as more prominent brands and will do the job for just about anyone wanting a power bar.
Some of the basics and primary details include:
It’s a Standard Sized Power Bar
A traditional weight of 20kg and length close to 86.5.”
Plus, it includes knurl marks 810mm apart, which implies IPF standards.
Slim Collars = Long Sleeves & High Load Capacity
The slim collars allow a more oversized sleeve than most – 17 inches. For reference, a Rogue Ohio Power Bar is 16.25 inches.
This is especially beneficial for competitors looking to push the amount of weight that can be added to the barbell. For beginners or “Average Joes,” this benefit isn’t incredibly beneficial.
The weight being closer together also means less bar bending.
There will be no issues with the amount of weight this bar can handle. Sprotkraft USA states it has a 220k PSI tensile strength and 2,205 load capacity.
The “proprietary steel blend” utilized on their squat barbells is used.
Hard Chrome Sleeves
The sleeves are coated in hard chrome. This does not add as much protection as the Cerakote shaft but should help keep maintenance to a small amount over time.
Rust spots will pop up if you do not keep an eye on them (as seen below).
Regular maintenance will keep this from occurring, though. In the picture below, it took about 90 seconds to clean up.
Center Knurl
The center knurl includes the same knurl you’ll find throughout the rest of the shaft. When squatting, there is no concern about the bar slipping. This is especially important for those lifting extremely heavy weights.
Cost
With all the specs mentioned above, this would be considered an upper-class power bar and is priced pretty appropriately at $430 with free shipping.
For comparison, it’s a bit more than the Rogue Ohio Power Bar – Cerakote version, which will likely cost just above $400 with the shipping and tax price included.
More About SportKraft USA
SportKraft USA operates as its own entity as an American-owned company but originated from a collaboration with SportKraft Finland, which has been in business for 10+ years.
SportKraft USA has its exclusive line of barbells with much other equipment, including some other specialty bars explicitly designed for powerlifting.
Some other bars to check out include the XTREME 30KG Squat Bar, F8 Bench Barbell, and XTREME Powerlifting Barbell.
Who Would Benefit Most from this Bar?
There are a lot of power bars on the market, and it may be challenging to decide which is right for you. Here are some unique and important characteristics of a barbell you’re looking for.
- I want to spend very little time maintaining the barbell but something that can be used for everyday use regularly.
- I do not prefer a sharp knurl.
- Cerakote is the ideal coating for me.
- We are not looking for the cheapest option and are looking for something to last a very long time.
- Longer sleeves and weight closer together make a difference to you.
If you find yourself saying yes to all of the notes mentioned above, this is a barbell to consider.
Conclusion
SportKraft USA is attempting to break into the US barbell market where Rogue, Texas Power Bars, and other economical options dominate can be a challenging climb.
There aren’t too many unique differences, but the overall build quality of this bar is as good as you’ll find from any of these companies.
Nevertheless, it’s a power bar that many should consider if they want a solid everyday power bar that will hold up well over time to bench, squat, press, row, etc.
