I bought this to train with alongside the 2029 power bar. This bar's knurling is a less severe version of the volcano/pitted pyramid pattern found on the 2029 bar, but I found that this slightly flatter pattern actually seems to give greater grip. This is probably due to greater contact surface area, and it's good enough to almost feel like the bar is sticky. The bar is studier than the 2029 bar, clearly manufactured to higher and more exciting standards, and has a bit more collar loadable area also. The stainless steel finish and the finish on the collars look nice and premium in person. Between my two bars I really enjoy what Strength Shop has done, and I look forward to any session where I choose to use the bastard power bar even more. I was waiting and waiting to buy a more premium bar but the stainless steel offering made this the perfect choice for me. I still recommend all bars/metal plates get a clean with 3 in 1 oil every so often and a good brushing to keep them going for a long time