Can't go wrong with this bar for a wide array of applications. Strong and durable enough for the needs of 99.99% of home gym users. I like the knurling, it is especially comfortable for squats. This is an all around great bar.

I find these cumbersome and not very ergonomic on most lifts that I use dumbbells to perform. The giant blocky cage reduces range of motion on most presses and the cage bangs up against your wrists on wide flies. I guess they're fine for just doing shrugs or DB leg work like single leg RDLs or split squats. My parents gave me a pair as a gift one year and I gave them away to a friend at work after using them for a couple months. Would much rather have fixed DBs for nearly every application.

These bare metal ones were produced in the 90s for a few years before the Iron Grip company started coating all their plates with urethane. The bare metal develops a nice patina over time and these fit in nicely with a vintage gym if that's what you're building. These were specifically designed to be non-rolling plates, so dinging them because they're not fit for deadlifts is antithetical to their intended purpose. The strength program at the West Point military academy commissioned some custom Black Knights plates and those were in use there for over a decade before they were replaced with newer plates. I picked up a pair of 45s and a pair of 25s on the collectors market as counterparts to my York Beat Army plates, since several of my family members served in the Army. Now which ever academy wins the Army/Navy game each December, that team's plates get the priority position in the gym for the next year. HA!! Great plates to have in any home gym.

Vintage DB handles that have some nice weight to them. With a nice patina, they add that extra bit of sauce to the workout mix. Useful for DB rows and heavy shrugs, DB flat bench flies, etc.

Excellent old iron, often heavier than face value. I had a pair of York "75lb" standard plates bored to 2" and they STILL weigh over 80 lb each; perfect for deficit deadlifts or barbell rows. I have a stack of these old York standards for use on the plate loaded leg extension and they are just generally great for a variety of uses. These are frequently available for 50 cents/pound or less on FMP.

Gorgeous little vintage dumbbells with a loadable configuration. They came in options with 4 plates or 5 plates per side. Great collector's piece that is generally available at a reasonable price for a piece of lifting history that is 70 years old.

Nice vintage pieces but super wobbly compared to a modern squat rack. These are strictly for display only in my collection. there are multiple generations of these stands, with the earlier ones having cradle like cups that look like they were inspired by a claw-footed bathtub and the later generations having more modern looking J-hook style cups.

for a cheap beater bar this thing actually performs really well and punches well above its weight class. I have had mine for going on seven years. It spent a couple years outdoors under a veranda in the deep south before we moved to our present location. It has been a daily driver and has held up remarkably well. Very minimal corrosion and the knurling is still quite decent. I have squatted with over 500 pounds on this bar and it feels stable, with the central Nerling strong enough to keep it from slipping but not so aggressive that it digs into the skin of your back. An excellent choice as an entry level or budget bar... don't overthink it, just start lifting.