Kabuki Strength PR Deadlift Bar - First Impressions 

6:19 "I was surprised it was only a half inch difference, it felt like much much more." -Basement Brandon

Thanks for doing a video on this, your the only real review I could find. I just ordered the Kabuki Deadlift bar in Blue Titanium cerakote, and I'm excited to see what it looks like. I always check to see if you got a review up before I purchase something, keep up the good work.

just got the bar today and already a video on it! so quick thank you!

Glad to see this out there. Thanks for the review and comments on the bar. Very useful. Thanks B

Love the channel, love the recommendations - I love pulling on a TDB, kabuki is the next big thing. Be prepared for the long wait times on BOTH these companies.

Finally someone is reviewing it! Thanks Brandon.

Can verify that this bar is a very nice option for those who wish to maximize their deadlift game... I have been pulling on one for a couple of months now at the Kabuki Lab, and find that I consistently pull my best lifts using this bar. The flex is smooth and manageable, without introducing too much whip. Also, as Brandon said, the knurl is aggressive, but does not bite in an unpleasant way... I feel like it locks my hands firmly in place, but have never walked away from it feeling like my grip has been punished.

Great review and nice bar collection! Thanks again for your fat bar recommendation yesterday 👊🏽

Interesting to see how different feds gonna deal with the big differences in the benefits of the flex between bars now. And if you train on that and have to compete on a rogue its a big difference

Before I started my home gym a bar was just a bar but after watching you and others (we know who they are, some even comment here) I have learned a lot. Now if I can just remember buy once cry once I can get more stuff, anyway thanks.

Looks like a dope bar man. That’s one sick bar collection!

Awesome addition to your arsenal! Also, a 1/2" difference makes the world of a difference

That bar is aesthetically pleasing!

Nice quick first impressions video. I was too late on their inventory availability email for the same bar. Since the bar is so long can you see loading and unloading being an issue for people with bumpers on a dealift platform in tight spaces?

Nice review buddy, I always find your collection stunning, great color scheme. I noticed regarding your transformer bar, are you gonna make a review about it ? I noticed that your pull pin seems to be different than the stock ball one. Has Kabuki changed it recently or it was an aftermarket change ? thanks !

"Where the bars lie." I see what you did there. You are a punny guy. That is a long bar! Great review as always. You are doing God's work out there, B. Thanks for another great review! I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Best video library on RU-vid. Dang! That whip, tho!

My gym has all those deadlift bars and the Kabuki in the Zinc oxide finish is my favorite. The Zinc has a very slightly smoother knurling than the raw steel or stainless steel finish. It also has more whip, and I can lift ~10-15 more with the Kabuki vs Rogue, Texas, and Valor.

Great review! Super long time watcher, 2014 during the bdsm days with mr green! (Still waiting on his book to come out about training lol) And even 2013 during the max chewing days with mr nick wright. Doing a USPA meet in may and was wondering what all the noise was about with this bar, but this looks insane. People have said you will immediately PR on it and I obviously didnt believe them, but it appears like it might be true. I grip a finger on the knurling too so since the knurling has moved inwards, my grip should be far superior. All good things to know before i use it!

Thanks for the quick rundown. Looking forward to the full review. Preference of deadlift bar so far? Too early to say?

Dang bro. Your quads are looking great. Really wish by paycheck would allow me to buy this bar!

Man that bar looks mean with those plates. I'm rocking the Texas with the deep dish plates . Love how much whip comes out of it considering how wide the plates are and the spread on the bar 🏋‍♂️$

Curious, do you feel it's worth it over the TX DL bar? You mentioned the pull off the ground feels the same 🤔 and definitely see the extra flex/whip messing with your balance at the lock out.

The 1/2 inch knurl inside would help the sumo pullers I'm guessing.. great quick review, awesome deadlift bar 👍

Can’t wait to try one

Great stuff. I was wondering how they would go longer and keep the weight down. 💪🏼💪🏼

Do you know if bar manufacturers adjust the knurling on a given bar type to compensate for the coating (raw vs oxide vs ceracote vs zinc etc.) in an attempt to keep a certain feel despite the coating?

Do you have an updated gym tour video?? Seems like you’ve settled in to the new set up?

Looking into buying the kabuki or the Texas deadlift bar don’t have a deadlift bar at the moment. Was leaning toward Texas until you made the comment about the knurling I’m 5’’6 180 and not sure if the Texas knurling would be out to wide for conventional or if your only saying the extra half inch benefits someone doing sumo. Any thoughts to which you’d go with yet?

You can really see the flex in the deadlift clips.

A bit off topic here, but where did you find your wall banners and metal wall logos? Your gym looks looks amazing

My next meet is using this bar and I'm training with my ISF DL bar. I use the inner knurl termination point to line up my grip. Think the 1/2" will make a difference or am I overthinking this?

great video!!

Hey Brandon what's the maintenance for the bars? Polish or wd40 or is there a special bar Polish?

Deciding between the kabuki and Texas deadlift bar, I’ve found a Texas deadlift cerakote bar on offer up for 350. Not sure if I should pull the trigger, or wait for the kabuki to restock?

Does it seems easier to hang onto? I find myself using extra chalk on hot days with cerakote TDB. I would also go with the black oxide. Have a shoulderok in my garage with zero rust after more than a year

Hey Brandon - what collars are using in the beginning of the video?

@basement Brandon Would it be worth getting the Kabuki over the Texas or ISF deadlift bars or is it that much better?

did not know they changed the dimensions to the Texas deadlift bar, that sucks. Glad I got an old one then.

I have an older generation texas deadlift bar - the collars go a little further out than the current generation ones. Can you comment on how the Kabuki deadlift bar compares to the older Texas deadlift bars? Are they the same, or does the Kabuki push the weights out a little further? The difference is obvious with the current generation texas bar, just curious about the older ones. Thanks for another great review!

I was looking into getting one of these. The shipping was 600 dollars to Norway. Didn't get it.

How does it compare to the ISF deadlift bar? Also, is the ISF and Texas similar?

Half an inch doesn't sound like much visually, but trust me, it adds.

Awesome. At almost 300 pounds deadlift for 4 reps, I may get this bar once I get to 350 - 400 pounds on my deadlift.

Want a dedicated DL bar. If you could only have 1, is it this or Texas? Texas has lifetime warranty, Kabuki only has a 5 year.. not sure if that's any indication of quality or confidence..

Great review! I’d like to see a pic of it next to the ISF deadlift bar.

My TX DL bar (‘15) is an absolute noodle above 455. Looks very similar

Do you think the knurl on the bare steel would be substantially different from the black oxide’?

i’m curious how far is the distance from collar to collar? and what’s the length of the collar?

Eight months later, do you still like the Kabuki PR DL bar? Is it your go to bar, or do you prefer the TX bar? Thanks.

Nice bar 🔥

Hi there! How much was it? I’m trying to find out but it is sold out… Thank you in advance

Do you use any york barbell bars

What kind of shoes are you lifting with there bud ?

Its just a stupid question from my side .. why dont u just add a barbell collar before the plates to get even more further away and a larger leaver arm = more whip .. its looks like basic physics to me yet i dont see anyone doing that 😅

Eddie Hall talks about pressing with his “wobbly bar” and how much it’s helped all his pressing movements. Im thinking maybe this would provide a similar feel. Obviously DL with it too lol

Man the prices on these have sure gone up in the last year. Well, thank you for reviewing it though. I have to be even more thoughtful in how i spend my funds.

For those who use it do you think the elekio is better or this?

Very nice bar - yes. Deadlift bars a "fun" - yes. But I hope there will be no new deadlift bar hype where companies will build extreme bars where collars a 3meters apart to get more whip to lift more weight. New XYZ bar 200inch Long. 22mm thhhic. Whippiest evah!!!

Maybe the new texas dl bar next?

How does collar size influence use?

Do you think they will release or should release a sumo bar!?

Is the pr your fav deadlift bar?

Kabuki isn't the best with timelines regarding their equipment deliveries I guess you have to double what they estimate. I recently ordered some kratos add on flywheel plates from them and it took 3 months... The website said nothing about a pre order so when ordered I believed they were in stock but was I wrong... Followed up twice and even debated filing a CC claim because they exceeded both timelines they gave me by a large margin...

It’s always a good day for knurl porn. As Brandon lifts 495 like he is picking up groceries from Costco. The force is strong with this one.

I came for the innuendos, but stayed for the review.

Those plates sure do keep the weight closer to you.

Still waiting for someone to make a SS version...TDLB Cerakote is great till then :-)

I'm sure the quality is great, but the smaller unknurled section would give me pause

I grabbed Rogue deadlift bar out of the Boneyard. It's nice but I still find myself pulling on my 20kg Ohio Power Bar more. It doesn't really get flexible till the 200kg mark. After that it's nutty how it moves compared to a 29mm power bar.

I compete in a fed that uses deadlift bars. But I can't help but feel that the extra softness and length making the bar "easier" is almost "cheating". From a record setting/competition standpoint, and probably influenced by my own ego, it doesn't feel right lifting on an easier bar. What's stopping Texas or Rogue from making new DL bars and basically dropping the stiffness to the point that you once you load 500+, you're doing a block pull because of how much flex there is. I mean sure it's up to the consumer to decide what they want, but this just creates inconsistencies at the competition level.

Kabuki just released a white deadlift bar...sell me your old one 😆

Wish I had ordered black oxide instead of nickel.

What ever happened to "One Bar to Rule them All" ??

1/2 an inch can make all the difference

That not to bad of a price

yuhhh

I wish I could lift more so I can buy more iron plates 🤠

Your excellent work is feeding my barbell addiction. However, the more I watch deadlift bar reviews from you and other youtubers, the more confusing a DL bar becomes for me. Manufacturers are pushing them wider and wider, with no end point in sight; where's the limit on how much a bar will deflect before it comes off the floor? How much bend do we want before we say that's enough? We really could engineer a bar that deflects 6" before the plates come off the floor. I completely see the point of the bigger and wider squat specific bars... the weight still goes down and the weight still comes up and requires the same input, but with just less pain. However, these longer and more deformable deadlift bars are creating a different deadlift result/performance requirement between 500 lbs on one bar to 500 lbs on another bar. If Brandon can do 500 on a bar that's 64" between collars but Coop can do it on 62" bar (that deflects less), is Coop stronger than Brandon???? Maybe there is a DL powerlifting standard that I'm just not aware of for apples to apples comparison on the lift (does certain powerlifting orgs mandate a specific deadlift bar?). Of course, there is sheer pleasure in using one of these I get... maybe when I mature I'll understand better... maybe I should just buy one and enjoy it...

Wow I clicked this video so fast... I'm slightly embarassed

Heh, 69

Once you go black you never go back