Just got the Absolute black oxide power bar. Shipping was good, came in a few days, I think 3. It was packaged better than other bars I’ve gotten, it had foam around the shaft, collars, and sleeve ends. There were some scratches and scuffs that were clearly there before shipping though, I wasn’t super happy about that. The bar itself is very nice. The sleeves have a unique rubbed pattern on, I believe, a matte chrome coating. The collars are also unique, with Vulcan lasered on, which is very nice looking. The shafts is a black oxide coating, which is obviously very thin, which gives the knurl a great feel, but isn’t very oxidation resistant. I’m not sure if it was rust, but there was some brown buildup on the shaft last night, maybe 2 weeks after I got the bar. It might’ve been caused by sweat or humidity. Wipes off easily with 3in1 oil. The knurl is perfect for what I want. Very grippy fine mountain knurl without beefing sharp or aggressive, and passive knurl in the center, which I like a lot because I front squat. It wouldn’t be great for gripping your back during back squats though. The sleeves have a little lateral movement to them, so not as tight of a tolerance as I’d like, but nothing unusual, similar to other bars. Overall, good bar, I just don’t love having a coated bar. I’d love to get this exact bar in stainless steel.