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Recommendations/Reviews/FS/WTB CAP cast iron kettlebells ??

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Does anyone know if the gray hammertone kettlebells sold by CAP Barbell have smooth handles like the black enamel-coated kettlebells? Thanks.

http://tinyurl.com/gp9cfz8
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Well, I can answer my own question.

I bought a 70-lb gray CAP kettlebell from Wal-Mart a couple weeks ago. I had to cancel and replace the order twice, which was being fulfilled in Missouri City, TX, which is right outside of Houston, which was slightly underwater at the time.

Eventually, the kettlebell arrived okay, but the box was wide open on both ends and looked like it had been left on a freeway for a few hours. The kettlebell itself was okay. However, the handle was extremely rough; I didn't dare try a swing, because I knew it would have torn up my hands. The price was a bargain--only $60 at Wal-Mart with free shipping, but there's no way I would recommend that anyone use it.
 
I have a Cap Competition 16kg and a 20kg. I think I did a review of the 16. I had to file off a raised seam on the underside of the handle. That only took a minute with a file. Now it's fine. I like the powerdercoating. And it was cheap.

Then I bought a 20kg. There is no raised seam on the handle, but as Smile-n-Nod mentioned, the powdercoating texture is very rough. I need to knock the edges off with some low grit sandpaper. Just something to smooth it out just a little for snatches. It was $44 when I bought it. The price now is $81. I need to pair it with another 20kg, but not at that price.
 
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Wow that's cheap, but what about their quality? This decision would depend on your training volume.

IMO a quality kettlebell is a long term investment. I have trained hard with cheap bells and the wear and tear on my hands was not worth it.

If you want a precision machined and balanced bell with free shipping take a look at KettlebellsUSA.com.

I bought a 20kg and it swings great. While the handle may seem slick, I haven't had and issues with it slipping. Granted, I have had it for less than two months, it definitely gets the job done. It was nice not to fork over a bunch of money.
 
I got a pair of CAP 45# bells from Walmart in late January. Just under $1/# USD and free shipping. The boxes were slightly battered on arrival. One of the bells had a rough seam under the handle - it took literally one second to rub it smooth with some fine sandpaper (see photos). Prior to sanding, it was a real problem, but now it's totally fine.
before: CAP_kettlebell_before.jpg after: CAP_kettlebell_after.jpg

The handles are relatively thick, and the distance from handle to bell is slightly short so they approach my wrist while held overhead. I'm not a particularly experienced girevik, but I did ~200 snatches yesterday and my hands are fine, which I guess is saying something b/c my hands are in no way used to that kind of volume.

If you want a cheap kettlebell shipped to your door, and you understand the entailed trade-offs, these are a good option.

For reference, my eclectic collection of KB's is: a powder coated VTX 40# bell (good quality, handle welded on, not cheap), a vinyl covered cheapo 12kg bell Fitness Republic (handle is way to short even for my narrow wrists, but it's light so not a big deal), a pair of 24 kg powder coated bells from Gronk Fitness (excellent, would recommend, and fantastic, friendly customer service for my shipping problems via Amazon marketplace), and a 28 kg bell of unknown provenance (off Craig's List). I am a cheapskate.
 
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@George Locke I got that exact one on a sale, it might've even been less than $1/pound. Same seam issue, but it was easily fixed with a file. Did a whole round of RoP with that bell, and lots of snatching too. It's fine with a bit of chalk.
 
CAP gray 16kg from Walmart has a rough handle. I thought I’d give it a shot for the price, but as I intended to use the 16 for doubles work with complexes and chains a rough handle is a dealbreaker. Guess you get what you pay for.
 
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