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Recommendations/Reviews/FS/WTB Rubber Kettlebells ?

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Buchanan

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I have brought many different kinds of kettlebells over the years and most of them where crap ,each one had a design flaw (and some where downright dangerous) the only ones i ever use and still have are my trusty old cast iron classics. Lately I have been looking at these chrome handle and rubber kettlebells available at my local sports goods store, I even tried them a bit in the store and they seem pretty good. The handle seems to be the right size and shape (but will it perform the same as cast iron and have just the right a mount of grip and friction), and the rubber ball also seems correct, identical to cast iron bells. Putting them down has far less impact on the floor than cast iron , but are they durable ? Does anybody have experience of these ? I have included a link to the specific bell I am looking at and would love to get any feedback . 32kg Chrome Kettlebell

Moderator's Note: @Buchanan is a first-time poster. The link above is to a web site in South Africa.
 
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@Buchanan Welcome!

but will it perform the same as cast iron and have just the right a mount of grip and friction

Chrome plating, while smooth, has a certain 'grippiness' to it and should function well as a kettlebell handle while being perhaps a little easier on the fingers compared to rougher iron handles.

I know that chrome-plated poles are popular for pole dancers who want a decent amount of grip for performing inversions etc. - very difficult on a slippier stainless steel pole - while still being able to spin around the pole without chafing or getting stuck, as they might with a brass pole. Don't ask me how I know this.

Provided that the kettlebell itself is durable, it should perform well. If you like the way it handles and the price is right, I say go for it.
 
Hi @Buchanan and welcome,

I visited a gym for a week recently while away from home and they had these bells. I used 20 and 24 kg which was the heaviest that they had. I found them to be very nice to work with and @Chrisdavisir is spot on when he says "a certain grippiness". Not sure if it's a word but "grippiness" fits perfectly. I can't speak for the durability but they seemed pretty solid to me in the time I used them. I don't know how long they had been in use but they were free of any marks / damage.
 
Thanks @Chrisdavisjr and @Ian V .....you told me exactly what I wanted to know. The handle makes or breaks the bell. I have a pair of 24 kg cast iron bells that have a thick layer of powder coat paint on them that from time to time really chews up your callouses, and then training stalls . I am forced to use chalk as the grip is always just not ....right. "Grippines" is a very apt word for the finish of a handle :) Fascinating in depth knowledge you have of poledancing poles @Chrisdavisjr , but the correct terminology for a pole dancer is "vertical artist" I was told recently , LOL
 
I have a pair of 24 kg cast iron bells that have a thick layer of powder coat paint on them that from time to time really chews up your callouses, and then training stalls .

It might be worth sanding down your KB handles: Once the paint started to come off the handle of my 16kg iron bell, I attacked it with sandpaper until it was almost perfectly smooth and then re-sprayed it with some black Hammerite (I'm sure any hard-wearing metal paint will do). It ended up smooth but with a slightly 'tackier' feel, which makes it a lot easier to handle, especially for bottoms-up cleans and presses. You don't have to re-paint it after sanding if you don't want to; I just did it for aesthetics.

the correct terminology for a pole dancer is "vertical artist" I was told recently

I'll remember that; you never know when that kind of knowledge will come in handy!
 
It might be worth sanding down your KB handles: Once the paint started to come off the handle of my 16kg iron bell, I attacked it with sandpaper until it was almost perfectly smooth and then re-sprayed it with some black Hammerite (I'm sure any hard-wearing metal paint will do). It ended up smooth but with a slightly 'tackier' feel, which makes it a lot easier to handle, especially for bottoms-up cleans and presses. You don't have to re-paint it after sanding if you don't want to; I just did it for aesthetics.



I'll remember that; you never know when that kind of knowledge will come in handy!
Sorry for taking so long to reply, I have been very busy with work lately ......but you might as well have been reading my mind about sanding down the handles on my kb's. Prior to your reply I even did a few searches on the forum to see if there where any suggestions on reconditioning kettlebells with bad paint jobs. So..I am in fact going to use paint stripper to get the current paint of quickly, and then follow your advice and spray the naked bells with metal paint. They chewed up my callouses again last night so this job cannot wait......ill post a few photos of the project from start to finish. Thanks Bro @Chrisdavisjr
 
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