Purchased the VSA-SS20 Olympic barbell and the Alpha-35 bumper plates. The purchase and delivery was as promised: smooth and timely. As for the barbell, I did a lot of research of all leading mfgs before choosing the VSA-SS20. There are a number of reasons for my purchase. First of all, the the strength numbers: 240,000 PSI tensile strength and 233,000 yield strength. Best in the world. Second, it is pure Stainless Steel. Even the top mfg in world does not claim pure stainless steel. Third, one piece construction, no welds. Fourth, the price. Much lower than the more renowned mfgs. Fifth, it looked great . After working with the bar for a very short time, I can report the following: It is a beautiful bar. The knurling is three phase: Collar to the first ring mark is aggressive. From ring mark towards the middle it is what I call medium aggressive and the actual middle knurl is fine. I personally very much like the medium aggressive knurl. It is grippy, gives me the no slip confidence (without chalk) and gives no hint of shredding your hands. The aggressive knurl is more grippy and yet has the same characteristics. As for the whip, I loaded 200lbs of plates on a rack with protected J-cups and a small bend of the bar became noticeable. For me, that is good. It makes me feel like an Olympian without the capability of tossing 500-600lbs. I am a sucker for workmanship and this bar is a beautiful work of steel. As for the plates, I like the fact of having color demarcation without the added cost. The bumpers have the feel of rubber, unlike the plastic feel of my other (cheap) bumpers. They have a medium bounce to them without a lot of noise. I will be replacing my current bumpers with the Alphas within the next year. Overall, a very good purchasing experience.