What’s up Fringe Fam? For our latest installment on our YouTube and blog, we’re going to be talking about center knurling, or center cross-hatching, and why someone might need it on their barbell (or not). We've got the inside scoop into all things center knurling.
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Cross-hatching. Center knurling. What about it? In the video above, you can see PK standing behind the Wonder Bar Barbell, which does not have a center knurl.
What Is Center Knurling?
Knurling in general is the cross-hatched pattern machined into the steel of a barbell shaft to give your hands something to grip. The depth, aggressiveness, and placement of that knurling varies significantly between bars and affects how the bar feels in your hands, on your back, and against your body during catching movements. Center knurling specifically refers to whether that pattern extends across the middle section of the bar, directly between the two hand placement rings.
If you look toward the sleeves of the barbell, you can see cross-hatching along the shaft of the Wonder Bar Barbell, and that’s to ensure that the bar doesn’t slip out of your hands as you’re movin’ and groovin’. There are two smooth rings toward the center where there is no knurling. Those rings are for lining up your hands for squatting when underneath the bar, or even further when the bar is on the ground and you’re prepping for a snatch or a clean and jerk. As for the center, it’s smooth on the Wonder Bar Barbell.
Why do some bars have center knurling and some don’t?
A lot of powerlifters prefer the center knurl, and that’s because what they do requires extra traction between themselves and the barbell. When they line the barbell up on their backs to squat, they’re looking for an extra bind and no slippage.
However, most of the bars we do at Fringe Sport do not have a center knurl because we come out of a CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting tradition. When you’re doing the movements within those sports, and you’ve got a center knurl, when you catch the barbell, it tends to tear up the skin across your collarbones and across your neck because it has cross-hatching for more traction. That’s not what we’re looking for in a clean and jerk.
A lot of CrossFitters are also prone to lifting with their shirts off, and if they’re using a center-knurled barbell for a WOD that requires catching in the front rack position or back racking for squats, their back is going to be torn up as well. That’s why a lot of the bars we do at Fringe Sport don’t have the center knurl.
Who Should Use a Bar With Center Knurling?
If you are a powerlifter who’s lifting with a shirt on, you might want a barbell with a center knurl. The center knurl is going to grab onto your shirt, create more stability, and keep that barbell from slipping out of place.
If you’re a CrossFitter, a WOD-er, or something similar, you probably don’t want a center knurl for the sake of your collarbones and upper shoulder blades.
To make it simple, here's a quick breakdown of who benefits from center knurling and who doesn't:
Center knurling is a good fit if you:
- Compete in or train for powerlifting
- Back squat heavy with a high bar or low bar position regularly
- Lift with a shirt on during most sessions
- Prioritize bar stability over skin comfort during catching movements
Center knurling is probably not for you if you:
- Train CrossFit or Olympic Weightlifting
- Do cleans, snatches, or front squats regularly
- Lift with your shirt off
- Catch the bar in the front rack position during any part of your program
Does Center Knurling Actually Matter That Much?
In the grand scheme of things, center knurling is not going to make or break a barbell for a Powerlifter or a CrossFitter. A barbell is going to either help you lift the weight you’re going for or not. If you’re a CrossFitter and you have a barbell with center knurling, you just might want to keep your shirt on.
Some of the bars we offer have a very, very light center knurling to offer you the best of both worlds, but most of the bars we carry don’t have the center knurling due to the nature of our background.
The honest answer is that center knurling is a preference call more than a performance one for most lifters. It becomes a real consideration when you're specializing, either deep into powerlifting where back squat stability matters at maximum loads, or deep into Olympic lifting where catching comfort is a genuine training factor. For general strength training and mixed programming, it's a minor detail.
A Quick Hack If Your Bar Doesn't Have Center Knurling
Here’s a little hack for you: if you’re someone with a barbell without center knurling and you’re really wishing you’d gone for a bar with the knurling in the center, you can wrap some athletic tape around the center to create a faux-knurling and get the job done. That way, you’re saving your original bar from any damage and you’re getting the best of both worlds because you won’t get torn up during cleans or back squatting.
Which Fringe Sport Bars Have Center Knurling?
Most bars in our lineup don't have center knurling, and that's a deliberate choice given our CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting roots. Here's the quick guide:
- No center knurl: The Wonder Bar and most of our general training bars. Built for mixed programming, Olympic lifting, and CrossFit-style training where catching comfort matters.
- Center knurl: The Midas Bar and Austin Bar, which offers a mild center knurl that's aggressive enough to give powerlifters some extra grip without tearing up CrossFitters mid-WOD. A solid middle-ground option for lifters who do a little of everything.
Not sure which bar is right for your training? Check out our full barbell collection or reach out and we'll point you in the right direction.
Do you have a different reason you think center knurling is important? Let us know below!
No matter what kind of barbell you have or prefer, get out and lift something heavy 💪
