Steel For Strength

What is it about steel that makes it so strong? Is there a difference between steel and iron or are they one in the same? Are other metals just as strong or stronger? Is all steel created equally and how important is the fabrication process and/or the finish? Most importantly, does any of this really matter to us?

Encylopedia Britannica says that "iron is the most used and cheapest metal". However iron is soft by nature, very reactive and can corrode. Iron by itself is not effective as a metal, so clearly is not our answer for the rugged pull up bars we are seeking. While iron and steel are often used interchangeably, they are not one in the same; so much for "pumping iron". Steel is an iron alloy and iron alloys are mixtures of iron with other elements. In the case of most common steel, iron is mixed with carbon which gives it its strength and durability.

Many of the wall mount pull up bars you see for home gyms, doorway types and other commercially available models may be made of steel, but that does not make them all equal. You want to look out for those that use lighter weight tube versus steel pipe. I have seen some that are actually made of aluminum; ouch! Also, check out the fabrication. Are there a lot of bolts that hold the brackets, bars and other components together? Welded joints are ideal, limiting the number of parts that show up in a bag for you to assemble and increase strength, durability and overall quality.

The finish too is also something to consider. While the finish of the brackets tend to be purely aesthetic, the actual bar surface will definitely effect performance. For the work surface, we believe in raw blackened steel. Painted, textured surfaces or other finishes are all out there, but provide for unnatural conditions in our view. As far as the overall "look" of the unit, we opt for the authentic and rugged approach here too; raw blackened steel.

So, while steel is certainly the material of choice, there are several factors that really do matter when searching for the perfect bars. The functionality of the bars are key no doubt, but let's be honest, we want them to look cool too.

After all, this is a pull up bar, not a beauty contest. The slick, pretty bars out there have a place I suppose, we just haven't figured out where.