What is the textured surface on a barbell called?

The textured surface on a barbell is called knurling. It is a deliberately patterned area of metal that helps a lifter maintain a secure grip while holding or controlling the bar.

Knurling is usually made by pressing hardened rollers against a metal workpiece, forcing ridges or indentations into its surface. Barbell knurling often uses a crosshatched pattern, although some bars include straighter sections. The roughness improves friction between the bar and the hands, especially during heavy lifts or sweaty training sessions.

The pattern is not merely decorative. Olympic-style bars commonly have knurling in the center and on the areas where the hands grip for lifts such as the snatch and clean and jerk. Powerlifting bars may use more pronounced knurling to help with squats and deadlifts. Center knurling can also help keep a bar positioned on the upper back during squats.

“Groove,” “texture,” and “serration” describe features that may resemble knurling, but they are not the standard technical name for a barbell’s grip pattern. Knurling is also found on tool handles, pistol grips, bicycle parts, and control knobs.