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https://www.lifeline-usa.com/product...;productid=129
Anybody have experience with the KB's I linked above? They are Lifeline KB's and are the ones Mike Mahler endorses on
his website. Taking into account the shipping costs when comparing these to
dragon door KB's, it looks like you can save a significant amount by ordering from Lifeline. Blarg, AZK, anyone else have experience with these? If so, what are your thoughts? Mahler says the only difference b/w Lifeline and Dragon Door KB's is that the Lifeline's handles are slightly larger that DD's and they also don't have the gloss finish - which Mahler says is an advantage b/c they are less likely to slip.
Scroll down to the "Where do I get kettlebell's" Q for Mahler's opinion on the different KB's on the market.
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I really like wider handles. I had a KB made by I think Powermax, a 35 pounder(1 pood) that had a really thick handle and I liked it very much. It was also much cheaper, especially as to the shipping costs, which is where DD really kills you. They've managed to find a way to make the shipping cost as much as the bell sometimes -- and their bells are expensive! Got my Powermax thru Amazon btw.
As to the finish on DD bells, I got my last one almost a year ago, so I don't know if the finishes are any different by now. I don't think the ones I have are too slippery at all. Also, that's kind of a non-issue if you are willing to sand your bell handles, as lots of people do. Or use chalk, or just keep a towel around to wipe your hands on every once in a while. I don't think that's really a particularly good criticism on Mike's part. That said, I do like the rougher finish on my powermax just fine, and I may even prefer it. Just on the handles, though. I like the high-quality paint elsewhere.
What does seem like a legit criticism is Mike's pointing out how thin the handles are on the women's KB's. I also don't like that, as I recall, some of them have the handles that look more triangular and are flat across the gripping part, with narrow ends on the gripping part of the handles. This seems much worse for hand comfort.