BUR 185 Pound Set. The sale of iron boots was eventually discontinued. Weight Plates BUR sold standard weight plates via mail-order and factory direct in Lyndhurst. BUR plates were shorter and thicker than competitor's plates were. This gave BUR plates the advantage of being virtually "unbreakable". Unfortunately, the increased thickness also meant that fewer plates could fit on any given bar. BUR plates were offered only in American pounds; the metric system was never used for any BUR branded product. Bars and Collars From the early 1930s until the early 1950s, BUR sold a standard 1-1/16” bar. Collars were attached separately. Most, if not all, of these bars were knurled in 3 places. None had a separate revolving sleeve. There were no markings on the BUR bars or collars to distinguish these from the bars or collars of other manufacturers. Bar lengths ranged from 4’ to 6’. In the 1950s, with the introduction of the BUR-140, BUR began selling a bar with a 1” diameter and a removable 38” chrome plated sleeve that allowed for bar rotation during lifts. BUR oversized inner collars were included with the new bar. These collars were stamped “BUR BARBELL Co LYNDHURST NEW JERSEY”. Finally, for a brief period during the 1950s, BUR also offered a 10-pound hollow bar with welded on end-caps. Product notes BUR-BEL vs. BUR From 1931 until the early 1950s, the “BUR-BEL” trade-name was stamped on BUR Barbell plates. In the early years, the name was stamped on all plates. By 1940, it was only found on certain "Deluxe" sets. Even without the name stamp, BUR-BEL era plates can be distinguished from other BUR plates by differences in design and a larger center hole diameter (1-1/4" vs. 1-1/16"). In the 1950s, the name “BUR” replaced “BUR-BEL” on all plates. "BUR" was usually stamped on the front of every plate intended for sale with BUR sets. Plates cast for other barbell companies did not have this marking. In addition, plates manufactured for ACE Barbell had the name “ACE” stamped where the name "BUR" would normally be; these plates were identical in all other respects. BUR Barbell collars were also stamped "BUR". In the early 1960s, the name "BUR" was removed from the plate design. The new plates included only the poundage. This allowed for greater manufacturing standardization and helped keep costs (and prices) down. The name "BUR" continued to be stamped on