The bar arrived in good condition (not bent or damaged), it's a steel bar so not much to say about it. It was straight and round in the stated size. The ends were compressed so it did take a bit of cleaning at the end to fit the support bearing I was using, but that was to be expected. The rod cuts well, it is easy to grind and polish. Overall good product and fair price. Pros: It's a steel rod, so yes, it was steel and rod shaped. Against: no.