Thanks.
Not sure of the year - either 1994 or 1996, Vector V3a. Just a cheap steel MTB.
Yes, the bars are steel.
They had a few layers of bar tape on them. I assume the silicon-like tape and the 2nd layer were OEM, with the 3rd layer used for repair. Had to cut it off the remove the shifters and brakes, and remove the bar from the stem. As thin as the grip area is, it should be easy to get grips on the ends (making them stay is another story). If I can't slip a grip past the curve to put nearer the shifter and brake, I'll just use bar tape.