Carbon Fiber 101

Wolverine666

Wolverine666

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I have absolutely zero experience with carbon fiber as a handle material. From what I have read I understand that it is very strong and very light. But before I pull the trigger on the sexy Sage 1 , I had some questions for any CF pro out there :

(1) Is carbon fiber made of actual fibers of just carbon ? Is it blended with anything else ?

(2) What does "peel ply" cf mean ?

(3) Are there any obvious draw backs to owning a knife (like the Sage 1) with a cf handle ?

Let the learning begin ...
 
I'd like to throw in a fourth question in if I may . . .

(4) Do the copper strands in lightning strike carbon fiber (LSCF) poke through the surface of the material to the point where you can feel them? Or to ask the question a little differently, is an LSCF handle comfortable to hold?
 
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Wolverine666 said:
I have absolutely zero experience with carbon fiber as a handle material. From what I have read I understand that it is very strong and very light. But before I pull the trigger on the sexy Sage 1 , I had some questions for any CF pro out there :

(1) Is carbon fiber made of actual fibers of just carbon ? Is it blended with anything else ?

(2) What does "peel ply" cf mean ?

(3) Are there any obvious draw backs to owning a knife (like the Sage 1) with a cf handle ?

Let the learning begin ...
Click to expand...

Well first off I don't think there are any real downsides to CF but to answer your questions;

Carbon fiber as you are describing it and as it's used in this application is a composition of CF threads and a resin. In essence it's the same thing as G-10 but uses carbon threads, making it very strong and light (carbon is one of the strongest materials on earth i.e. Diamonds) Carbon fiber is stored on rolls till it is woven into sheets and mixed with a resin.

The term peel ply refers to a process where a thin sheet of CF is bonded to a G-10 substrate. In the case of the sage 1, the majority of the scales are G-10 and the outside layer is a decorative sheet of CF.

IMHO, this does not take anything away from the knife. Some view this as a downside but, in real life use, most will never reach the limits of G-10 let alone CF.

I hope that helps. I am not an expert and some of my info may be a bit off but that's the gist I believe
 
How about the answer to question number 4, neverdie36? Or do you not have an opinion on LSCF?
 
bld522 said:
I'd like to throw in a fourth question in if I may . . .

(4) Do the copper strands in lightning strike carbon fiber (LSCF) poke through the surface of the material to the point where you can feel them? Or to ask the question a little differently, is an LSCF handle comfortable to hold?
Click to expand...

I've only had one example of LSCF but...

Yes, the copper strands were poking out through the resin. I think if you were to hand finish each scales, you could knock of the ends of the copper strands without too much difficulty, I did on the one I had. I wouldn't call it uncomfortable but you would definitely be able to tell they were there.
 
Thanks for confirming that. I purchased a custom knife with CF handles, but an LSCF was available. The seller suggested I pass on the LSCF for the reason that LSCF can be uncomfortable, so I opted for the the CF version instead. Now I'm glad I did. :)

To weigh in on the OPs questions, my favorite handle materials are Titanium, Carbon Fiber and Aluminum . . . pretty much in that order. I carry all of my folders unclipped and deep in my pocket, so weight becomes a major issue for me. These materials offer excellent strength and durability for the lowest cost in weight.
 
If you can feel the copper wire it's not finished properly.
 
Neverdie , thanks for the CF teachings. You have helped me in my quest for my next EDC. The Sage and Chaparral are now confirmed finalists :)
 
Your definition of peel ply is not correct. Peel ply refers to carbon fiber that has a G 10 like texture on the top.
 
cabb7f09.jpg


GB is not peel ply

4484701c.jpg


Super hawk is peel ply
 
bld522 said:
Thanks for confirming that. I purchased a custom knife with CF handles, but an LSCF was available. The seller suggested I pass on the LSCF for the reason that LSCF can be uncomfortable, so I opted for the the CF version instead. Now I'm glad I did. :)

To weigh in on the OPs questions, my favorite handle materials are Titanium, Carbon Fiber and Aluminum . . . pretty much in that order. I carry all of my folders unclipped and deep in my pocket, so weight becomes a major issue for me. These materials offer excellent strength and durability for the lowest cost in weight.
Click to expand...

I've fondled every millimeter of this one and there are no copper pokey bits. It's smooth and perfect, as far as I can tell. That may just be Barry H. doing a great job of finishing it, but thought I'd give you another data point:

2VZ3ZqP.jpg


I do like the appearance of the LSCF, it gives it a warmer color, but then again I really like normal CF also.
 
bld522 said:
Thanks, guys. That's good to know. :)
Click to expand...

Well, seeing is believing so I grabbed a macro lens and took a quick and dirty closeup for you (natural light, freehand, so it's not perfect):

88rUws4.jpg


The stuff is pretty nasty looking at this magnification, but it's gorgeous in person. The surface on top of the weave is perfectly smooth, and you can see where Barry shaped the edges that the copper wire doesn't protude at all.
 
evilgreg said:
I've fondled every millimeter of this one and there are no copper pokey bits. It's smooth and perfect, as far as I can tell. That may just be Barry H. doing a great job of finishing it, but thought I'd give you another data point:

2VZ3ZqP.jpg


I do like the appearance of the LSCF, it gives it a warmer color, but then again I really like normal CF also.
Click to expand...

Plus, you have lightning protection! (Sort of.)
 
I think I'd want peel ply on my Southard, rounded and thinned. I've already used sandpaper to round and thin the original, which looks nice but is too smooth to be much use in a tactical situation. Having some texture there, in a thinner material so the sides of the hilt weren't so asymmetric, would be great. Of course, getting a 3D peel-ply is probably more trouble than it's worth.
 
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