CARBON FIBER HANDLES

M

MIKLE

Joined
Jan 28, 2000
Messages
57
Are the folders' handles with carbon fiber scales only - no metal liners - really reliably ?
Aeronautical industry has good experience with CRP (carbon reinforced plastic) use due to it's very good strength performances.
I would appreciate all your suggestions, guys.

Regards,
MIKLE
 
Some years ago, when I raced R/C cars, I used a lot of graphite a.k.a. carbon fiber. It's lightweight, very stiff, but it's also toxic, and if the fibers come loose from the matrix, fairly dangerous; carbon fiber slivers in the hand are nasty.

I don't have any personal experience with a knife that has graphite handles, but no liners. I'm not even sure if graphite has enough sectional density to be used in that way. On a side note, Spyderco uses linerless G-10 in it's Military and Starmate models, and G-10 is tough, very stiff, and only slightly heavier than carbon fiber...

--dan
 
I have a Kit Carson #18 folder with a 4 1/4" Stellite (r) blade. The carbon fiber scales are without liners, and the Ti liner lock is inlaid; total liner lock length is 2 5/8". This knife weighs 3 oz., and balances at the pivot point. It has been reliable, although I have not stressed it severely.

Of course, if strength is your primary consideration, then Ti scales and a full liner would be more appropriate, although the knife would weigh about twice as much as the carbon fiber one.

Regarding the toxicity of carbon fiber, I have been unable to verify its' toxicity. Here is the website where MSDS's can be obtained most readily:
http://siri.uvm.edu/msds/

Here is the page where several types of carbon fiber MSDS's are posted:
http://siri.uvm.edu/msds/index/gw.cgi?query=carbon+fiber&whole=partial&start=0

From reading a few of these, it would appear that you need to inhale a lot of carbon fiber dust for a long time before anything at all to happen, and then it acts like any irritant, causing pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of lung tissue), and emphysema.

Of course, YMMV, and I suggest that you read these data yourself.

TPFKAWWMD

(in a show of solidarity with those posters who wish to remain anonymous, I am now known as The Poster Formerly Known As Walter Welch, MD
wink.gif
)
 
My Boker Orion has a single liner, leaving the CF slab on the other side non-reinforced. It seems to be plenty stiff and strong, with 3 posts plus the pivot to keep it extra rigid.

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AKTI Member #A000832

"Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, the bear eats you."
 
A possible source of the popular notion that c-fiber is toxic may be found at this site:
http://www.carbon-fiber.com/

"In the 1960's, workers at one of the first commercial carbon fiber plants at Coventry England were protected by canaries (as used in coal mining), in case of leakage of cyanide gases. The line was closed down when after one week all the birds died."
-At the autopsy, it was found that no one had fed the birds or given them water !
Click to expand...

TPFKAWW
 
I have CF Dragonfly. I find the CF handle holds up well in pocket carry. I am not sure if there is that much advantage over G-10 which also holds up well to pocket carry. By pocket carry I mean in the pocket not clipped hanging out with loose change etc. G-10 is grippier but CF has a nice look. For a utility I knife I prefir G-10.

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Roger Blake
 
The resin system,in it`s uncured state,is the main hazard associated with carbon fiber.This affects people engaged in the use of raw carbon fiber in the manufacturing sector.Carbon fiber as used in cutlery is already cured so the resin is not really a problem.

I don`t see any reason why carbon fiber slabs couldn`t be used as seen in the Spyderco Military.It`s every bit as stiff as a comparable slab of G-10 and properly finished,splinters should not be a problem.

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~Gordon~
 
I don't believe I've ever heard of carbon fiber handles splintering up and causing harm. They are finished and coated somehow to prevent that, right?



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You could put nacho cheese sauce on it...
 
Carbon Fiber is a truly amazing material. At first, I had my doubts. But with all of our knives on the market which utilize Carbon Fiber (the JetEdge series and the Mini Gentleman), I have yet to see one be returned to SOG for broken, chipped, bent, or any other damage/defect to the Carbon Fiber material; whether normal wear-and-tear or abuse. Nothing. I'm sold!

I take that back. I did get one...the customer was using a drill on it...need I say more?

Ron@SOG

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Website: www.sogknives.com
Email: ron@sogknives.com

[This message has been edited by Ron@SOG (edited 04-23-2000).]
 
Mikle, I use heavily my SOG JetEdge-2 during almost year and nothing wrong occurs although it has Carbon Fiber handle with single steel liner and non-reinforces opposite scale. Last summer this knife was somewhat abused when prying but it opposed this abuse successfully.
Please see my review here: http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001382.html
To date no play in pivot area appeared - I think it proves CF strength by all means!


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Sergiusz Mitin
gunwriter
Lodz, Poland
 
Stompy,once a carbon fiber handle is sanded smooth splinters are no longer an issue.I normally apply a coat of automotive wax once i`ve got a handle the way I want it mainly to bring out the pattern.I did have a minor delam on one of my project knives when I dropped it and it landed on the edge of one of the handle slabs.I just sanded it down and kept on going.Minor delams can also be repaired by mixing up some 2 part epoxy and injecting it into the damaged area with a syringe and clamping it up till it cures.

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~Gordon~
 
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