heard much about harm caused by CF. is it carcinogenic or what?

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filtrum

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Jun 25, 2014
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i know it is nice material, lightweight etc, i like my cf knives, but health is health, you know... what is it about cf being bad to lungs or some?
 
I don't know offhand, but maybe you mean if it's inhaled while grinding it? I can't imagine it would be harmful just in contact
 
I'd imagine it would be a good idea to wear a respirator while working with materials that are any cause for concern.
 
CF is hell on the respiratory system when being made or sanded/shaped, but it's fine in it's finished form unless you eat it or have an actual allergy to epoxies or resins. Grinding or sanding any materials without the appropriate level of filter protection is rolling the dice. Synthetics can be literally ground glass rolling around in your lungs, and some of the exotic hardwoods can have bizarre health complications particularly if there are some ride-along spores or cysts from whatever 3rd world nation produced it.
 
Carbon fiber is used to make high-end prosthetic limbs and appendages. I doubt they would use CF for such applications if mere contact were hazardous to ones health.

But breathing in CF dust, yeah, that's bad.
 
The resin infused man-made material dust when grinding or sanding are generally not things to get into your lungs. People talk about asbestos as being the evil material, but only the air borne fibers are a concern. As in all things, apply common sense.
 
Same is actually true for some species of wood (IIRC, cocobolo is one of them). Best idea is to have a respirator and a good air system where you work.
 
I doubt it's a problem unless you're grinding it. If you're grinding anything it can be a problem. A friend of mine was a woodworker, and in his younger years he usually neglected to wear a mask/respirator while working. For years now he's had COPD because of that.

Jim
 
Just use proper precautions and you should be fine. You're right, health is health. Once you have a finished product you will have no worries.
 
filtrum said:
pants' pocket eats g10 and CF fiercely, so it is always around me, the dust
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If you are using your knife so often your pants are eating the handle material, maybe it's time to get a fixed blade with a sheath? And if you are pulling your knife so hard you fling dust into the air you breathe, I'm pretty sure you're doing something wrong;)
 
Cocobolo contains nauseating oils or something that ironically prevent cancer, that is unrelated to mechanical lung damage from dust
 
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CF grindings are extremely hazardous to inhale, as bad if not worse than G10 dust. It is a nightmare to grind with exposed skin from the irritation factor. The fibers are nearly microscopic and like to embed themselves in your skin. They can take upwards of a week to work themselves out.
 
dkb45 said:
CF grindings are extremely hazardous to inhale, as bad if not worse than G10 dust. It is a nightmare to grind with exposed skin from the irritation factor. The fibers are nearly microscopic and like to embed themselves in your skin. They can take upwards of a week to work themselves out.
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He has it spot on...we have a composite tooling shop that is part of where I work and you have to wear a respirator when sanding that stuff...you really don't want to risk it with that stuff..really any form of composite for that matter
 
filtrum said:
pants' pocket eats g10 and CF fiercely, so it is always around me, the dust
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Not really.
You'll have WAY more carcinogens just floating in the air all the time to fill up your lungs than the really, really, REALLY miniscule amount of cabon fiber/G-10 from pocket wear.
Seriously.

You'll get more cancer causing fun from going out in the sun for 5 minutes than that would be.
It is less than a non-issue.
 
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