How to make Carbon Fiber more grippy?

[photodave]

Are there any ways to make carbon fiber less smooth and more grippy? I usually see it smooth and non textured (unlike G-10 etc). I like the lightness of it, the look of it, but I hate how it feels like it wants to fall out of my hands.

Could you please show me any links, pics, info, thoughts etc. Thanks

 

[yablanowitz]

There are several ways to make it more grippy. The easiest is to buy a knife with peel-ply carbon fiber like the Spyderco Stretch II or Military sprint runs.

As for changing the grippyness of existing CF, you could sand- or bead-blast it to rough up the surface, but it will probably ruin the appearance. The only thing I've seen that would help without messing it up permanently was a clear grip tape someone had used on a stainless steel handle.

 

[Josh K]

The finish is baked on when they make it, it's not something done afterward. I don't remember the exact steps though.

 

[Phillip Dobson]

Carbon fiber really only looks good when it's highly polished. You could rough it up, but you are wasting a material that costs 8-times more than G10 or micarta.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Got an electric engraving pencil?
You can "buzz in" patterns with it. It will leave a rough surface.

 

[Phillip Dobson]

Another idea:

You could give it macro-texture, and still keep the surface highly polished. I warn you, it's a bit of work. Here's a G10 ZT0350 I did kinda like that.