Spyderco Carbon Fiber

[ASBOB]

How does the carbon fiber on the Sage I compare with the carbon fiber on the Native? In terms of overall quality, feel and looks, and especially grippiness (for lack of a better term)? Or are they exactly the same material?

 

[hoopster]

I don't think they're the same but haven't seen the Native personally. I would be really surprised if any Carbon fiber on the planet is better than the Sage1 if it's not identical. The quality is flawless, the weave feels amazing and has just the right amount of grip for hands and pockets without being harsh. It's very durable as well. Mine has taken a few falls onto the concrete and bangs up against anything in my pocket and doesn't have a blemish yet.

 

[lava_lamp]

The Gayle Bradley and Sage I have twill carbon fiber scales. (My favorite of the three CF versions.)

The version on the Native IV and Caly III looks good, but is too slick to provide a good grip.

The version on the Stretch II is more like G10 -- grippier, but less attractive. The twill carbon fiber on the Gayle Bradley (and the Sage I) strikes a balance between the two and gets it just right.

 

[pwet]

to each his own,

imo the "twill" cf on my bradley is the cheapest looking and the more fragile. in fact it's a single layer of CF glued on something that looks like G10 or micarta. it's not solid carbon fiber all the way thru like the others. when i have some spare cash i'll sent it to cuscadi for some real carbon fiber grinded "ppt style".

i way prefer the subtle look of the stretch that hide it's true beauty behind the texture of the scales

i polished mine an now it looks just like a caly. handles ergos are enough to ensure a good grip even with wet hands imo and if not stick with 600 grit at polishing, it will look duller but will provide enough grip.

 

[The Deacon]

to each his own,

imo the "twill" cf on my bradley is the cheapest looking and the more fragile. in fact it's a single layer of CF glued on something that looks like G10 or micarta. it's not solid carbon fiber all the way thru like the others. when i have some spare cash i'll sent it to cuscadi for some real carbon fiber grinded "ppt style".

i way prefer the subtle look of the stretch that hide it's true beauty behind the texture of the scales

i polished mine an now it looks just like a caly. handles ergos are enough to ensure a good grip even with wet hands imo and if not stick with 600 grit at polishing, it will look duller but will provide enough grip.

I'd agree that, "to each his own". Not sure where you're getting the idea about it being a single layer though, IMHO, you're wrong about that.

I'd rate them this way in terms of grip (from worst/least to best/most)

polished - smooth matte - twill - Japanese peel ply - US peel ply

The US peel ply is actually too rough for my tastes, like walking around with rasp in your pocket.

In terms of looks, it's more subjective, but my ratings, aagin worst to best would be

smooth matte - US peel ply - Japanese peel ply - twill - polished

Personally I find the twill to be the best compromise between grip and looks.

Paul

My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Kiwimania ---- Spydiewiki
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twisted up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

 

[pwet]

the idea of the single layer of CF i get from chipping the scale on my gayle bradley. between the lanyard tube and the bevel of the scale, lock side. under the layer of twill CF is something black with a much tighter pattern, not sure what it is, it can even be CF but clearly not the same grade.

if you want to see by yourself without chipping your scales, take a closer look at the side of the scale on a sage or gayle bradley and on another spydie CF like caly, stretch, or milie sprint run, you'll see that the pattern on the side of the twill type CF doesn't match the twill on the surface, it's much tighter.

i try to make a pic of that asap (my apn is charging right now and it's rainy but i'll make it clear)

btw what does peel ply refers to ? is it the texture applied to the stretch for exemple ? if so the base material is the same as "polished" CF found in the caly3 ZDP just textured or polished. i've polished my stretch, pictures with the chip on the GB.

 

[The Deacon]

Or it may be "the same grade" in terms of strength, perhaps even stronger, just a different and possibly less expensive to produce weave. That's a far cry from your statement that it was not CF.

Paul

My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Kiwimania ---- Spydiewiki
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twisted up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

 

[pwet]

there no need to defend anything here, i've never said that the material was crap, wasn't strong etc. G10 is a more than adequate material for making knives.

the fact is i highly doubt the scales are solid cf, i think the material is closer than what you sometimes see with silver twill, where one layer is laminated to G10, it doesn't make it a bad material.

 

[pwet]

here we go.

my beloved GB.

you can see the chip near the lanyard tube.

a closer look

you can see that the texture isn't the same and to me it's more probable that it's G10 or any kind of fibreglass laminate.

and a bonus, here's my hand polished stretch, polished up to 1000grit SiC paper, if you want it shinier just buff but you'll loose a lot of grip. while i was at it i rounded the scales a bit. i love the pattern CF makes when you cut into the layers, that's what you see in the borders of the scales, i'd like to round it more but it's too long by hand and CF powder is VERY dangerous, itches a lot and very bad for your lung.

hope this clarifies.

 

[ASBOB]

Respectfully, as the OP, you've gotten way off the topic. I was looking for a comparison between the CF of the Native and the Sage. I have no interest (right now) in the GB.

The reason for my query: I am deciding between a Sage I and II. I already have a CF Native, and was wondering how the CF compared with that, especially in terms of texture.

As always, thanks for the help.

 

[AF]

It's not off-topic because the carbon fiber of the Sage I is the same as the Gayle Bradley.

 

[pwet]

not that much of topic. the GB and sage have the same CF. they both come from taiwan, both steel linerlock with twill CF scales. all my observations about the bradley applies to the sage 1.

EDIT : too slow on that one thanks AF !

 

[Josh K]

not that much of topic. the GB and sage have the same CF. they both come from taiwan, both steel linerlock with twill CF scales. all my observations about the bradley applies to the sage 1.

EDIT : too slow on that one thanks AF !

The twill CF is a woven layer of CF bonded to a peel-ply style undercoat. It's still all CF.

 

[pwet]

first what is peel ply ?
then you can see in the picture that the material under the cf is woven too, just like "regular" cf found on the stretch, it just uses very thin "wires that doesn't reflects light like CF AT ALL.

 

[Josh K]

first what is peel ply ?
then you can see in the picture that the material under the cf is woven too, just like "regular" cf found on the stretch, it just uses very thin "wires that doesn't reflects light like CF AT ALL.

"Wires that don't reflects light?"

Peel-ply is G-10 made with carbon fiber instead of fiberglass. Same process but with CF instead of FG.

 

[The Deacon]

Back on topic, between the two types of CF, I prefer the twill, as used on the Sage I and Gayle Bradley, to the flat matte used on the Native IV. The twill CF offers a practical advantage, in the form of superior grip. It also, IMHO, is considerably more attractive.

Beyond that, while both versions of the Sage are extremely well done in terms of fit and finish, and you really can't go wrong with either one, I find the Sage I the more attractive of the two.

Paul

My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Kiwimania ---- Spydiewiki
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twisted up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

 

[pwet]

Peel-ply is G-10 made with carbon fiber instead of fiberglass. Same process but with CF instead of FG.

thanks, thats what i've always called carbon fiber

"Wires that don't reflects light?"

what confuses you? the complete sentence ends by "like CF". carbon fiber reflect light in a unique manner and this just doesn't. to me it's black G10 or "carbon micarta" i think the actual name is as-1 something like that. cuscadi made my mule's handle out of this.

here

 

[Dorito Monk]

very thin "wires that doesn't reflects light like CF AT ALL.

Hang on now; if that's the case, has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

 

[Josh K]

what confuses you? the complete sentence ends by "like CF". carbon fiber reflect light in a unique manner and this just doesn't. to me it's black G10 or "carbon micarta" i think the actual name is as-1 something like that. cuscadi made my mule's handle out of this.

What confused me was the wires analogy.

 

[pwet]

sorry my english is not as fluent as i'd like, my bad. by wire i meant that the weave is made of thinner "bits" what's the word ? thread perhaps?