G10 vs Carbon Fiber strength- Is there a definitive answer?

Every hi-tech application I’ve seen that requires maximum strength and minimum weight uses CF, not G10. I’m thinking there’s probably a good reason for that.
 
You won't see any difference in the two in any knife application. Even in extreme blatant abuse.

Make no mistake.....g-10 is incredibly strong and durable. I have dozens of jigs, fixtures and tooling and replaced/repaired steel parts using g-10. I've used it in tapped/threaded applications and it is ridiculous how much torque can be applied to those threads with no damage or wear even after years of repeated use.

So pick what appeals to you and don't give it another moment's worry.
 
J. Doyle said:
You won't see any difference in the two in any knife application. Even in extreme blatant abuse.

Make no mistake.....g-10 is incredibly strong and durable. I have dozens of jigs, fixtures and tooling and replaced/repaired steel parts using g-10. I've used it in tapped/threaded applications and it is ridiculous how much torque can be applied to those threads with no damage or wear even after years of repeated use.

So pick what appeals to you and don't give it another moment's worry.
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Thanks for the insight. Just out of curiosity, why was G10 used in the threaded/tapped applications as opposed to carbon fiber, and are there carbon fiber equivalents for the same application?
 
BTW, CF wins for me. I have one knife with G10, and too many to list in CF. Carbon fiber Friday is a challenge in choosing what to carry.
 
jux t said:
Thanks for the insight. Just out of curiosity, why was G10 used in the threaded/tapped applications as opposed to carbon fiber, and are there carbon fiber equivalents for the same application?
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Because g-10 is easier to machine, cheaper and comes typically in a wider range of sizes.

In my experience g-10 has been more uniform and consistent in its composition and manufacture.

I'm not sure I can say the same for carbon fiber. I have seen some thin carbon fiber (like for pocket clips) that seemed brittle and splintery.
 
jux t said:
For a knife handle scale, which is tougher, which is stronger, which is more resistant to impacts, chipping, and deformation? I've searched around the various threads on this topic, and have yet to find anything definitive. The conversations seem to always steer toward which material people favor, and more or less conclude that both are simply strong enough.

My main questions:
1. Suppose you have 2 slabs of equal size, G10 and CF. If equal pressure were applied to the middle of each, which would break (not just bend) first?
2. If both slabs were dropped from the same height (say, 20 feet) onto concrete, which would suffer the most damage?

From what I've read, there are different types of both material. I suppose for the sake of this thread, I'm asking about the average G10 used on knives, as well as the average woven carbon fiber used on knives (if there even is an average woven CF composition, I don't know much about CF.)

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Edit: If there is a big enough difference between the various possible compositions of both, as some suggest, then what about the strongest/toughest G10 vs the strongest/toughest carbon fiber?
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Carbon would win
 
Carbon fiber is likely stronger but G10 is likely tougher. Carbon fiber in other applications tends to shatter when it fails, indicating that it is strong but brittle.
 
That video may not be scientifically certified but it gives me a lot more information than the market is providing.
 
DocJD said:
Isn't simple curiosity reason enough ? :confused:
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Of course, I was being a "wise guy" but there was a serious basis for my remark because the answer as to which is "stronger" -- G10 or CF -- depends mainly on the intended application for the material, which the OP never made clear.

Also, as someone else noted above, not all G10 and all CF materials are made alike and it would be near impossible to do a "like for like" test of the materials.

I can tell you based on my personal experience that G10 is more "durable" than CF because CF is more "brittle" and more likely to "break"or shatter than G10. Just take a hammer to a piece of each (as proposed above) and see what happens.

But, do you really need to know which is "stronger," if you're just using the G10/CF as scale material and the worst that might happen is that you drop the knife on the ground, where it will more likely hit the blade or the frame than the scales?

Personally, I think not.🤷‍♂️
 
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