There seems to be an idea that carbon fiber is popular for one’s everyday carry because of its dominant color and premium price, but there is some science to the fiction for why it’s a fantastic material to use on products. In the seventh installment of Carry Smarter we cover a complete carbon fiber carry and see why its properties make good equipment even better.
Despite not having a lot of real estate to work with, sunglasses frames can still benefit from carbon fiber’s light weight and high temperature tolerance. Ray-Ban infuses its classic Aviators with carbon fiber to make its arms lighter and tougher without added weight.
Flashlights with magnetic control rings are rare by themselves, and ones with premium material construction are even rarer. Niteye’s EYE10 TIC falls into the latter camp with a titanium/carbon fiber body on top of its base rotary system model that has four modes and an output of 260lm. Withstanding high temperatures along with minimal thermal expansion are definitely key benefits for anything that produces a lot of heat, and the carbon fiber on this light is no different.
The Spyderco Sage 3 is already a great everyday carry with its 3” drop point blade and ambidextrous Bolt Action Lock, but add in light weight, chemical resistance, and high tensile strength in its carbon fiber/G-10 scales, and the result is this easy-to-carry, handsome, and highly-functional knife.
Multi-tools are generally quite heavy and bulky so the light weight yet high strength of carbon fiber is a welcome enhancement. The Leatherman brand needs no introduction in the world of quality EDC. In addition to its sleek carbon fiber accents and highly capable tool complement, the affordable Skeletool CX packs a better 154CM plain edge blade compared to its standard counterpart into the same five ounce frame.
What makes for a great EDC pen is usually a combination of good writing action, reliable ink, and portability and weight. At a mere 0.5 ounces including its refill, carbon fiber certainly allows the Tombow Zoom 101 to fulfill the latter categories. It also doesn’t hurt having the pen in one’s bag or pocket due to the high stiffness and strength its full CF body affords, making it a solid carry.
Being worn on the wrist certainly exposes a watch to the wear and tear of the environment and other elements, so if there’s a type of product that could benefit from high strength and heat resistance, a carbon fibre-infused timepiece would be it. The Seiko SNAE17 Velatura chronograph definitely looks the part of the roadworthy watch; the addition of a carbon fiber face adds some welcome function to its sleek form.
While a completely carbon fiber-covered wallet would be rather uncomfortable or impractical as an everyday carry, a money clip would fit the part far better. So in the true spirit of utility, how about one that adds a bottle-opening feature to its already thin profile? The Flexy money clip does just that, at an astonishingly light 0.46 ounces, yet still strong enough to pop open a brew thanks to the strength afforded by its multi-layer CF construction.
