Everyday Carry

Carbon Fever: 7 Carbon Fiber Essentials

Authored by:
Mikey Bautista
Reviewed by:
Bernard Capulong
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
14+ Years Reviewing EDC Products
Carbon Fever: 7 Carbon Fiber Essentials

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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.

BUY ($138)


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.

BUY ($297)


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.

BUY ($134)


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.

BUY ($60)


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.

BUY ($91)


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.

BUY ($369)


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.

BUY ($45)

Mikey Bautista

Director of Everyday Carry Operations


About the Author
Mikey Bautista is an everyday carry (EDC) expert who has been working with the EverydayCarry.com team for nearly a decade, starting with an interest in EDC as a hobby and ending up as a writer for the site in 2014. Through the years, he’s led the site in editorial content and writing about products across every category, from knives to bags to flashlights and everything in between, as well as discovering, bringing exposure, and building bridges with many brands in the industry. Today, he is the site's Director of Everyday Carry Operations, leading the editorial team and managing day-to-day operations.

He has lived through many personal and professional lives, spending nearly a decade in the workforce management industry, a minor career in gaming, and has lent a hand with entrepreneurial efforts back home in the Philippines. He has also been an active participant and helped build a number of significant social communities online, both for EDC and his other hobbies.

Mikey has been at the cusp of gaming, technology, and the internet since the ‘90s and continues to lend his experience, expertise, and authority to all his pursuits. When not online, in a game, or watching movies, you'll find him in the gym, speedrunning his next hobby, or talking at length about EDC with anyone willing to listen.

Bernard Capulong

Founder and Editor-in-Chief


About the Reviewer
Bernard Capulong is an everyday carry (EDC) gear expert, entrepreneur, all-around nerd, and the founder and editor-in-chief of EverydayCarry.com—the largest online community for EDC gear enthusiasts. Since founding Everyday Carry in 2009, he’s built over a decade of experience in the industry, reviewing and highlighting brands and products, including pocket knives, flashlights, wallets, watches, bags, pens, and much more.

Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social media.

In addition to being the editor-in-chief and main social media personality for EverydayCarry.com, Bernard is an avid gearhead and collector in general. His personal collections span technical bags, fountain pens, digital cameras, retro gaming hardware, personal hi-fi audio gear, and mechanical wristwatches, to name a few. Bernard Capulong is a prominent figure and trusted authority in the everyday carry industry with a career dedicated to helping people discover this hobby and stay prepared with quality gear.

Discussion (5 total)

kyle miller ·
have a Boker carbon fiber knife, but suspect the liner lock would still set off some metal detectors.
for events that want to keep us from protecting ourselves in any way, a tac pen and a carbon fiber leGriffe neck knife remain my standards.
Boris Ho ·
Don't just get traditional carbon fiber, get exotic one~ Such as marble CF, lightening strike CF, Shredded CF...
Jimmy Liu ·
Hi Bernard!

What knife is that pictured on the top with the blue pocket clip?

Thanks!
Jimmy
1 more comments