: I've used it too, but it's not in any way required. Yes it's stiff,
: but fiberglass is too, just takes more material to get the same
: stiffness. Still done hand layup it may not be any lighter,
: difficult to tell when carbon is wet unlike fiberglass. Done
: vacuum bagged though and you can end up with a very light very
: stiff laminate, still it's better combined with another fabric
: like glass or Kevlar, used alone carbon is awfully brittle and
: has a tricky failure mode, has complete or nearly complete
: strength right to the point where it fails, most other composite
: materials gradually weaken and show that they are under stress
: before they fail, so the load can be reduced or the laminate
: strengthened to prevent failure.

: Bill H.

One other failure characteristic of pure carbon fiber is that it shatters much more easily than a glass or hybrid laminate does. Beware impact from hard objects - and it doesn't have to be a serious blow, just a sharp one with something hard. The tips of my two carbon fly rods that I used to fish for steelhead with are a good illustration. Each was shattered by the weight of the fly when the hook hit the tip during casting. Carbon paddles deserve considerable extra care because of this issue

Best regards,

Allan Edie