Carbon Fiber picks?

[ridinplugspinnaz]

I think the problem with this is going to be the type of strength that CF has versus metal; I ran into this type of thing discussing titanium over aluminum once (tensile vs torsive, strength vs stiffness).

CF is designed to flex considerably with it's high tensile strength, while that same trait is most often an undesirable attribute in metal applications like picking where strength is not a primary need. We're not lifting 15lb. pins, so the ability to to flex without snapping is not a primary concern. Because of this, CF would probably only yield a lightweight but sloppy feeling pick. A mid-strength but extremely hard metal (but therefore brittle to an extent) would produce the highest sensitivity within the strength range required. Hence, the use of steel, aluminum, and occasionally titanium picks dominates the field. Not to say that a CF pick wouldn't look pretty spiffy though, and CF handles would just look too sweet for words.

Just my 2 cents.

There are strains of CF (or close relatives of CF) that will actually ring out when you drop them, just like when dropping a wrench.. so I think it's a bit misleading to say that CF will yield a sloppy-feeling pick, per se. However, treating CF to behave that way is probably a practical impossibility for most hobbyists; in the demo I saw where they dropped the fiber material to prove its resonance, it was in lab conditions — the material was being spot heat-treated and fused around a roller.

[LockNewbie21]

Concidering trying to get a carbon fiber weeve relitivly tight and neat enough to form a decent tang would be a task for a professional. That is if the carbon fiber would hold up givent he pressures it being put under in said lock.


Carbon Fiber would only be well utilized in a handel format. It's density and ability to transfer vibration and afore mentioned would make it a great handel, pared with the proper metal.


In my style picks I used to make I have found a happy medium using handels, and tangs in diffrent metal, but also shape of the pick as well.




In short carbon fiber would only assist as a good handel to tranfer feedback from the lock to you finger/hand.


LN21

[WDPaladin]

Can anyone provide me a link regarding CF's ability to transfer vibrations by chance? I can understand the abilities of CRPs maybe, but all this about CF is totally news to me. As far as I know, CF has only been used as a vibration-dampening material.

Thanks in advance for any info!

Paladin

[WDPaladin]

Sorry for the double post, but I just wanted to clear up something before it gets confusing. When I mean it's ability to transfer vibration (as in from the tip of the pick to the hand, for example), I don't mean it's ability to vibrate itself (which would result in lost sensitivity due to dampening over the length of the pick). In fact, now that I think about it, this could make an interesting topic in itself; what's the best pick material ever, and why? My mind is percolating now..

Just wanted to curtail the confusion.

Paladin

[bumpin88]

I was just thinking of some ideas for different materials, but carbon fiber never crossed my mine. Maybe it could be used as a pick, who knows. Perhaps a high impact polymer, something like that used in Glock pistols would make really interesting picks. But who know?? Right.