Mat Roop Posted October 26, 2019 Report Share Posted October 26, 2019 How does one generally identify a carbon fibre bow from a fiberglass bow? At present I have a bow that is essentially black with a grey square pattern... I've never done much with carbon fibre and just a few Glasser fiberglas bows... The Glasser are easy to ID but more expensive ones, I don't have a clue?? Thks... Mat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glebert Posted October 27, 2019 Report Share Posted October 27, 2019 I always thought the checkerboard pattern was only carbon fiber, but I really don't have any evidence of that. Looking at Google images of fiberglass bows they all seem to be solid colors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Violin Beautiful Posted October 27, 2019 Report Share Posted October 27, 2019 Fiberglass bows tend to be a bit bulkier and heavier than carbon fiber bows. There are two basic kinds of carbon fiber bows: unidirectional carbon, where the fibers all run longitudinally, and braided, where strips are woven in a criss-cross pattern. The former bows are very stiff in one direction but have a bit more give in others, while the latter are equally stiff in all directions, because the fibers are perpendicular. There are a lot of bows that are marketed as carbon fiber that are actually other materials (like graphite or fiberglass). True carbon fiber is quite stiff and light and has a matte look to it. When it is built up in layers, it’s impregnated with epoxy resins to bond the fibers and give it a satin or gloss finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Kasprzyk Posted October 27, 2019 Report Share Posted October 27, 2019 8 hours ago, The Violin Beautiful said: Fiberglass bows tend to be a bit bulkier and heavier than carbon fiber bows. There are two basic kinds of carbon fiber bows: unidirectional carbon, where the fibers all run longitudinally, and braided, where strips are woven in a criss-cross pattern. The former bows are very stiff in one direction but have a bit more give in others, while the latter are equally stiff in all directions, because the fibers are perpendicular. There are a lot of bows that are marketed as carbon fiber that are actually other materials (like graphite or fiberglass). True carbon fiber is quite stiff and light and has a matte look to it. When it is built up in layers, it’s impregnated with epoxy resins to bond the fibers and give it a satin or gloss finish. Is there any difference between graphite fibers and carbon fibers? I had always thought they were the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Violin Beautiful Posted October 28, 2019 Report Share Posted October 28, 2019 On 10/27/2019 at 10:19 AM, Marty Kasprzyk said: Is there any difference between graphite fibers and carbon fibers? I had always thought they were the same. Both are products made from carbon, but the processes for manufacturing are a bit different, and the resulting materials have different properties. There is a heat treatment in both cases, but graphite is made with much higher heat. Graphite is pure carbon, whereas carbon fiber is a polymer. Graphite, while a tough material, is easy to break apart. It’s much softer and waxier, which is why it works so well in pencils. Carbon fiber is extremely strong and doesn’t break easily. It works better for structural support. This is why graphite bows are extremely cheap and break so easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff White Posted October 28, 2019 Report Share Posted October 28, 2019 I never know there were graphite bows. Just figured all black synth bows were Fiberglass, Carbon, or Carbon Fiber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.