Carbon fiber is a material made from metal filaments woven together. It’s incredibly strong and stiff while being super lightweight. These characteristics have made it the go-to choice of material for aerospace, extreme sports, civil engineering, automotive, and military applications. But is it the right choice of material for a wallet? Here are 5 reasons why we think so.
1. Strength
Carbon fiber can proudly say that is more than 5 times stronger than steel (depending on the type of carbon fiber) and twice as stiff. To create carbon fiber, carbon atoms are bonded together to form crystals. These crystals are placed in a specific arrangement along filaments for maximum strength. These filaments are sometimes thinner than human hair, but when twisted and woven together create a material stronger than steel.
This weave of carbon fiber can either stay as a fabric (the base for military materials like Kevlar) or be combined with other materials to create a harder composite, like for airplanes, racing bikes, or cars.
Strength makes carbon fiber the perfect material for a wallet that is hard to damage. With such physical properties, there’s no need to worry about breaking or denting your wallet if dropped or sat on. This means carbon fiber wallets are also well suited for people living urban, fast-paced, or outdoor lifestyles.
Besides physical strength, carbon fiber is also:
- tolerant of excessive heat
- tolerant of low thermal temperatures
- resistant to chemical exposure
- high in tensile strength
2. Lightweight
While carbon fiber is 5 times stronger than steel, it’s also only a fraction of the weight. In other words, it’s very strong for its size. This is thanks to the very special structure of carbon atoms. Because carbon is low on the periodic table, it weighs relatively little compared to most other materials, but it also has the strongest bond in nature. Basically, carbon doesn’t way much but sticks to itself very well. This translated to tensile strength without the bulk.
In terms of characteristics for a wallet, lightweight is definitely something you want to hear. Carrying around heavy wallets in your back pocket can be unseemly, uncomfortable, and even have long-term effects on your spine or posture. This makes carbon fiber wallets perfect for people who carry a wallet every day in a purse or pocket.
Carbon fiber wallets also tend to be more slim and minimalist, so they are well suited for people who hate bulky wallets and only need to carry around the essentials. Try a carbon fiber wallet with quick card access for a truly upgraded experience.
3. Unique Pattern
Much like the distinct rainbow effect of some titanium, carbon fiber is a metal that is naturally attractive thanks to the way it is produced. There are two different types of patterns for carbon fiber wallets, each with a unique production and aesthetic.
The first is classic carbon fiber. In this method, strands of metal fibers are woven together and laid over each other in such a way that creates a checkered pattern. This style of pattern for a carbon fiber wallet is very uniform and clean.
The second is forged carbon. Here, a composite made from raw, unwoven fibers is used to create a paste. This paste is then shaped and hardened, creating a beautiful marbled pattern. Because of the way forged carbon is made, each forged carbon fiber wallet is completely unique.
4. RFID-proof
Since carbon fiber is a metal it can act as a faraday cage, or in simpler terms, something that can block radio waves. This is how the waves within a microwave are contained once the door is shut or why you can’t receive phone calls in a metal elevator - some energy waves can’t move through metal.
RFID is a radio wave technology that allows contactless communication between a card and a reader and can be found in travel cards, debit and credit cards, gym memberships, and even passports. Thieves can hack the RFID technology in your cards to access the information they hold and use this to create fake copies of credit cards or even steal your identity.
Though the likelihood of this happening depends on where you live, how much you travel, and what kinds of cards you use, it’s better to be prepared for the worst. Since carbon fiber wallets are inherently RFID-proof, they are the perfect choice of wallet to prevent possible theft from RFID skimming.
5. Professionally Certified
If all this wasn’t enough to convince you of carbon fiber’s status as a wonder metal, don’t just take our word for it. Carbon fiber is acclaimed as the material of choice from aerospace, automotive, sports, and yachting industries thanks to its unique characteristics.
Organizations like NASA choose to use this material because it can withstand very low or high temperatures without warping, melting, or cracking. Since carbon fiber is stronger and stiffer than steel while being only a fraction of the weight, it’s the ideal material for things like airplane wings, expensive bike frames, and of course, wallets.
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