World's first? - Inner Textreme blades

Recently I've been experimenting with some different materials, different carbons, glass fibre and most recently textreme. I have to say that textreme is easier to use than a classic hybrid weave as the glue sits on top rather than between the different strands, as a result less glue is needed. It's also easier to cut, a high quality pair of scissors will do the trick. The downside is that it's more expensive than aramid carbon. As i believe this could be a world's first I thought I'd give it a thread of its own.

As for how they play? I don't know yet as I've only just completed these. One is for me and the other for Chris Fagyal who worked on the composition with me.

Blade 1 - Kiri - textreme - spruce - American redwood burl. 91g, 6.0mm. The handle wood is camphor burl and purple heart. This is quite a striking blade, lots of complex woods. This was made for Chris who likes exciting woods and always challenges my blade making skills. The handle woods were particularly difficult to shape.




Blade 2 - Ayous - textreme - ayous - mahogany. 95g, 5.8mm. Handle wood is mahogany, rippled maple and walnut. The handle is one of my first conical designs. A very comfortable shape. There's a touch more weight in the handle (2 or 3g) due to the size of the handle which is 2.65mm high at the end and reduces to 2.45mm near the wings.

shinshiro said:

Very nice blades!
This is the same carbon used on carbonado series right?

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Yes same as the carbonados, it's placed at 90 degrees and 80g psm. I think Stiga use 64, 100 and 200g psm.

Tinykin said:

What is psm?

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Sorry, per square metre.

cfagyal said:

Textreme is spread tow carbon fibre fabric which uses a 20mm tape in the weave to significantly reduce the number of overlaps in the weave as compared to a typical 3K twill weave fabric. This means the fabric is significantly (c. 20%) lighter than a standard twill weave carbon fibre. It also yields a fabric which doesn't crimp easily and is nearly as strong as a unidrectional carbon fibre.

This article explains Textreme well, specifically the 80gsm that Alan refers to: https://compositeenvisions.com/text...-36oz-45-45-spread-tow-carbon-fiber-2271.html

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,
well put Chris!

Lightzy said:

Yes, that is how it is different in property, but how is it different in application? Which is to say, why use it instead of ALC for example?

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From a construction point of view it's much easier to use, see my original post for details. As for playing properties, neither has been tested yet so I can't comment. A bounce test suggests a very large sweet spot and an off speed with a fairly soft feel but bounce tests are often misleading.

There are lots of interesting and thoughtful ideas here and much to learn and take on board and I'd like to think what I'm about to say backs up what everyone else is suggesting rather than contradicts it.
What I do know is that the composition of blades is highly complex and, i feel, that it is very hard to devise a formula or theory that will predict or explain how a blade will actually play. There is something in the interaction between different woods and materials that is less tangible and can't be explained by such things as density, elasticity or Janka/hardness ratings. The very nature of wood means that not every veneer or core is the same, I find myself checking the feel and weight of each piece of wood as there is variance. I often dry veneers and cores for considerable periods of time to remove moisture as this can vary too. Then there's working methods and materials: glue types, varnish/sealing methods, different tools, application methods, pressing methods etc which all have an effect. I make lots of other blades which I don't post here which are experiments to test ideas and formulas, some work brilliantly others less so and require further refinement. I've used spreadsheets to calculate estimated weight, flex and hardness but in the end there is a less than scientific element to blade making which I'm yet to fully define. I'd also be fairly confident in saying that very few people, if any, can fully define it. I'm sure the best blade makers in the world get it wrong and have to go back to the drawing board to figure out why. In addition to this there is personal preference. What one person thinks is the perfect blade doesn't work for someone else. For me this is what makes blade making a challenging, rewarding, often frustrating, yet completely addictive and fascinating activity.