Found this cool video testing different cast or forged carbon fiber materials.  Some of them actually stand up well to aluminum or out performed aluminum.  From what I understand carbon fishing reels to be made from it is probably the same type of material as Onyx tested in the video.  A short strand ground carbon in a polymer which actually performed terribly in comparison to other materials because the carbon only adds a bit of strength to the base polymer.  A long strand carbon in a compression activated resin smooshed into a reel frame would be awesome.  A reel frame is probably too complex a shape and that's why we see polymers and allows being used since they can be shaped as a liquid and solidified.  Maybe we'll see it in reel seats or something some day.

 

 

I thought the resins eventually succumb to UV rays from the sun?  Dunno.I can barely afford aluminum reels. CF?   Ouch. 

Strength and stiffness are two different things, that being said, there is no reason why a true carbon fiber reel body can't be as strong or stronger, as well as stiff and lighter than a metal one. Contrary to popular belief carbon fiber composite manufacturing isn't really that complicated or high tech. I don't see a reason for "forging" which by definition, we wouldn't be doing here. Sorry for the rant, got a flash back of a tennis racquet carbon splinter under the cuticle...

For me, I guess it only matters if you run over the reel with your truck, otherwise, what's the point?

7 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

For me, I guess it only matters if you run over the reel with your truck, otherwise, what's the point?

 

I agree. Composite materials aren't something new; aerospace engineering has been developing and using them widely for aircrafts since 80s, to save weight. But to use the "good" stuff for fishing reels, the market for it would be quite small. 

1 hour ago, Jigfishn10 said:

For me, I guess it only matters if you run over the reel with your truck, otherwise, what's the point?

Lighter weight.   Imagine a reel a stronger than a 7 oz aluminum reel but weighs 4 oz.  

 

6 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

Lighter weight.   Imagine a reel a stronger than a 7 oz aluminum reel but weighs 4 oz.  

Ok. Your original post was about the strength of the reel and not about weight, so my comment was about strength. 
 

I know 3 oz is a lot when it comes to fishing gear, but the gear we use now is pretty light stuff, so 3 oz doesn’t exactly give me goose pimples. 

48 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

Lighter weight.   Imagine a reel a stronger than a 7 oz aluminum reel but weighs 4 oz.  

 

 

Composite material strong on every direction could be quite expensive, depending on how you weave it to compensate its anisotropy property.  High price just to save a few oz, I think only reel enthusiasts like us would be interested. 

1 hour ago, newapti5 said:

depending on how you weave it to compensate its anisotropy property.  

Yeah, except that most composites are quasi isotropic by nature and usual layup.

Making a reel frame stronger than it needs to be for most applications, and certainly bass fishing is not that difficult. The problem is marketing, there is no demand for "carbon fiber" frames, because most consumers assume the characteristics of the current ones which are essentially resin with graphite powder in it, and not much better than an adequate plastic one.

When enough people line up to buy them to make manufacturing them profitable ... one more thing we dont need but if enough people want it theyll make it for us