Interestingly, initially carbon fibre bows were coloured brown to hide the fact that they were of carbon fibre. Although today one can still obtain CF bows stained to imitate wood, CF bows have now gained so much acceptance that they are now left black (the original colour).

Why use a carbon fibre bow?

Whereas soloists would not use them for important performances, they have become quite common among orchestra players who often work in situations where a lot of close human movement create a high-risk environment in which countless bows have been damaged or broken. This would be typical of opera house orchestra pits with their very cramped workspace. Furthermore, various ensembles, session players and sometimes orchestras play in open air situations that could be detrimental to a good wooden bow.

Also, CF bows are not susceptible to temperature or humidity changes, which could have serious consequences for wooden bows. Another advantage - they don't warp or twist or bend with time. They are also infinitely more durable and resilient, don't break as easily as wooden bows and consequently are more suitable for children who often don't look after their bows.

Can CF bows break? Yes, they can with adequate force - the carbon fibre doesn't break, but such bows are usually encased in a type of hard transparent exterior finish which can crack if forced or bent hard enough. But that doesn't happen easily.

Carbon fibre bows come in many different grades. The techniques used in producing these bows are quite universal, irrespective of the source. All CF bows sold by this dealership is of very high quality, with fully silver-mounted ebony frogs.