Carbon fiber is penetrating new markets every day. Cell phones, sunglasses, and even breifcases are no exception to the myriad of luxury items being personalized with the latest in black weave bling. We've compiled a list of some of the most visually astounding and technically revolutionary carbon fiber luxury products out on the market today along with one or two pieces you can actually afford.
Fill those deep pockets with one of these bad boy cell phones from Vertu. Comprised of several exotic materials, including carbon fiber, titanium, and custom patterned leather among other things, this phone is a testament to Vertu's uncompromising pursuit of engineering perfection - or so they say on their site. As gorgeous as it is, the Ascent can set you back anywhere up to $9,800.00 depending on which tailor-made options you go with.
www.vertu.com | MSRP: $9,800.00
Utilizing five-axis computer numerical controlled machining technologies, Oakley has sculpted a solid billet carbon fiber composite pair of sunglasses more than 40 layers thick. Each pair takes more than 24 hours of continuous machine time and will carve a hefty chunk of cash out of your wallet - but this one's definitely worth the dough. You can view videos of how they're manufactured on Oakley's site below.
www.oakley.com | MSRP: $4,000.00
No back-to-school checklist is complete without one of Nikola's Discovery backpacks on it. With the starting price of a paltry $2,700.00 it should be a no-brainer as to what you're getting little Andretti Jr. for his first year of high school. Body guard not included - and rest assured you'll need one if you plan on wearing this in public.
www.nikoladesign.com | MSRP: $2,700.00
Photography and a passion for cars often go hand-in-hand, so it's no surprise that Manfrotto has developed a super light-weight tripod weighing in at just over a kilogram. While slightly more compact than other 55 series tripods, it's very versatile and boasts a Q90 center column which allows for quick vertical to horizontal mounting. Skimping on one of these simply isn't an option if you're an SLR junkie.
www.manfrotto.com | MSRP: $400.00
Forget about repping your favorite team because now you can rep the technological advancement that is carbon fiber. Using a state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, Ginity has developed a baseball cap that weighs in at 3.9 ounces or 110 grams. They're also available in aluminum, or gold fiber but of course you wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything other than carbon.
www.ginity.com | MSRP: €89 EUR
Available with a black or chrome top, these carbon fiber goodies can be had for a very affordable $39.95 via the link below. Great for a stocking stuffer or as a thank you gift to your favorite car enthusiast.
www.carbonfibergear.com | MSRP: $39.95
Who needs bulky wallets, even carbon fiber ones, when you can have this Pirate Carbon STEALTH Money Clip? The word STEALTH isn't caplocked for nothing. Apparently, this money clip is undetectable via the use of airport scanners and not only does it save you time at the terminal, it protects your cards from the ever prevalent portable scanners that are now being used to steal credit card information remotely by deflecting the RF signals transmitted by them. This is a steal at $59.95 and it's at the top of my wish list right now.
www.carbonfibergear.com | MSRP: $59.95
Indulge in your favorite sushi dish in style with these ultra-light carbon fiber chop sticks. Covered in a special coating to ensure that they're both dishwasher safe and non-toxic, these chopsticks can withstand temperatures of up to 400 degrees. Just be sure not to forget them when you eat out at the local sushi bar.
www.carbonfibergear.com | MSRP: $149.95
Welding is serious business and so is this mask. Constructed from billet aluminum and carbon fiber, this mask will stand up to the harshest working conditions and as an added bonus, it looks pretty cool, too. It comes with a shade 10 lens but can accommodate any standard lens, including auto-dimming modules. It's made in the good ol' USA, so what's not to love about this beauty?
www.carbonfibergear.com | MSRP: $279.95
I'm not sure if this qualifies as a 'gadget' but it's way too bizarre to pass up on - Peter Donder's Carbon Fiber C-Bench. Limited to 10 pieces, this awkward looking pseudo wireframe blob of shapelessness is composed of a single string of carbon fiber which was wrapped around a form which was then removed to leave this outer shell. More of a display of fiscal irresponsibility then a technological marvel, this piece is guaranteed to turn heads and boggle minds.
www.carbonfibergear.com | MSRP: $34,000.00
Feel free to explore the site, enjoy the event and feature content, and look through our product line for anything that may interest you.
© David Yonehara 2010