Carbon's breaking? do not be alarmed there r good Carbons!

[Bruce Caldwell]

We had two poles break this year out of over 1200 made in 2009-2010 and we have over 12,000 poles in the market place, One was not a carbon and one was.
Yet both had vaulters who should of moved up a pole or two!
We like other companies who push the envelope have had our days of problems, the first year we made poles we recalled 105 poles and replaced them all!
I know when you hear of carbons busting hands and blowing up it is scary. And those who make them do need to step back a few yards and rethink, do I really want to mix carbon against carbon in different directions? Do I really want to put an untested product in a vaulter's hands?
There are now four companies out of five who make and have ventured into modern technology to produce light weight small diameter Carbon Poles!
I have have learned in my testing that you can mix carbon in two directions for golf shafts and hockey sticks, but never in Oars, Boat Mast or vaulting poles.
Anything that has to bend and be flexible does not need the stress put in the two directions with such little glue between them, kind of like gluing two pencil leads together. The bond is only as good as the glue! Boat mast for years have had makers use this method of crossing the carbon for a tight weave and the results are "inner deliminar failure". We tried it on three poles and went back to uni carbon T -700 the most flexible carbon (ratio 2%) perfect for use in a helical wind for vaulting poles!
Our design has been tested in our factory for over two years to be the best method of making a carbon poles today! We may not be the very lightest, and there are some sound products being made in carbon on the market!
I have seen some really good Altius Carbons and some Nordic carbons that do not have the problems others have had!
I would not discount carbon at this time due to the many breaking s!
Those that are breaking are doing so for a reason, Based on my experience it just does not work!
Bruce Caldwell

[Bruce Caldwell]

This was a discussion on carbon problems not a sales forum topic?
I am sure the readers of Pole vault power will agree!
I am not selling anything here!
Bruce