<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>In the time I have used carbons (last 5 years) and aluminums (14 years) I am confident that carbons are MUCH tougher arrows. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

I shot wood arrows, with a very short period of fiberglass arrows, for 27 years before ever picking up an aluminum arrow. Shot a mix of wood and aluminum for 20 years now. Mixed in some carbons over the past 3 years. As far as I'm concerned, carbon is closer to wood in many respects. Both develop cracks. Hairline cracks that often aren't readily apparent, but will cause all kinds of impressive noises and visual effects the next time they're shot. Trads check their wood arrows for cracks when they hit something hard. People shooting carbon MUST do the same thing.

Carbon is tough. That comment has been repeated so many times that it's fast becoming legend. Problem is that people get sucked into the legend and forget that, even though carbon arrows are tough, they are NOT indestructable. Then people get slack in their safety and forget to check those tough arrows when something goes wrong.

I am confident that carbon arrows are tougher than aluminum too. But I'm not so confident in their toughness that I trust them. They can hurt you if you get careless, so you have to be aware of their vulnerabilities and respect them.

Aluminum might bend when it hits something hard, but at least the damage is obvious and I'm not going to have to worry about it blowing up in the next shot. I'll take it home, put it in the straightener and get it back straight within .001. In that respect, aluminum is more durable than carbon. It can be fixed. Carbon can't be.