No matter the benefits of Carbon Fiber...I hate the look of the unpainted raw material.
JMHO and YMMV
Joe

 

No expert here by any means, but I think Micarta/Dymondwood is a great compromise between wood (light&soft) and G10 (heavy&hard).

Never tried Carbon Fiber but the cost premium should buy you light&hard if that is your goal

 

While I have several pairs of G10 grips on some guns, my all time favorite for shooting and carrying is VZ's blasted black canvas micarta Gatorgrips. Not pretty, and gain a nice used look, but provide a tremendous hold whether wet or dry without the terrible aggressiveness of some grips. Also comfortable against your side for IWB.

 

I think it all comes down to what material feels best to the individual ... attempting to apply logic to something that's more a matter of feel, and perhaps also appearance, might become an exercise in futility.

I'm afraid that I must not be very perceptive in regards to this subject, as I seem to be happy with a wide range of grip materials. In terms of what's currently on my 1911s, it's both G10 and wood.

With respect to very hard materials, such as G10, they can do some damage to a nice blued finish. Grip screws are also more likely to work themselves loose over the course of firing 100s of rounds. But there are easy solutions for these issues, so I don't view this matter as being a real problem... as long as one is aware and attentive. Otherwise G10, strictly as a material, has some nice properties in regard to durability, resistance to expansion, and resistance to elements than can damage some other grips. But since grips are mostly rather inexpensive, I don't think durability should be viewed as important as feel to most shooters ... I.e., use what you like.

Alumagrips.com grips (fabricated from precision machined aluminum is another interesting alternative)

 

Some discussion from VZ about the various materials they use:

https://vzgrips.com/materials-101

 

Ive tried all of the above materials, and for a gun that's going to see some real use (carry or competition ) my favorite by far is canvas micarta. It's much lighter than g10, but more importantly it absorbes sweat. At least enough so that my gun doesn't slip at all during stages. Carbon fiber looks nice but basically feels like plastic, since all you feel is the resin. G10 can be cut sharp so that it provides traction, but doesn't do anything for the moisture part. Blasted canvas definitely isn't the coolest looking design, but it feels great and I know it won't let me down when it's 110 degrees outside. Just depends on your needs... most people's hands don't get as sweaty as mine lol

 

I've had linen micarta and some G10 stuff. The G10 seems to be the hardest use stuff, the linen micarta had a softer look to it, a softer feel but also seemed like it would wear exponentially quicker. I've only seen carbon fiber - it was a unique look but I can't see the benefits beyond that.

 

What's the proper way to cut thumb reliefs into G10 grips? I've dealt with fiberglass in my younger days building boats so I know how nasty it can be.

 

I've done it with a dremel sanding drum and finished with sand paper. I did it outside, with goggles and a respirator just to be safe. You're not removing a ton of material, but obviously that stuff does not need to be in your airways.