In preparation for another project I’m working on, I’ve been experimenting with different knitting needles. I thought it might be helpful to do an in-depth review of some of those needles. Today, we’re taking a look at the KnitPro Karbons.
This is my first time using the Karbonz, and since a person‘s feelings about the knitting needles they use are highly context-dependent, let’s cover a few important background factors first.
I am a tight knitter who prefers to knit with fingering-weight yarn on 2 mm to 3 mm needles. I will sometimes go up to DK-weight yarn and 4 mm needles, but I don’t really like to go any chunkier than that most of the time.
For this project, I am doing magic loop, which I don’t usually prefer for small-circumference knitting but is helpful when I am knitting something scrappy and need to make sure that I use up every bit of yarn. I’m cobbling together this pair of mittens from leftovers from two other projects, and I’m going to be cutting it kind of close with the amount of yarn I have, so two-at-a-time knitting was the right solution.
Okay, with that background in mind, let’s take a look at some of the things I found interesting and challenging about the Karbonz.
The Karbonz Feel Super Lightweight
Because I’m used to working with metal needles, I am also used to working with rather heavy needles. I have never used knitting needles this light that weren’t made of rather flimsy plastic. When I took them out of the package, I could barely feel them in my hands. Okay, that’s maybe a slight exaggeration–but seriously, compared to the metal needles I usually use, these are extraordinarily lightweight.
Although I don’t deal with a lot of pain from knitting, I could see this being a particularly attractive factor for those with wrist or elbow pain aggravated by having too much weight in their hands.
The Mixed Needle Surfaces are a Mixed Bag
I like that the Karbonz have nice, sharp, metal tips. However, I can also see why KnitPro decided to add those metal tips.
One of the reasons I work with full metal needles is because they are very slick. The carbon material in these needles is very lightweight, but rather grippy. There are points where it almost felt like sandpaper holding onto my yarn.
As a result, I have had to really focus on keeping my gauge nice and loose. Where I forget to do that, I find myself having to push the stitches really hard along the needles.
If you are a fellow tight knitter whose joints get cranky when you have to push your stitches too hard, this is also something to consider.
The Cords are Slightly Stiff
I’ve done most of my magic looping with my Addi needles, which have pretty flexible cords between the needle tips. I also do a little bit with my ChiaoGoo needles, which are a little less flexible, but still pretty good.
I’m not sold on the cords on these Karbonz needles for magic looping purposes. They’re a little bit stiff, and I have been struggling with laddering when I usually don’t. As a result, every time I start a new section on these mittens, I have to make an extra conscious effort to roll the two sides together and pinch them while I work the first couple stitches.
This may be an issue that resolves over time as the needles get used more and the cords soften up. I’m not sure yet. If I notice a significant difference over the next few months of use, I’ll try to come back and update this blog post.
These Are Ultra Strong Needles
As I mentioned above, I’m a really tight knitter. I destroy wooden needles pretty regularly, and even metal needles bend under my aggressive stitching.
So far, these guys have felt pretty dang sturdy. That makes sense, since carbon fiber is one of the strongest materials commercially available. If you’re like me and tend to mangle your knitting needles, these could be a good option for you.
They Have an Extra Smooth Cord Join
One of the things magic loopers are always complaining about is having stitches snag at the point where the cord joins the end of the needle. I don’t think that’ll be a problem with these guys.
These needles have one of these smoothest cord joins I have ever used, especially for a needle that does not have a coated steel cable for its cord. While it’s possible that this join could work loose over time with use, and I will try to report back if that happens to me, I am so far really pleased with how smoothly the stitches glide over that join.
Final Takeaways
Overall, I think these are lovely needles that, depending on your needs as a knitter, could be a really excellent choice.
While they probably will not be my preferred choice because of the grippy texture of the needles, they could be the exact right choice for you if you tend to be a loose knitter or are working with very slippery yarn. If you have any follow up questions that I haven’t covered here, let me know! I will be happy to update as needed.
One final note: I purchased my set of Karbonz myself and have not been provided any benefits in exchange for writing this review. If I ever am provided free materials for review here on the blog, you can trust that I will always disclose that for you right at the beginning.
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I’m so glad you’re going to be doing these reviews. I usually use Chiaogoo circulars but sometimes those aren’t always the best option and it can get expensive trying to try other brands. This review will be very helpful.
Thank you, Lauren, for starting this needle review. I’m beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by the number of small-circumference knitting needles available, so this is very timely!
I haven’t tried the Karbonz, and as I’m a firm knitter — I’ve broken countless wooden needles and bent my fair share of metal ones too! — I think I’ll give them a miss. That said, my interchangeable circular needles are KnitPro, and I love them, although I’ve never used them for small-circumference knitting, as I’m not a fan of the magic loop method.
I do love my DPNs, as well as my Addi Crazy Trio; both have served me well over many years of sock knitting. However, I’m really looking forward to your review of mini circulars. I’ve recently started fair-isle sock knitting and haven’t been entirely happy with my tension, so I bought a mini circ from my LYS. I’m still figuring out how to hold it comfortably and find the cable a bit too stiff, so I’m hoping the Addi version (which I’ve also just purchased but haven’t tried yet) will be a better fit.
Looking forward to your next review!
The second I read that you are a tighter knitter I knew karbonz were not for you.
I am a very loose knitter, I will automatically go down two needle sizes from recommendations to get close to gauge. I love my Karbonz dpn set. The grippy nature are the feature I value most. Too many times metal needles would just slip out of my knitting, and bamboo have a bad habit of getting broken when stepped on ( especially the small circumference ones). I like how lightweight they are and they don’t bend, even after extended use ( the warmth and moisture from my hands would bend my thin bamboo dpns so that they are all curved now)
I haven’t tried their circulars, but I am tempted to try them. I have bamboo ones from hiya hiya that work fine for me and I don’t feel the need to buy something new when what I have still works well.
I LOVE Karbonz needles. I am a very tight knitter, and primarily a DPN sock knitter. I snap wooden or bamboo needles like matchsticks and bend metal needles over time. I just finished knitting three pairs of socks on 1.75mm needles, and all ten are as straight as they were right out of the package. They are just grippy enough to keep hold of their stitches in my bag.
Caveat: I do not magic loop, so I have no experience with that, but have used circs for knitting very sticky mohair and found it worked well.
Also a warning: one of my friends was impaled when she sat on a DPN down the side of a chair cushion. Even that didn’t break the needle, and she’s still using it. Look before you sit.