I’d been eyeing these needles since they first came out. I’m generally a fan of wood needles, but like the pointy-ness you can get with metal needles. These seemed to be the best of both worlds: a needle that has the warm feel of wood and the pointy-ness of metal tips. Plus, the needles aren’t as likely to bend as metal needles or to break as wood needles.
My Karbonz in action
I got a set of size 2 (2.75mm) dpns on a whim at my LYS, figuring they’d see a fair bit of use as that’s the dpn size I use the most.
I’ve used them a few times now for various fingering weight projects, including my current pair of CanCans.
Overall, I like these needles a lot (in fact, I’ve requested an interchangeables set for Christmas!). They definitely deliver on the smooth, warm feel, and I’m very comfortable knitting with them.
The Karbonz are a bit on the pricey side compared to the wood Dreamz or the metal Nova, but about on par with Addi needles. For reference, here’s a price comparison on a size 4 16″ circular needle, using prices from WEBS as of Nov. 2013:
Nova – $6.99
Dreamz – $8.49
Karbonz – $14.95
Addi Turbo – $15.95
Overall, I’d give these needles a 9 out of 10, and would definitely recommend them.
Pros:
- The feel – The needles have a nice, warm feel to them, which I like. They don’t stick to my fingers like metal needles sometimes do.
- The color scheme – I like that the needles are a simple black with metal tips. They kind of sit in the background and let the WIP jump out, rather than the needles.
- The way they work with different yarns – I’ve used a few different yarns with these needles, and I like how easily the yarn moves on them, yet doesn’t slide right off.
Cons:
- The joins at the tips – The spots where the metal tips meet the carbon bodies of the needles isn’t perfectly smooth, I can feel a bit of a bump there.
FantasyFlyte Knits 