# Does anyone wear a carbon fiber hard hat?



## Ninety

I'm considering one. Are there any downsides besides being expensive? Any interesting benefits besides the obvious.


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## HARRY304E

Ninety said:


> I'm considering one. Are there any downsides besides being expensive? Any interesting benefits besides the obvious.



Like these?


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## Ninety

HARRY304E said:


> Like these?


Yes these.


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## drsparky

How much do they weight compared to a standard hat?


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## Speedy Petey

I think it is safe to say the ONLY downside to carbon fiber in general is price.


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## East Coast Paul

doesn't carbon fiber conduct?
didn't see anything on the site to say otherwise.


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## azsly1

they withstand more of an impact. you usually see iron workers wearing those.


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## HARRY304E

drsparky said:


> How much do they weight compared to a standard hat?


About the same.


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## stuiec

azsly1 said:


> they withstand more of an impact. you usually see iron workers wearing those.


Thats great if what hits you is light and fast. For the heavier stuff it just means they'll have something left to scoop your brains up with.:no:


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## chewy

I thought they were intended for steelies because when welding, hot slag wont melt through the hardhat, I could be wrong though.

When my last regular plastic hardhat wore out I did a bit of "Testing", 

24oz framing hammer swug at full force only caused discolouration of the plastic (Dont buy white hardhats, you cant see that discolouration to determine an impact) in the shape of the hammer head. 

24oz framing hammer swung at full force in reverse gave minor penatration but the helmet asorbed all the shock so it did not go in far enough. 

Sawzall with demolition blade severed the apparatus into 2 seperate peices.

In conclusion barring a maniac with a sawzall I'm quite happy with my regular hardhats.


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## JohnR

Last I heard, carbon fiber conducts electricity, and hard hats for us, are supposed to withstand some thousands of volts.


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## Amish Electrician

Look at the lable!

Hard hats carry ratings. Some have an "E" for electrical, and some don't. (BTW, the vented ones don't).

The expensive hard hats withstand heat much better. It's surprising how many of us are at least momentarily in places where the hard hat softens into putty while we're wearing it.


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## Lone Crapshooter

Look at the MSA hard hat site and you will find out these hard hats are made of PHENOLIC and they are ANSI class G that are testes at 2200 volts to ground. www.msanorthamerica.com/catalog/product799.html
I have one that I bought back in the 80's and they are very comfortable and a nice hard hat. 

I have seen several electricians with them but I cannot use mine because I am around 2400 and 13.2KV .
Most of the time you see iron workers with them but the first time I saw them I was on a job and the HVAC control fitters wore them.

LC


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## MattMc

I wanted to get one of these hard hats awhile ago too. I read that the were originally for mining, but have become popular with electricians, because of the arc flash stuff, they are a very light hard hat and anybody I've met who has one loves it. I will likely buy one someday but I just don't work on enough construction sites these days most places I go to I don't need one.


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## Lone Crapshooter

Those hats are only rated for radiation only 350 F and a arc flash can be 40000 + F.


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## BBQ

Ninety said:


> Any interesting benefits besides the obvious.


What is the obvious benefit? :blink:


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## B4T

BBQ said:


> What is the obvious benefit? :blink:


Showing off your new carbon fiber hat.. :laughing:


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## BBQ

B4T said:


> Showing off your new carbon fiber hat.. :laughing:


:thumbup::thumbup:


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## McClary’s Electrical

BBQ said:


> What is the obvious benefit? :blink:


 

In all other products, carbon fiber is used to lighten the weight. I've never had a problem with a hardhat being too heavy.


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## Lone Crapshooter

Now that I got my Adobe fixed I checked the MSA site again and this is what I found out. 
according to the 2009 70E there are no flash ratings for hard hats.
There is a literature section on the MSA Skull Guard site and in that there is a FAQ section that is in PDF.


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## MattMc

All I know is if I am wearing a hard hat 9 times out of 10 I'm doing install or construction jobs . If I am working live which is next to never these days, I'll be wearing my flash gear, if I can get a live work permit. It's just too much hassle I'd rather not work live. These hard hats look cool though I might get one.


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## Zog

Lone Crapshooter said:


> Those hats are only rated for radiation only 350 F and a arc flash can be 40000 + F.


The 350 rating is continous, an arc flash will be a fraction of a second. I have witness many PPE arc flash tests at Kinetrics lab, and been part of many arc flash accident investigations, the hard hats hold up better than any other PPE.


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## Ninety

BBQ said:


> What is the obvious benefit? :blink:


It's light weight and durability. 

I do see some downfalls of my own. There are no notches to put ear muff mounts. That can be remedied by wearing a normal pair upside down or with the yoke swung back on a hinged pair.

Also no mounts means there are no slots for tie-wrap to hold a head lamp in place. The brim clip on type light slips off too easily and I wouldn't want to put duct tape on a $90 hat.


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## RIVETER

Ninety said:


> I'm considering one. Are there any downsides besides being expensive? Any interesting benefits besides the obvious.


I wear one, it is heavier.


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