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Are all carbon fiber fabrics the same?

Are all carbon fiber fabrics the same?

Among industrial designers specializing in products in such fields as automobiles, sports, and leisure, there are many who ponder how to make use of carbon fiber fabric in their designs. Lightweight product design is the main reason carbon fiber fabric is so appealing to industrial designers, but another big reason is its stylish appearance. Indeed, we often see carbon fiber fabric in products where exceptional design is a priority, such as concept cars developed by automobile companies. But when industrial designers make use of carbon fiber fabric, are they all using the same kind of carbon fiber fabric? A designer is especially concerned about appearance. Search for carbon fiber fabric on the Internet and you will mostly find it as a plain woven fabric.

Alternately intertwining warp and weft, plain weave is the most basic weaving method. Almost all carbon fiber fabric is woven using this simple method.

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But our carbon fiber fabric is totally different! We have succeeded in developing a method for weaving carbon fiber fabric that is much more sophisticated than plain weaving.

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How are we able to apply such a complex method to weaving carbon fiber fabric? The answer lies in our origins as a Kyoto-based company specializing in weaving kimono, obi sashes, and other traditional Japanese clothing.


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We have dedicated ourselves to developing beautiful weaving methods for the kimonos and obi sashes for which good design is essential.

As a result, we believe that our weaving designs are not only among the best in Japan but even stand among the best in the world. What’s more, realizing a wide-range of designs in fabric form requires exhaustive knowledge of the Jacquard loom and the ability to make minute adjustments to the loom to meet the requirements of the weaving material. In fact, carbon fiber is a very hard material to weave because it does not pass through the loom smoothly, but we have successfully made several improvements to the Jacquard loom so that it can weave very complex patterns.


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Today, we use this loom to develop carbon fiber fabrics that use a variety of weaving methods. Industrial designers representing product makers who tour our workshop are tremendously impressed, often exclaiming with delight that “I have never before seen carbon fiber fabric like this!”

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In every field of product development carbon fiber fabric is used to create lighter designs. So, if you are thinking about using carbon fiber fabric in a design, why not use a completely one-of-a-kind and stylish material like Nishijin Carbon? After all, Nishijin Carbon not only adds the technical value of lighter weight to a product, it also has the potential of adding value by making a product more visually appealing.

We receive many questions about Nishijin Carbon, and we invite you to take a look at our Q&A page, as answers to most of these questions can be found there.

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