Originally Posted by
Airburst
They don't actually fail like an icicle - ice is brittle and shatters by fast crack growth, carbon-fibre reinforced plastics (to give their full name) are fairly resistant to crack growth. The issue with carbon forks is that a metal part will likely give some indication that it's going to fail, often in the form of a visible crack or some sort of ductile deformation, while potential failures in carbon components aren't always as easy to spot.
That is what I thought too.. after seeing a golf shaft shattered by much intentional abuse yrs ago. I hung the icicle label on due to a couple online reports of bikes going down the rd and the carbon blade just snapped off. One instant your riding.. the next the guy woke in the ER.
I don't think it's fair.. a suggestion.. to bring brand names into the discussion. NOT wanting to give anyone some idea one brand is more suspect than another. Who knows.. or could accurately prove that anyway.. especially by online "data".
I already decided prior to this thread not to ride carbon forks. I am now in the situation on one build that a potential buyer WANTS a carbon fork. Of course one online source known for good deals has one. I'm not inclined to mount one.. but decided to have a much harder objective look at them.
Understand well.. not at all.. what's the right wording.. judging anyone's choice of fork material. I did purchase a near new brand name fork online.. frankly I was impressed with it's construction.. had a serial number on it too. But the threaded alloy steer tube was a might short though. A no go for the bike in question... that kind of buy comes along rarely I think.. quality, low useage and cost.
Amen to the comments per all the fork recalls. I get to the LBS rarely... and I've seen two notices per fork recalls. My cynical personal comments per modern QC go to those events... and while yes QC in some areas today are superior.. just as many 'shops' are 'get it out the door' operations. Nuff whining on that... by me anyway.
I do ride a little used aluminum fork.. that bike spent all it's time prior to my purchase in a garage. I can see no real difference to it and the steel one on a near identical steel framed MTB... except of course the M700 weighs about 9 lbs less. But from what I can determine looking around.. aluminum gives notice to failure.. and the likelihood your on your face in an instant is very low odds. IF you can find different.. I for one would like to hear that.
Purely opine of mine.
The aftermarket no name forks.. are not worth the risk. Their might well be decent people making them.. but their lower cost means the manufacturing corners get rounded off.. ie: again 'get them out.. piece counts'. Find yourself injured.. who pays? NOT the marketing company that sold it.. that is for sure. Like I discovered.. one I found didn't even have the kahoona's to admit this. Price means nothing given the nature/importance of a fork's integrity. Younger people.. like me yrs back too.. seemingly IMO are taking unnecessary risks ...to save what? Yes anything has risk.. but again IMO... there's little protection/insurance.. piece of mind riding no name mass produced bike forks. END. 
Am looking for a steel or new/near new al fork (brand name).. 8.5"--+.. 1" threaded steer tube. Lighter.. better. PM me if you wish.