Skookum, I dont know what kind of poles you were using but high end racing poles are generally not designed with a huge amount of margin for error as a break in the pole is not going to send your face to the ground. In general, I don't think a ski pole is a good analogy to a fork because they are very different applications of the material. I also have experience with carbon poles breaking and they most often break due to chips in high stress areas. Carbon forks often have a layer of resin coating the fibers, preventing chips to the structural parts of the fork, as well as being thicker in the first place than ski poles. I do hear your perspective though, but I don't feel that a total distrust of the material is necessary.