Racket listings throw around 3K, 12K and 18K. Here is what the numbers are, in plain terms.

The K is a count of filaments

Carbon fibre fabric is woven from bundles called tows. 3K means about three thousand filaments per tow, 12K about twelve thousand, 18K about eighteen thousand. A higher K gives a wider, flatter weave with a bigger visible chequer; a lower K gives a finer, tighter pattern.

It is a weave description, not a grade

The number does not tell you how a racket plays, how stiff it is, or how long it lasts. Two rackets with the same K can feel completely different because of the core foam, the layup and the shape. Treat the K as a description of the face fabric and nothing more.

Our rackets

The P100 has a 3K carbon fibre face, the P90 a 12K carbon fibre face, and the rackets in the Starter Kit a full carbon fibre face.