The direct spinning of carbon nanotubes yields fibres with distinctly encouraging mechanical properties. While the best strength (2.2 N/tex) and stiffness (160 N/tex) promise competition for established carbon fibres, the maximum energy absorbed at fracture (46 J/g) is somewhat higher. The fibres consist of very long double-walled nanotubes of surprisingly large diameter (in the 5-10 nm range), which collapse to give a dog-bone cross section.