It is one of the vital components of a fork. It takes the energy produced by impact and controls how it is released. Some manufacturers have forks that look almost the same, but with entirely different dampers. Levels of performance of dampers are affected by the cost of the same. Cheaper dampers use ‘open bath’ dampers. The damping oil is likely to mix with air in such a system. As such, damping control becomes compromised on rough descents. Cartridge dampers are used on more expensive forks. They isolate the air from the oil providing consistent performance.