Drilling holes in CFRF' composite laminates induces damage near the hole surface. In this paper, we report investigations in drilling holes in unidirectional carbon-fiber reinforced laminated composite sheets of three thicknesses using a router; holes are also drilled with a dagger drill to compare results. Routers are commonly used for trimming the edges of composite sheets and not for drilling holes. The thrust force experienced by the tool during drilling is measured and the delamination and fiber pullout damage quantified using a surface profiler and optical microscope respectively. The router produces smaller delamination damage and fiber pullout than the dagger drill even though the router's plunging action applies a significantly higher thrust force. The flat end-mill type end of the router and its several intermittent cutting points give rise to these observations.