Fibril formation of neutral salt soluble and pepsin-treated type I collagen from rabbit corneal stroma or sclera was compared using a turbidimetric analysis which permits the determination of apparent rate constants and activation energies for the lag and growth phase of collagen fibrillogenesis. Information regarding the lateral growth of fibrils was obtained from the final turbidity values. Neutral salt soluble corneal collagen had smaller rate constants for both the lag and growth phases of fibrillogenesis than scleral collagen. Pepsin treatment decreased the rate constants for both collagens proportionately. The activation energies were higher for type I collagen from cornea than sclera. Pepsin treatment increased the activation energy for both phases of corneal fibril formation but only the growth phase of scleral collagen fibrillogenesis was affected. The extent of lateral fibril growth was compared using the intrinsic turbidity values which are related to the mass per unit fibril length. Neutral salt soluble scleral type I collagen had a significantly higher intrinsic turbidity than did neutral salt soluble corneal collagen indicating that scleral collagen formed thicker fibrils; however, this difference was not retained after pepsin treatment, demonstrating that a helical-telopeptide interaction occurs in corneal type I collagen which influences fibril diameter. The observed differences in the rate constants, activation energies and intrinsic turbidity values indicates that there are molecular differences which are responsible for fibrillar differences of corneal and scleral type I collagens.