MikeSalt
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have owned the Lummi Raw Ti for nearly three months now, and it is an absolute winner. In my honest opinion, this is the Ultimate Every Day Carry light, and I will attempt to justify that opinion to you.
Specification
Titanium Construction - as strong as steel but only 60% of the weight. Corrosion proof
Dimensions - 45mm length, 18mm diameter
Weight - 25 grams including cell
Cree XR-E emitter with 160 lumen maximum output
McGizmo 18mm textured reflector
Two-stage reliable twist-switch with 20 lumen low mode
High-quality mineral-glass window
Rechargeable - runs on a 250 mAh Li-ion cell from AW
Runtime - 25 minutes HIGH, 10 hours LOW
Waterproof (dunkable) - O-ring protection throughout
Option of 0 to 5 blue gaseous tritium vials around the battery tube.
Ok, so the whole idea of an EDC light is that you can carry it everyday, and for all occasions. Most lights that are considered to be for EDC, are perhaps actually nEDC in my opinion; "nearly Every Day Carry". In certain tailored outfits, a supposedly EDC 2x123a powered light is going to look out of place, whether it is clipped to your belt, or causing a bulge in your pocket. This is where the tiny size and weight of the Raw Ti truly excels. It is completely unobtrusive and would go completely unnoticed. Even if it did get noticed, the clean, modern well-finished design could be considered as a piece of fine jewellery.
Where it is guaranteed to get noticed is when you turn it on. The 'low' output of 20 lumens will put to shame any single 5mm LED light. Twist the head a little further, and the magic happens. With 160 lumens at the emitter, and the high-quality optics, it is fair to expect approximately 112 lumens out of the front-end. That is more than you can expect from a conventional 6-D cell flashlight! Owing to the McGizmo reflector, the beam has a fantastically smooth beam profile, with no artifacts in the beam. The clever reflector design even elliminates the infamous Cree rings
Another important aspect for EDC is the reason you carry it in the first place, to be there at all times, 'just in case'. Being that its purpose is to serve at times of the unexpected, the reliability of the light is absolutely paramount. Whilst many lights choose to have complicated, error-prone electronics, the Raw Ti has a PCB, a low stalk, a resistor, an emitter, and THAT's IT! It is quite often the case that the simplest designs are the most reliable. Switching is achieved by twisting of the head tight relative to the body. As you tighten, low mode kicks in first, then high mode. However, when you first get your light, you may find difficulty getting the low mode to work. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM, the low stalk requires working-in. After a few days of use, mode selection is a doddle. Just keep the contacts clean. Due to its small size and titanium construction, this light will survive rough treatment with ease too.
Now to the REALLY COOL part. As anyone at the cutting edge of LEDs knows, keeping up with the highest efficiency bins can be an expensive task. As soon as you have bought a light, the next bin comes out and you feel the need to either buy more lights, modify yourself, or pay for someone else to modify. The Raw Ti solves this by use of a modular design. The glass window, o-rings, reflector, PCB w/ emitter and battery spring can be replaced by the user with ease. This means that, when a new emitter becomes available, you can simple buy the PCB with the new emitter from Lummi. It costs £13($26), and can be swapped in in a matter of 15 seconds. Pretty neat!
And of course, all this comes in a rechargeable package, so you are not afraid to use it for cost reasons. The lumens are practically guilt-free.
Many thanks for reading,
Mike
(Lummi Wee Ti and modified Surefire E1e reviews due shortly)
Specification
Titanium Construction - as strong as steel but only 60% of the weight. Corrosion proof
Dimensions - 45mm length, 18mm diameter
Weight - 25 grams including cell
Cree XR-E emitter with 160 lumen maximum output
McGizmo 18mm textured reflector
Two-stage reliable twist-switch with 20 lumen low mode
High-quality mineral-glass window
Rechargeable - runs on a 250 mAh Li-ion cell from AW
Runtime - 25 minutes HIGH, 10 hours LOW
Waterproof (dunkable) - O-ring protection throughout
Option of 0 to 5 blue gaseous tritium vials around the battery tube.
Ok, so the whole idea of an EDC light is that you can carry it everyday, and for all occasions. Most lights that are considered to be for EDC, are perhaps actually nEDC in my opinion; "nearly Every Day Carry". In certain tailored outfits, a supposedly EDC 2x123a powered light is going to look out of place, whether it is clipped to your belt, or causing a bulge in your pocket. This is where the tiny size and weight of the Raw Ti truly excels. It is completely unobtrusive and would go completely unnoticed. Even if it did get noticed, the clean, modern well-finished design could be considered as a piece of fine jewellery.
Where it is guaranteed to get noticed is when you turn it on. The 'low' output of 20 lumens will put to shame any single 5mm LED light. Twist the head a little further, and the magic happens. With 160 lumens at the emitter, and the high-quality optics, it is fair to expect approximately 112 lumens out of the front-end. That is more than you can expect from a conventional 6-D cell flashlight! Owing to the McGizmo reflector, the beam has a fantastically smooth beam profile, with no artifacts in the beam. The clever reflector design even elliminates the infamous Cree rings
Another important aspect for EDC is the reason you carry it in the first place, to be there at all times, 'just in case'. Being that its purpose is to serve at times of the unexpected, the reliability of the light is absolutely paramount. Whilst many lights choose to have complicated, error-prone electronics, the Raw Ti has a PCB, a low stalk, a resistor, an emitter, and THAT's IT! It is quite often the case that the simplest designs are the most reliable. Switching is achieved by twisting of the head tight relative to the body. As you tighten, low mode kicks in first, then high mode. However, when you first get your light, you may find difficulty getting the low mode to work. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM, the low stalk requires working-in. After a few days of use, mode selection is a doddle. Just keep the contacts clean. Due to its small size and titanium construction, this light will survive rough treatment with ease too.
Now to the REALLY COOL part. As anyone at the cutting edge of LEDs knows, keeping up with the highest efficiency bins can be an expensive task. As soon as you have bought a light, the next bin comes out and you feel the need to either buy more lights, modify yourself, or pay for someone else to modify. The Raw Ti solves this by use of a modular design. The glass window, o-rings, reflector, PCB w/ emitter and battery spring can be replaced by the user with ease. This means that, when a new emitter becomes available, you can simple buy the PCB with the new emitter from Lummi. It costs £13($26), and can be swapped in in a matter of 15 seconds. Pretty neat!
And of course, all this comes in a rechargeable package, so you are not afraid to use it for cost reasons. The lumens are practically guilt-free.
Many thanks for reading,
Mike
(Lummi Wee Ti and modified Surefire E1e reviews due shortly)
