My new, rapidly acquired collection! Am I on the way to flashoholism?

[zenbeam]

I'm 50 years old and grew up in Kentucky camping, canoeing, target shooting and so forth – so I've always had an appreciation for flashlights, pocket knives and other things “outdoors”. I've also trained in martial arts most of my“younger” years, developing a taste for the tactical.


Last year, I went through a strong phase of pocket knife collecting and I'm not sure just what kicked in my current craze for flashlights, but here I am.... crazing over these amazing high tech and beautifully crafted modern flashlights!


In just the past three weeks, I have already pulled the trigger on a total of 6 new flashlight acquisitions to create my “core” collection to suit my wants and needs. In doing this I have spent hours and hours reading CPF threads, manufacturer sites, varieties of online reviews, and as much pertinent info that I could handle from Google - and of course viewing Youtube reviews of dozens and dozens of amazing lights!


These things excite me even more than when I was heavy into pocket knife collecting! And heck, you can't go around cutting things all the time when you feel like tinkering with your pocket knife, but you can certainly flash your lights about as much as you want!


I hope I can slow down now. I feel like I got most of it out of my system.


So here is my initial collection created in just the past few weeks... designed to suit my personal wants AND needs by being primarily tactical, aesthetically appealing, relatively simple in terms of batteries and UI; to cover a variety of beam styles ranging from tight-ish to flood to great throw- and a couple with a good mix of hot spot and spill... all while remaining within a range of EDC-able sizes (with a couple requiring a holster rather than clip or pocket carry).


These also fit my intent to combine high quality with value pricing – not ultra top end stuff here, but damned nice by anyone's standards! I did my fair share of shopping around, mostly bought from Amazon and one from another online retailer with better deal/coupon code, etc. Overall, I am satisfied that I didn't over pay. I may have over spent, but that's a personal decision.


In my research here at the CPF and abroad, I did not always follow all the advice I came across, but I certainly found many positive reinforcements to justify the purchase of each light I wound up selecting. I found that a lot of this is subjective and dependent upon your own tastes and needs. I just wanted to start with what the majority of folks overwhelmingly considered to be excellent quality flashlights.


And so without further ado, in order of acquisition, my quickly assembled, yet deeply researched but seemingly flashaholism driven first new collection of the “CREE era”:


March 22^nd thru April 10^th


EagleTac D25C XP-G S2 (Nicnamed: Might Mite!)


This photo covers 2 birds, etc. D25C on the right of course.

TerraLUX Lightstar100 (value “disposable” EDC – not modern marvel, but very well made)



EagleTac P20A2 XP-G S2 (Versatile beauty with creamy white beam, great accessories!)






Fenix TK21 XM-LU2 (Nicknamed: The Light Cannon!)

I ordered this in a combo pack with 2 CR123a batteries and an UZI Tactical Pen - for about $5 less than the flashlight was selling for by itself most everywhere I looked. The tactical pen alone sells for $17.



And a nice shot of the flashlight itself below (or should I say light cannon!) for good measure.




JETBeam BC10 XP-G R5 (just arrived as of 4/16/12! Too soon to nickname! lol)






Fenix E05 XP-E R2 (Great Keychain Light! - medium power, soft flood, ok run time - quality build!)


Almost identical in length to the D25C (sorry, not going to go look up measurements... lol).






How did I do for being fairly new to this era of CREE LED flashlights?



Have I exhibited any symptoms of flashaholism yet?
Like showing off my collection while half of it is still in transit?


Yes, I ramble on a bit too.

[cland72]

No Surefires? A hex on you, sir.

[TEEJ]

Frankly, if I get lights that fill a role...its not really an addiction per se, but a desire to have the right tool for the job.

Maybe I'm addicted to having the right tool for a job, or maybe I just like lights, or maybe its both, and I am merely rationalizing getting what I want by making the needs specific enough.

If you have a half a dozen lights that each serve a different, even if overlapping purpose...and you don't get more...you are not addicted.

For myself, if I then get more anyway, but only because they fill the role BETTER than the ones they replaced, I'm still not addicted, just improving the functionality.

Again, I may be addicted to improving the functionality.

If I think something might work BETTER (Not just lights BTW, for me at least), I do feel compelled to improve things. There are points of diminishing return on these improvements of course, and I rationalize that as a sign of sanity.

[zenbeam]

@ TEEJ

While these certainly do have usable roles, if not in fact overlapping ones, I cannot deny that one of those roles was to satisfy the collecting craze.

So time will tell in terms of how hooked I am... or may become.



@ cland72

Lots of brands and manufacturers were initially considered. LOTS... lol. Surefire was surely among them, but wound up being consistently a bit on the high end in terms of cost. Some day though.



PS - sorry about that original thread opening post - I pasted it from Openoffice.org and it stuck a whole bunch of words together and I had to go somewhere... so I finally edited it to fix all that. Sorry!

[weeesss]

I just sort of switched over from being knife addicted to flashlights. I consider an addiction not based on how many I own, but on how much time I spend thinking about them or owning them.

I currently have an older Streamlight Strion rechargeable from the days when I was working midnights, an Inova led, Surefire 6PX, Lenslight mini and now a Mini Ti in the mail.

I figure I will get a Mcgizmo and be complete for now. I don't drink or smoke or do much else but spend time with the wife and kids, so it could always be worse.

[zenbeam]

I just sort of switched over from being knife addicted to flashlights. I consider an addiction not based on how many I own, but on how much time I spend thinking about them or owning them.

I currently have an older Streamlight Strion rechargeable from the days when I was working midnights, an Inova led, Surefire 6PX, Lenslight mini and now a Mini Ti in the mail.

I figure I will get a Mcgizmo and be complete for now. I don't drink or smoke or do much else but spend time with the wife and kids, so it could always be worse.

I went through a knife collecting spree myself late last year. Wound up buying around 30 knives in total, felt that I had created a relatively "complete" collection - or at least one that scratched the itch. During the build up though I was near obsession with the online research, forums perusing and so forth. But it did calm down once that collection seemed to cover the gambit of what I decided I wanted through my research and personal feelings. No real harm done in the all and all of it. I may still buy a knife here or there as time goes on, but I currently am still quite happy with my collection.

Months later.... damn near identical bug has hit me for flashlights! lol
But many of these lights are a lot more expensive than many of the knives I bought (there are of course plenty of much more expensive knives). The initial online research craze is slowing a good bit - not over though... lol. And after I receive the next two flashlights I have on order, I should be relatively satisfied - but there 3 - 4 more lights I will want once this initial dust settles a bit more. Then I am sure I will chill for a while, but keep my eyes open at least.

I like the whole collection phase. It gives me a sense of being on a quest for while. But it can be very exhausting at times and it is nice when the rush calms down.

I'm not really complaining or worried about being or becoming a "flashoholic". I'm basically having some fun with it for a while.

[tatasal]

Everything we acquire in our lifetime, whether as a need or want, shouldn't be justified at all. If you have to justify it, then it shouldn't be bought!

[Steve in SoCal]

Zenbeam,

Reading your post is too funny, my mind works the same as yours. First it was airguns, then flashlights then knives and then back to flashlights (with some continued overlap). What would we do without the Internet to research every aspect of our hobbies?

[zenbeam]

Everything we acquire in our lifetime, whether as a need or want, shouldn't be justified at all. If you have to justify it, then it shouldn't be bought!

Honey... is that you?

lol... Pardon the kidding around. Sounded just like my wife! My wife is pretty much the only person who essentially makes me feel that I have to justify everything I spend to her. I don't mind so much really because she's the family accountant and does a great job directing our finances. But the problem is that she doesn't understand the esoteric aspect of collecting. I grew up in a family heavily immersed in antique dealing and collecting. My appreciation for collectible items (anything of personal appeal) was formulated very long ago.

[zenbeam]

Zenbeam,

Reading your post is too funny, my mind works the same as yours. First it was airguns, then flashlights then knives and then back to flashlights (with some continued overlap). What would we do without the Internet to research every aspect of our hobbies?

Speaking of airguns, you ever heard of the "Sheridan Blue or Silver Streak"? I have one of each from around 1975 and I think 1978 or so (one was a gift to me and the other I picked up to have the pair - was just a kid). They are 5mm pellet guns (.20 Cal) - not common at all. I believe made in Wisconsin. One of the more powerful pneumatic pellet guns of the day anyway. Not sure if mine will still shoot. I have kept a single pump of air in each one for years now to keep the gaskets sealed. Hmmm... I may have to test them out soon!

[Steve in SoCal]

Speaking of airguns, you ever heard of the "Sheridan Blue or Silver Streak"? I have one of each from around 1975 and I think 1978 or so (one was a gift to me and the other I picked up to have the pair - was just a kid). They are 5mm pellet guns (.20 Cal) - not common at all. I believe made in Wisconsin. One of the more powerful pneumatic pellet guns of the day anyway. Not sure if mine will still shoot. I have kept a single pump of air in each one for years now to keep the gaskets sealed. Hmmm... I may have to test them out soon!

Both of them are great classic air guns. I believe that the Sheridan brand is part of Benjamin now, but i think they still make your guns. I have the modern big brother in .22 but it is a bit too loud to shoot because I had it souped up by a local air gun smith called Mac1. If you need yours tuned up or just maintained he is your guy.

Steve

[zenbeam]

Both of them are great classic air guns. I believe that the Sheridan brand is part of Benjamin now, but i think they still make your guns. I have the modern big brother in .22 but it is a bit too loud to shoot because I had it souped up by a local air gun smith called Mac1. If you need yours tuned up or just maintained he is your guy.

Steve

Yup - and somewhere along the line, Crossman picked up Benjamin along with their Sheridan - but not sure if that was the last step or just when that occurred... lol.

I need to clean my Sheridans and shoot them - it is a project that I have been procrastinating for a while now; and I have some excellent cleaning solvents and polishes just waiting for them. I'm kind of afraid to see how bad the dust has gotten to them over the years of just sitting on a gun rack untouched.

But back on topic... lol... I ordered a Fenix LD01 & E01 gift set! Yes, the one with the purple that looks like pink E01. But that is smart marketing on Fenix's behalf because those pink ones probably don't fly off the shelves, but because the gift set is about the cost of the LD01 alone, if you have a wife or a gal.... give the the pink light! I showed a picture of the pink one to my wife and she was hooked.... I ordered it right away. I'm so bad.

I've also updated some of the images in the opening post of this thread - replacing mfg images with my own photos as some of the flashlights that were on order have arrived.