American (USA) made flashlights

[fresnorich]

Sorry if this is a repeat. I did a search, but didn't find a comprehensive list.


Which flashlight companies make their products in America (USA)?

I will compile the posts and try to keep an updated list here:

(Manufacturer's statement provided when possible)

Adva-light
AELight
Arc "Made in the USA"
Big Beam
Duracell
Elektrolumens*
Eveready
First-Light USA
FoxFurry
FNS USA
Fulton Industries [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"As one of the largest flashlight manufacturers in the U.S., Fulton produces a complete line of heavy-duty, industrial, consumer, government and military flashlights."[/FONT]
Greenlee
Heliotek "Made in the USA"
Inova [FONT=&quot]"Assembled in [/FONT][FONT=&quot]USA[/FONT][FONT=&quot] with US and globally secured components."[/FONT]
Insight Technologies
Kohler-Brightstar
LRI/Photon Freedom Micros
Leupold
Lumaray
Maglite [FONT=&quot]"Flashlight designed, patented and manufactured in the U.S.A. Flashlight may include come imported components."
Malkoff "Made in USA"
[/FONT] McGizmo (custom light builder)
Muyshondt Nautilus
Night-ops (BlackHawk - Gladius) "Our night ops lights are made in several different countries depending on the light purchased. They are made in Spain, China and S.Korea and also the United States."
Novatac
Peak Beam (Maxa Beam) "Proud to be made in USA"
Peak LED Solutions
Pentagon Light**
Pelican
Princeton Tec*
Ra Lights (HDS Systems)
Steamlight*
Surefire
Tektite "Made in the U.S.A. We're committed to keeping jobs in America. Unlike many other manufacturers, Tektite brand lights are made in America, not just "Designed in the U.S.A." or assembled in the U.S. from foreign-made parts. We mold our plastic parts, assemble our electronics, and machine and stamp our metal parts in our New Jersey factory or locally. We include US-made batteries whenever possible (bulbs come from overseas). Whenever possible, we buy U.S. made machine tools and equipment for our factory, and we only buy trucks from U.S. manufacturers."
Terralux
TnC Products
Underwater Kinetics "Our products are carefully manufactured in the U.S.A at our facility in California."

* = some imported products
** = imported parts assembled in USA

Please note:

The circuitry for some of the lights you'll see mentioned here may possibly come from other countries.

(p.s. I don't have an agenda here, and I don't only buy USA products.)

 

[ernsanada]

First-Light USA, makers of the Tomahawk and Liberator Lights.

 

[Lobo]

I believe Surefire, Peak, Arc HDS and Maglite are entirely made in USA.

Not sure about

Streamlight
Pelican
Night-ops
Pentagon lights
Inova
Tektite
LRI
etc


Should probably also draw a line between custom makers and regular manufacturers.

 

[Beastmaster]

Novatac is another that's wholly made in the USA.

-Steve

 

[5kids]

I'm pretty sure about
Princeton Tec

 

[nikon]

Peak LED Solutions also, I believe.

The circuitry for some of the lights you'll see mentioned here may possibly come from other countries.

 

[alanagnostic]

HDS and McGizmo also.

 

[Fallingwater]

Not sure about

LRI

LRI means "Laughing Rabbit Incorporated". You'd think with such a name they had to be Chinese, but they're based in the US. Then again, at least some of the components are Chinese - Nichia LEDs, for instance.

 

[katsyonak]

I'm pretty sure Tektite are also made in the U.S.A.
From the Tektite web site:

Made in the U.S.A.

We're committed to keeping jobs in America.​

Unlike many other manufacturers, Tektite brand lights are made in America, not just "Designed in the U.S.A." or assembled in the U.S. from foreign-made parts. We mold our plastic parts, assemble our electronics, and machine and stamp our metal parts in our New Jersey factory or locally. We include US-made batteries whenever possible (bulbs come from overseas). Whenever possible, we buy U.S. made machine tools and equipment for our factory, and we only buy trucks from U.S. manufacturers.​

​

 

[Marduke]

Inova is USA

 

[spoonrobot]

Streamlight still has the majority of their lights made in America but they are increasing their Asian-made lights every year. I think they need a vote of "Yes" with an asterik. Pelican is the same way, AFAIK.

Pentagonlight is shrouded in controversy. It has been put forth by well-respected posters that the main components are made somewhere else and then assembled in the US. As far as I know they do bill themselves as American manufacture.

Inova is American made as much as any of the other companies. Certain parts like the base LED and some circuitry come from elsewhere but the % is equal to most of the other manufacturers on the US list.

What about Underwater Kinetics? Webpage says yes.

Our products are carefully manufactured in the U.S.A at our facility in California.

 

[metlarules]

I believe Kohler-Brightstar is U.S.A made.

 

[LukeA]

Pelican is USA.

 

[Crenshaw]

LRI means "Laughing Rabbit Incorporated". You'd think with such a name they had to be Chinese, but they're based in the US. Then again, at least some of the components are Chinese - Nichia LEDs, for instance.

I thought Nichia was Japanese? most LEDS iirc come from other places too.

Crenshaw

 

[Big_Ed]

I thought Nichia was Japanese? most LEDS iirc come from other places too.

Crenshaw

I think the Nichia company is Japanese, and they have some of their LEDs made in China.

 

[jch79]

I'm pretty sure about Princeton Tec

FWIW, although Princeton Tec produces some products in the USA, a good portion of their production has been moved overseas - headlamps especially. This list is misleading if caveats like that are not noted.

...Arc HDS... are entirely made in USA.

Not sure if you missed a comma, but Arc and HDS (now called Ra Lights) are different companies, and have been for a while. Although Arc and HDS had a history of making lights together as Arc, that has long since passed. But both companies are US-made lights (Arc & HDS/Ra Lights).

Streamlight still has the majority of their lights made in America but they are increasing their Asian-made lights every year.

I've noticed the same thing. Some of their lights now boast "Assembled in USA". :shrug:

john

EDIT: While some companies use "some" parts that are made overseas, perhaps we should ALL AGREE that the products listed here as "Made in USA" comply with the official definition set by the Federal Trade Commission here:

For a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S.

What does "all or virtually all" mean?
"All or virtually all" means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is, the product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content.

Fresnorich, I hope you can keep up this list! :thumbsup: It could serve as a valuable tool for people interested in buying US-made lights - however, accuracy is key, as well as updating to reflect any production changes a company previously listed as US-made may make.

 

[Fallingwater]

I thought Nichia was Japanese?

Yep, my mistake. Still not made in the USA, though.

 

[nerdgineer]

I believe Insight Technologies is US made. They make a licensed copy of the Gladius, among other lights. I've selected their products for various military applications in the past.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Inova, Pelican and Underwater Kinetics are all made in the USA. The Gladius is U.S made too.

 

[fresnorich]

Should probably also draw a line between custom makers and regular manufacturers.

FWIW, although Princeton Tec produces some products in the USA, a good portion of their production has been moved overseas - headlamps especially.This list is misleading if caveats like that are not noted...

EDIT: While some companies use "some" parts that are made overseas, perhaps we should ALL AGREE that the products listed here as "Made in USA" comply with the official definition set by the Federal Trade Commission here:

Fresnorich, I hope you can keep up this list! :thumbsup: It could serve as a valuable tool for people interested in buying US-made lights - however, accuracy is key, as well as updating to reflect any production changes a company previously listed as US-made may make.

I'll do my best, guys. Keep the recomendations/suggestions coming. I'm thinking maybe I should make the list in alpha order and provide links to each company.

Do you agree that we should make a distinction between custom makers and regular manufacturers or should we just keep them together in one list?