any other flashlight snobs?

[keithhr]

I came to the CPF about 16 months ago and purchsed my first Surefire G2 nitrolon, then I purhcased cmg infinities and arc aaa's and arc LS's and Pelican PM6's, streamlight twin task lights, surefire E1E and E2E's etc etc etc. However a strange thing started happening, I discovered ElektroLumens Blasters III and V, McLux TK, firefly,Surefire L4, McGizmo PR917 w/McLux body, baby pin, SBP, Tigerlight, there have been other lights as well as my two new VIP's, one prototype and one HAIII. The gist of this post is that I have been moving upward , ever upward, seemingly with no end in sight as to what I will spend on custom flashlights. In the beginning most lights were incandescents and now almost all are led based lights. I see people referencing their photons and arc aaa's etc and I find myself in the unenviable position of looking down on these budget lights.I can't seem to see how people can any longer be satisfied by these type of lights and still be flashaholics?
I'm bad but can't help myself.

 

[amlim]

err... i think you have been infected by the "brightness disease" .... better check yourself into flashaholic anoynomous... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[sotto]

The man is the richest whose pleasures are the simplest.

 

[nerdgineer]

The less advanced of us appreciate your support to advancing the state of this art which we all admire. We also like having someone we can point to when we try to convince our wives that there are crazier ones out there and they really could have done worse than marrying us... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hahaha.gif

 

[amlim]

fully agreed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Kiessling]

Yes, agreed. Only the best will do nowadays. I do not like this development in me because I think it is quite expensive and locks away possible pleasures from me. The pleasure-threshhold is getting higher and higher and thus the stimulus (new light) to produce positive feelings must be better and better. Overstimulation and saturation are a bad thing.
This might be the same ting we are seing when watching old horror-movies .... what scared us to death 10 years ago now makes us laugh. Looking in the future another 10 years and imagining the film it would need to scare us then makes me worry /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif .

bernhard

 

[Badbeams3]

Wow...good thing for you I caught this post. Yea...your in trouble alright. But there is still a chance I can save you. Step one is to send me all you more expensive lights as these are the ones causing the most grief. I will give you step two after completeing this task. PM me for the address. Hurry!

DR.Ken

 

[Wolfen]

I must confess, me too!

 

[flownosaj]

I prefer to be called a "flashlight elitist." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Flashlight snob just sounds too 80's....

-Jason

 

[amlim]

hmmm ... sounds like what the experts recommend.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[keithhr]

Jason, I didn't want to just come out and say it but your right and maybe elitist snob would be more appropriate. I do kind of look down upon some of the lights some of the newbies are really excited about and I secretely chuckle to myself and am happy that I have what I have.
After receiving my silver and black VIP's and realizing how my flashlight feature requirements keep changing it's just getting more difficult to satisfy my flashlight compulsion. I think a major shift took place when the ARC 4+ was being designed and I realized I wanted simplicity in my lights and did not want to carry around a simplified operational manual in my wallet.
The longbows didn't really interest me, although last year I would have jumped on that as well. Even my TK McLux has lost much of it's luster although I won't part with the custom lights I have now because they all represent something different. I realized that the VIP was the beginning of what I liked to call flashlight art and just simply made things way worse. Months before I received my VIP but saw its design I knew I was in trouble. I even wound up purchasing the new two stage firefly for the same reason even thought I alread owned a firefly with an upgraded led, oh well, it's easy to see where things are headed and the days of the cheap easy fix are gone for good.

 

[arewethereyetdad]

Please admit me to the lightaholics group. "Hello, I'm arewethereyetdad and I'm.....a lightaholic." I, too, have become quite spoiled, not to mention, broke, in the past six weeks, buying lights like a drug addict buys drugs. I've gone from low end lights, up to Surefire, then up to the "upper echelons" in the McLux and VIP world. In the last two weeks alone, I've purchased four McLux's, a rare 6C, and a VIP. Now, I find myself forced to start selling some from the bottom and middle tiers to offset my addiction at the top level. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Is there any end to the madness? Will Mr. Bulk and McGizmo and all the rest of the flashlight artists ever give us a break? I mean, how can we turn down these incredible jewels? Somebody help, please! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Kiessling]

Hey Dr. Ken /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif ... one day when all this is coming to an end, I might just do that. One day ...

For now, I am *very much* enjoying those super state-of-the-art lights, although my wallet is not /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
It is just sad that "normal" lights don't trigger anything any more. As keithr said, even the Longow doesn't interest me the slightest bit. 6 months earlier, I would have gone nuts over a light like this ...

And keith ... the Arc4 caused the same reflection in me ... simplicity rules! Must have been a catalysator od some kind for many of us. You voiced it first, a good thread you started, and may the force be with you. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

bernhard

 

[NewBie]

I think I did everything backwards.

It seems like many grasshoppers show up, either having purchased a Surefire or getting one soon after showing up here.

So, I guess a Surefire could also be classified as a boot's richboy flashlight.

Others show up wanting to improve on thier MagLites, seeking a lumens vs. price ratio. This seems like the normal fellas.

Then you have the old diehard crusty CPF vets, who build their stuff from scratch. A true form of the Art, where at most, a hundred are built, but most are one of a kind. It's an item of self-expression, full of individual imagination, a mix of experience, an expression of self-worth, and belies much of the creator, showing traits of emotion, knowledge, skill, beauty, attitudes, strength, and even weaknesses. It's an evolving Art continuing to improve upon the basic functions, producing light, how much light, runtime, size, durability, flood, throw, how well the user interface continues to function with time , and how the user interacts with it.

The Art even shows traits of sex, being small and smooth, efficient, shapely like a female, or massive/coarse/burly/beastly like a male.

Have you ever sat back and really studied your flashlight and thought about it's creator, what went through his mind, what he was thinking of, the mental state at the time, and the skill of his hands?

 

[Icebreak]

NewBie -

Agreed. Darn poetic too.

All -

I still want some inexpensive lights. I keep meaning to get a couple of those folding fluorescent camp lights.

Wilkey, PaulR and others got me into hotwires. It's hard to leave the house at night w/o an authoritative WA01185 in the truck.

A while back one of the smartest men in the world, Darell, explained the value of exotics to me. I only have a few. 3 Dat2Zips, an LGI, a TK McLux, a one-of-a-kind flash.... Neobeam 4AA 3W DB700 and a VIP. Dang, I love those lights. Before the VIP showed up I ordered a Blackbird. Why? I can't afford that light but I can't afford not to have that little wonder.

kiethhr, you need help buddy and I'll do my best for you. Immediately, PM Brock and see if you can slide in on the Blackbird run 2.

 

[keithhr]

Blackbird run 2?, have to check it out.
Something that turned me off towards ARC was when Peter reprinted a message that was sent to him about a customers difficulty in operating the arc and he poo-poohed him and ridiculed him on a public forum which I thought wasn't very nice. I would be willing to bet that a lot of the people that bought the latest ARC can't reprogram it if any significant time period has elapsed.
I must add that I'm sure many ARC owners are more than delighted with their ARC 4 lights, but I know that some have found having to deal with software issures daunting. I would definately fit into that group. The beauteous(I like that word) thing about the VIP is that if you hold it in your hand in the dark you can determine which mode it will turn on to.

 

[NewBie]

[ QUOTE ]
Icebreak said:
NewBie -

Agreed. Darn poetic too.



[/ QUOTE ]

Yikes, you are the second person that has called me that. The last one I married.

BTW, I'm happily taken, sorry. Besides, I'd gather you are the wrong gender anyhow.

 

[avusblue]

Interesting question. I personally seem to have reined in the obsession. I recently sold my "high end" collection of flashlight art (VIP / McLuxes, etc) and have honed my collection to focus on my two favorites -- from both end of the "snob" spectrum -- both also very useful lights for their intended purpose.

SureFire L4's and Dorcy AAA's.

(also kept for posterity one Arc LSHP, a few Arc AAA and AA's, and Opalec MiniMags. Along with the Lightwave 2100 that started it all for me).

I'm content.

Cheers,

Dave

 

[Wolfen]

EDC: VIP and McLux PR-T 917 on top of a L4 body with the McGizmo 2 stage LOTC as an option (for hiking and camping).

Vip was $150 something? McLux PR-T $120.00 / L-4 body and tailcap $70 McGizmo 2 stage tailcap cost me $50.00=
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif

 

[McShawn]

Ugh, I tend to resemble what you guys are talking about, the lights keep getting more expensive and more fascinating, cant have them all but would like to.