How useful is the strike bezel?

[Solscud007]

We're just messing with you.

When you've been here a month or two you'll notice this topic comes up about every three or four weeks. In fact if you do a google search at the top of the page, you'll see tons of previous replies.

Here's a fun one:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/189310

Funny story. but I have a gladius and it doesnt have a strike bezel. I looked at night-ops.com website and I didnt see a strike bezel for the gladius. am I missing something?

 

[bdws1975]

thanks NA8. I was worried I'd someone crossed some undefined yet present line..

brett

 

[artec540]

I have no idea, but I would imagine that in a situation where you are forced to resort to using your flashlight to defend yourself, whether or not the lens survives would be the least of your worries.

Regards,
Tempest

Agree, but I think any protruding bezel would be equally effective as a strike weapon, whether it's crenelated or not. If it were ground sharp or serrated, that might be different.

I'd like to have a bit of a protrusion of the bezel beyond the lens just as protection for the glass and gaps forming the crenelations would be useful to remind you that the light was on and for cooling.

 

[Patriot]

I read on another thread that the pointy bezel as impact weapon is a pure mall ninja invention. The original purpose of the pointy bezel was so you could push it up against a suspect to keep him from moving while you patted him down or handcuffed him. The points on the bezel were not to poke the person, they were just to catch on the person's clothes so that the bezel would not slide under pressure. The light was not supposed to be a weapon at all. That's what your baton and/or firearm are for.

This really caught my attention and interest because it seems to me that Surefire did at one time, or possibly still does, promote the light as an impact device. In the case of the 6PD and others, they even refer to it as an "impact bezel." From my point of view, if a company like Surefire can find the value of the strike bezel design, then I don't feel that the usefulness only exists in the imagination of a ninja wantabe. This is only natural since any hard object held firmly in the hand could be used to apply greater force than our bodies without a tool. I would be surprised to hear anyone well schooled in self defense actually say, "well this is just for pushing or snagging...not for striking." If the situation calls for a strike then I'm sure the strike bezel design would perform admirably.

 

[enLIGHTenment]

From my point of view, if a company like Surefire can find the value of the strike bezel design, then I don't feel that the usefulness only exists in the imagination of a ninja wantabe.

"I read it in advertising copy therefore it must be true!"

Marketers will say anything if they believe it will help them sell more product.


Sharpened bezels may have some weapons value in trained hands. Not being trained I wouldn't know one way or the other. In untrained hands, however, a sharp bezel is so awkward to wield that I can't see it having much use whatsoever.

 

[cyberspyder]

It's not very useful, as it's considered a weapon. One of Jeff's (Alpha Innovations) kubotans is probably better, as it looks inconspicuous. The sharp bevels of the bezel makes it harder to inflict a massive amount of pain, as it is piercing the skin, not massively bruising it. That's why almost all knuckle dusters are blunt.

Brendan

 

[StandardBattery]

"How useful is the strike bezel? "

Obviously how often you need to strike must be considered. :shrug:

 

[signal 13]

My dept. won't allow us to use flashlights as offensive weapons...but I heard from an officer in another dept. that a strike bezel is pretty effective when pressed into a soft fleshy spot, say the neck/behind the ear, and then twisted. I tried it lightly on myself and whoa, it would hurt if you had to do it to a bad guy.

 

[outersquare]

if you live in a free state, get a ccw

 

[kramer5150]

I could see it being very useful for a well (properly) trained LEO. If an assailant(s) is able to neutralize your firearm hand to hand, you've got a sharp metal object in your free hand, perfectly positioned to strike. I would think there could also be an element of surprise, if the attacker is not expecting a flashlight to house a sharp edge.

 

[merry-itp]

In my opinion,the bezel looks very cool and also can protect youself in an emergency.

 

[ninjaboigt]

LOL man some people hate strike bezels, some people love them...

I use to think the strike bezel would be a good defenseive tool, but my mind has changed about it. i wish i bought a plain E2E, but then again, the tail cap donest have the protective thingy like the E2d, so either way, the E2d use to be my edc, now its the p3d, so no strike bezel on that.

next on my buy list is the TK10, which has a " strike bezel' ? looks like it to me...but i want it maily for the lumens + better throw over my p3d.

im also intrested nitecore extreme which has a strike bezel...i know, for some more extra money i can get it with out the strike bezel...but some reason i always pick the lights with the strike bezel...i donno


BTW i have an E2D, and it has not torn up any of my jeans, or other clothing,

Im sure a reg bezel will hurt like heck also, strike bezel maybe more, but not nessesary IMHO, besides i dont perfer to have any one's blood on me.

but the question still stands... TO strike or NOT to strike,

 

[Illum]

I think the scalloped bezel surefire made settles a compromise

E2D's protective tailcap? are you referring to that enlarged area that prevents the light from engaging in the holster and enables the light to stand up?

well hey, contact Rothrandir, he might have a solution

 

[half-watt]

but the question still stands... TO strike or NOT to strike,

one far wiser than i put it this way:

Avoid rather than check.
Check rather than harm.
Harm rather than maim.
Maim rather than kill.
For every life is precious,
neither can any be replaced.

-- Master Po (to young Kwai Chang Caine aka "Grasshopper")

 

[Shawn L]

I'm looking to upgrade my SF 6PL with a Strike Bezel were can I get a good one?

 

[PayBack]

The main weapons use for sharpened bezels in untrained hands is to allow people with weapons fantasies to brag about them in bars and on the Internet.

+4 or 5 or whatever we're up to

I'm no expert but do have about 10 years martial arts training and would not bother with the bezel. A flashlight is not held correctly for thrusting and you lose too much reach using it in a hammer fist fashion. I prefer to keep my weapon (hands, feet, knees whatever) between me and the opponent, and a hammer fist give them too much chance to step inside your strike, or block it (or hit first). Though it MIGHT be handy if the attacker takes you to the ground and is an experienced ground fighter.

Regarding using the light like a Kubotan for wrist locking etc, you don't actually need a bezel to do that? Half-Watt can possibly verify this as I'm not trained in them. Only Bo-Staff, Shoto-Gun and Pi-Stol

Oh and of course they make the light longer and uglier. :thumbsdow

 

[CM]

The main weapons use for sharpened bezels in untrained hands is to allow people with weapons fantasies to brag about them in bars and on the Internet.

Yes, and it gives untrained people a false sense of security. Like any weapon, it's useless unless the operator is competent with it. I honestly think that these strike bezels with aggressive "crenalations" (who made up that stupid word anyway?) are a bad idea gone haywire. Someone's gonna f**k up with one and the rest of us are going to end up paying for it. Flame suit on...

 

[half-watt]

Regarding using the light like a Kubotan for wrist locking etc, you don't actually need a bezel to do that? Half-Watt can possibly verify this as I'm not trained in them. Only Bo-Staff, Shoto-Gun and Pi-Stol :thumbsdow

right you are. a smooth bezel can be quite effective also.

any hard object (hence a kubotan, or a piece of wood dowling) is quite useful. in fact, these smaller diameter objects (as compared to a flashlight) allow for even more variety in their use. for example, yonkajo - more painful with even just a ball-point pen properly held and applied to the radial nerve just above, and inside, the wrist joint.

oh,...and Shoto-Gun, very clever, and...

isn't that technically called Pi-Stol-jutsu? like the old saying goes, don't bring a ball-point pen, wood dowel, kubotan, or flashlight (even one w/a strike bezel) to a "gun fight".

IMO, the first word of Master Po's quote in Post #34 in this Thread still applies for non-LEO's like myself, who, unlike LEO's, are not req'd to put themselves in harms way.


[NOTE: for any who are interested, if not, don't read on...

yonkajo attacks one of several points on the lung meridian/radial nerve, depending on one's grip on the wrist; please note, overtraining will affect uke's breathing for two or three days (trust me on this one, as the old Scotsman would say, "it's better felt than telt") until the inflammation around the radial nerve subsides; do *NOT* attempt w/o personal instruction; in extreme cases damage to nerve may greatly affect one's breathing, requiring professional medical att'n; note that point of the technique is to induce pain and uke's predictable reactions to painful stimulus and thus to lead to better control, i.e. get uke's mind off his attacking intentions and onto source of pain (in this particular case, the psychological aspect of, not the physical aspect of, the phrase "the mind leads the body"), and thus get uke up and onto his/her toes (one typical rxn in an attempt to escape the pain) and off-balance (no balance; no strength to resist), then, optionally using elbow control take uke to the ground, and then pin and effect submission/arrest, though one very skilled who has mastered yonkajo can perform all facets, including take-down and submission with just the initial grab on the wrist. to illustrate, there is the famous story of Robert Kennedy meeting founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, viz. Shioda Sensei, who, with Ueshiba O-Sensei's permission, preserved and perpetuated the more combative techniques of Daito-Ryu Aiki-jutsu. Kennedy had two bodyguards, Olympic Decathalete Rafer Johnson and retired Pro Football player 325lb Rosie Grier. after witnessing a demonstration fr/Shioda Sensei, Kennedy asked if these techniques are really effective and asked if Grier could "attack" the diminutive 108lb Shioda Sensei. when Grier grabbed both of Shioda Sensei's wrists - one in each hand, yonkajo, which can be used to thwart other attacks as well, was applied and Grier, though literally weighing 3x more than Shioda Sensei and far, far stronger physically, was immediately taken to the ground and held there while Shioda Sensei conversed with Kennedy until Kennedy asked for Grier to be released. yonkajo is difficult for some to learn, while others seem to pick it up rather easily].

 

[half-watt]

Yes, and it gives untrained people a false sense of security.

+1.

the only benefit to a false sense of security, *IF* there is one, is that one may NOT appear (by showing obvious signs of fear/nervousness/etc.) to be an easy mark, and so is, hopefully, passed over by a would be mugger/assailant, in search of easier appearing prey.

of course, if that "false sense" causes one to discard common sense and take a walk on the truly wild side armed w/only their trusty strike bezel'd 50-bajillion lumen flashlight, then there is no real upside, only a greater downside.

[Note: the preceding is my opinion only and in no way reflects the position of this Board and its Moderators and Administrators - except maybe just coincidentally.]

hmm..., i wonder can the photonic energy in 50-bajillion lumens incinerate a person in a fraction of a second? after all, the light is faster than the bezel.

hmm...this sounds like a job for Milky!!! i'm "sure" he's gonna' get right on building this one!

for even just one time use, can a pair of RCR LI-ion cells handle the current requirements to produce 50-bajillion lumens? maybe SilverFox knows the answer to this question?

 

[climberkid]

Thanks Half-Watt! :thumbsup: that was very interesting. I am interested in learning more about all of that. Looks like some reading is in order.