McGizmo Haiku - An Ideal EDC - An Essay

[stoli67]

Not too much difference between the high CRI and the warm in the photo.... I have a warm and a high CRI Mule..... was contemplating a high CRI Haiku but perhaps I should just get a 6V XML for a bigger difference.

 

[scout24]

Stoli- The warm is brighter, with a floodier beam, and it does a nice job. As per Don,your 119 Mule LE fits in and work fine in the warm's head and reflector, maybe swap them and see what you think?

 

[stoli67]

I was thinking of that... perhaps a warm XPG mule might be good.... I have not pulled any of my McGizmos apart (as yet) perhaps the time has come!

 

[coloradogps]

Nice photos, Scout24!

It really shows the difference between the tints.

:thumbsup:

 

[wildweed]

Very nice Scout!!! I was thinking XP-G but that high CRI Haiku looks awesome!

 

[nbp]

I was thinking of that... perhaps a warm XPG mule might be good.... I have not pulled any of my McGizmos apart (as yet) perhaps the time has come!

Yes, try it! I have a neutral XP-G Mule and it's really pleasant, especially for outdoor lighting tasks like around a campsite or bonfire or something. It's not a HI CRI emitter, but I find it does a pretty nice job with colors. Now that I think of it, that LE should fit fine in the Haiku. :thinking: I haven't tried it but I should pop it in there and see how I like it. A neutral XP-G Haiku may be even nicer than the cool. It's also driven a little harder than the stock LEs too. oo:

 

[nbp]

I put the neutral LE in the Haiku and ended up taking it out. Since it was a custom engine built by another member from the Shoppe, the board and emitter sit lower in the can rather than on top of it like on Don's LEs. So it didn't mate as well with the reflector. It's definitely usable, it's just more ringy, and I didn't feel like keeping it that way. Oh well. It does a great job in the EN Mule, and I'm not too picky about tints anyways so long as it's not purple or puke green. And neither the XP-G in my Haiku or the XM-L in my Ti Mule have those nasty tints so I tolerate the cool ones pretty well.

The real question is whether to mod my new McLuxx III T but that's a discussion for a different thread.

And how to get Don to build me a Hi CRI Sapphire Mule. But that's a discussion for another different thread.

:hahaha:

Carry on men.

 

[pjandyho]

For those of you contemplating on Don's high CRI Haiku, wait no more. It truly is a very nice light. Don't be disheartened or discouraged by the lost in lumen because it isn't really that much of a difference. Compared it side by side to the XM-L and it doesn't look any much dimmer. On top of that, the nicer color rendition really makes it a much more useful light. I just love the combination of a Haiku high CRI and a Mule high CRI. One moderate throw and the other super smooth flood.

 

[carrot]

And how to get Don to build me a Hi CRI Sapphire Mule. But that's a discussion for another different thread.

If you succeed, let me know. I want one too.

 

[nbp]

If you succeed, let me know. I want one too.

He's ignoring my smilies in that thread. I don't think he wants to build more, but as I've said before, Patience is a virtue and Money talks. He'll crack. :naughty:

I'm finally starting to get some wear on my Haiku and Mule where they rub together on my pocket. But you have to be looking for it. Man, I love Ti. It's so resilient, it just always looks good. It is a great EDC material. Very tough and NO coating to wear off.

 

[pjandyho]

He's ignoring my smilies in that thread. I don't think he wants to build more, but as I've said before, Patience is a virtue and Money talks. He'll crack. :naughty:

I'm finally starting to get some wear on my Haiku and Mule where they rub together on my pocket. But you have to be looking for it. Man, I love Ti. It's so resilient, it just always looks good. It is a great EDC material. Very tough and NO coating to wear off.

In your opinion, would you try and bring back the shine or would you rather leave it as it is, kind of like character marks and patina? I am not sure what I will do.

 

[nbp]

Personally I like the character marks. I don't intend to polish it or anything. I think the scuffs and scratches say hey, this is not a light that sits on a shelf, this thing is loved and used and serves its purpose well.

 

[run4jc]

Personally I like the character marks. I don't intend to polish it or anything. I think the scuffs and scratches say hey, this is not a light that sits on a shelf, this thing is loved and used and serves its purpose well.

I love the character marks, too, but I love MORE how easy it is to bring the light back to its shiny glory - even better! Some 0000 steel wool and some Wenol metal polish and it shines better than new. Don't get me wrong - to each her or his own - but I just love to see 'em shine!

With all credits to js - this was borrowed from his OUTSTANDING review of the LS20, which nbp already mentioned in the OP, and which you can find here. The excerpt below is a testament to how 'renewable' Don's ti lights are!

"Here's a great example: one Ti-PD, along with its owner, was involved in a motor cycle accident, and suffered a great deal of abrasion and scarring. The important thing is that the owner wasn't seriously injured in the accident, but of interest to us here, is what happened to his Ti-PD:

Nasty, ugly damage there! But, after some love and attention with sandpaper, files, and metal polish, look at the result:

Not bad, eh? Pretty damned good, in fact. Try that with a hard anodized aluminum light! This is what I mean by durable. If you want to, you can keep a titanium light looking beautiful and feeling great for a lifetime." Borrowed with apologies from js' review, "The LunaSol 20: the new benchmark for EDC Lights" - originally posted 1-11-2009. Review can be found in its entirety HERE.

Now NO WAY do I want to subject my lights to this kind of misfortune! But isn't it good to know that, should the worst happen, the lights can be restored. You can also find a cool photo essay on Don's restoration of a Haiku that went through a house fire!

McGizmos - gotta love 'em.

 

[pjandyho]

I think both of you are right. Much as I don't care about the exterior surfaces of my lights, it is also good to know that I could always restore the finish as much as I can.

 

[dheim]

damn, i really want a haiku! but 500$ for a 200 lumens flashlight is insane. not enough insane to keep me away from it forever, but it's still too much...

 

[Shooter21]

anyone wanna make a bet that i will stop carrying my other lights once i get my haiku?

 

[run4jc]

damn, i really want a haiku! but 500$ for a 200 lumens flashlight is insane. not enough insane to keep me away from it forever, but it's still too much...

Uh, oh. Lots of insanity on this forum...and I'm in terrible shape! I own FOUR Haikus!!

 

[fisk-king]

anyone wanna make a bet that i will stop carrying my other lights once i get my haiku?

If you have the bug I seriously doubt it.

 

[nbp]

anyone wanna make a bet that i will stop carrying my other lights once i get my haiku?

Stop completely? Probably not, as there are times when other lights do a certain job better than the Haiku. But I bet it will become your primary EDC light.

 

[carrot]

anyone wanna make a bet that i will stop carrying my other lights once i get my haiku?

Ever since my first, if I only carry one light, the McGizmo is the one. But I have been known to carry plenty others, for fun or as supplemental lights, since the one flashlight that does many things so well doesn't cover the extremes (total flood or total throw... that is, unless you have a Lunasol )