Polymer Plastic (Nitrolon) flashlights vs. Aluminum

[GaAslamp]

To be fair here it really isn't fair to keep referring to surefire's nitrolon as merely "plastic".

But it is, in fact, mostly made of plastic.

I mean, sure in the end it's still plastic, the same as platinum and tin and both "metal",

That's correct--there are many types of plastic and metal with widely varying properties and levels of quality, but they're still plastic and metal.

however surefire's nitrolon is a step above most of the other plastic lights I've seen and it's makeup and structure is far more advanced that what it gets credit for.

So it's a very strong plastic. Feel free to call it Nitrolon or more informatively fiber-reinforced plastic whenever you want to be specific, but when speaking in general there is no denying that it is plastic. For the purposes of this discussion, which largely involves material properties other than strength, Nitrolon has all the quintessential properties of all plastics (e.g. thermal and electrical insulator), making "plastic" a very apt term in this context (nothing more needs to be said).

Thank you. Not merely plastic, but the latest in POLYMER technology!

Polymer is an even more generic term than plastic. :ironic: For example, your fingernail is made of a polymer. There are all kinds of weak, crappy POLYMERs oo: out there, but because it sounds better than "plastic" it has been appropriated as yet another marketing term. I say marketing departments should come up with their own fancy names (e.g. Nitrolon), and leave real words alone!

In any case, Nitrolon is more accurately described as a composite because it's reinforced with some other material (in this case glass fiber). The word composite has likewise been badly abused, especially among aerospace enthusiasts. As with polymer and plastic, there are many types of composite with widely varying physical properties. For example, perhaps the most common composite material of all is steel-reinforced concrete, but I doubt that fans of the word "composite" would like to see an airplane made of that! :laughing:

Anyway, I just think we should try not to let salesmen mess with our understanding of the English language. :duh2:

 

[pec50]

Have you ever touched the metal surface of a car on a hot day? When the temperature of the epidermal cells exceeds somewhere around 44C, you feel pain. That's really not very hot, but metal is an excellent conductor as has been explained. So, yes, metal is a viable led heatsink. But, that same metal flashlight sitting by your bedside could be too hot to handle, for example, in an interior house fire where the heat stratifies and there is potentially hundreds of degrees difference between floor and ceiling. That's why it is important to roll out of bed in a fire rather than sit up. And, as you are doing so remember to grab the relatively non-conductive plastic flashlight ; )

 

[leon2245]

Polymer is an even more generic term than plastic

Specificity aside, I'll take Polymer, Nitrolon, Carbon Fiber, or possibly even that thermo plastic someone mentioned before I'd buy a plain PLASTIC light. Just sounds like a cheap toy. Not very tactical at all.

:thumbsdow

 

[jh333233]

Plastic is a subset of polymer (mathematic term)
Polymer is a larger molecule which is formed by composing smaller molecule
Dont limit your view, the word plastic may sound like the things we use everyday, cups, forks, water bottles, these things are light, weak
but the definition is, "any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solid"

 

[rmteo]

Would Plastic, Polymer, Nitrolon (or whatever) be as "Bomb Proof" as aluminum alloy? :devil:

 

[jh333233]

Would Plastic, Polymer, Nitrolon (or whatever) be as "Bomb Proof" as aluminum alloy? :devil:

Check surefire's website

 

[Napalm]

Plastic watches are less expensive, don't feel cold on your hand in the winter, are lighter than the metal ones and show the time equally well.

These being said I still don't feel attracted by any.

Nap.

 

[brembo]

Plastic watches are less expensive, don't feel cold on your hand in the winter, are lighter than the metal ones and show the time equally well.

These being said I still don't feel attracted by any.

Nap.

I'm prone to extreme sports. I have found that plastic watches (G-Shock in particular) are much easier to stomach the loss of. Somewhere in Florida there lies a Tag Heuer in the sand. Lost that one when a 2-string kite got me airborne. Blew the bezel and crystal off a really nice Seiko when a handhold crumbled on a rockface. Swiss Army watch went to the great clock-maker in the sky when i tossed a motorcycle down some slick-rock. I keep a G-Shock attached to my handlebars now, it's been abused horribly but keeps time just fine.

 

[Napalm]

I'm prone to extreme sports. I have found that plastic watches (G-Shock in particular) are much easier to stomach the loss of.

Since "nitrolon" was mentioned in the title, I thought we were talking of $95 plastic watches?

Otherwise I don't have any objection to the $4.99 Dorcy/Garrity ones, they indeed fill the need for a disposable something that you correctly underlined.

Nap.

 

[jh333233]

G-shock worths $95 IMO
unless you like cheap watches which arent painful to lose

 

[Napalm]

G-shock worths $95 IMO

With some patience and basic e-bay skills you can score a Citizen diving watch for the same price from Hong Kong or Singapore. Real ISO 6425 "Diver's" not some "WR100" that doesn't mean anything.

nap.

 

[leon2245]

Since "nitrolon" was mentioned in the title, I thought we were talking of $95 plastic watches?

Otherwise I don't have any objection to the $4.99 Dorcy/Garrity ones, they indeed fill the need for a disposable something that you correctly underlined.

Nap.

Yeah & they called it "resin" when I got taken for much more than that on a Frogman, which didn't even last as long as their basic non-g-shock casios. I've since reverted to the latter & have just accepted their somewhat disposable nature.

My plastic lights are also of the cheaper variety you find in B&M stores. I wouldn't mind it so much on the higher end stuff, except I can generally only find those online. Unfortunately it's only after you have it in your hands do you get a sense of the feel of the quality. Because compared to aluminum, whose finishes differ in quality of course, but Al. still doesn't seem to vary as wildly in feel like different plastics seem to.

If there were some nice lights with bodies that felt as good as GLOCK or HK frames, & I could see them in person first, maybe. Looks like they might be getting close, with the pa40's body?

 

[leon2245]

With some patience and basic e-bay skills you can score a Citizen diving watch for the same price from Hong Kong or Singapore. Real ISO 6425 "Diver's" not some "WR100" that doesn't mean anything.

nap.

Elegant, Citizen.