Surefire porcupine - release date and original selling price?

[bimemrboy318]

The Surefire L6 porcupine...

When were they released?
How many were released?
What was the original selling price?

 

[Brozneo]

I'm pretty sure the L6 is a LED light - this is the Incan forum. Best to move this over to the LED forum...

 

[Illum]

mmm...I've always thought the L6 porky was a incan....since its rated 65 lumens


oh Size15s...where are you?

 

[kts]

You pay for the name, not the performance...

 

[Kiessling]

How do you know? Do you have one?

I have one. It can smash apples like hell with that bezel. Great performance.

 

[flash_bang]

well, the L6 is an LED light. It's basically an LED version of the M3.
I don't know much else, but I hope that helps somewhat…

HAGO,
Flash

 

[Illum]

I have one. It can smash apples like hell with that bezel. Great performance.

does it leave marks on your fingers when you grasp it by the "fuzz"?

 

[Kiessling]

IIRC there were 500 made and sold at about $600-700.
Must have been about two years ago or so.

But we'll have to wait for Size15s for the real facts

bernie

 

[Darell]

Bernie's got the facts about as close as I understand them. And yes... LED of course. Lux 5W. It is a fancy L6. My daughter looks about two years younger in the picture than today.

 

[Darell]

does it leave marks on your fingers when you grasp it by the "fuzz"?

If you grip it hard for a short while, you can open your hand and NOT drop the thing. Somewhat like Velcro in that respect. Yes, it'll leave marks if you want it to. Holding the thing with gloves means you've got a grip on it that will ensure you will NEVER drop it.

 

[flash_bang]

what made the light so darn expensive? the led's nothing to be amazed at, anyways…

 

[nanotech17]

what made the light so darn expensive? the led's nothing to be amazed at, anyways…

the R&D things i think which 2nd to none.

 

[Size15's]

The LuxeonV selected from the L6 Porcupines were cream of the crop and mine is the highest output LuxeonV I have. I'm no integrating sphere but I'd say the output was clearly in excess of 100 lumens.

What made the L6-PP "so expensive" (a relative term of course).

It's not about the LED it uses.
It's not just about the Stainless Steel Strike Bezel of quite epic proportions.
It's not just about the small quantity made for a collectors market.

I'd say look carefully at the body and
1) Try to imagine being the one dreaming it up for the first time.
2) Try to imagine being the one sketching it down, and the one rendering it in CAD.
3) Try to imagine being the one who has to take it to Gustav Bonse and ask him to make it!!
4) Try having the equipment and skill to CNC machine such a component.

Shelby Chan Photography

IMHO, Only SureFire have the imagination, the technical ability and the 'fan base' to make such a flashlight a reality.

 

[65535]

P K mentioned the design was for navy seals who needed a strike bezel that extended out a bit bast the muzzle of a handgun so that they could poke objects and not jam their guns, he also says their head photographer accepts rare Surefire lights for payment instead of money, I hear this is where most Porcupine Surefire's come from.

 

[tvodrd]

What Al said! I got mine! (And it was a freekin' doorprize!) The light is actually a bit hard on my bare hand, but the output is indeed very nice! (Funny spill shadows excepted. :green: ) One back-burnered proj is to do a tandem cell body for a "normal" L6 head I have.

Larry

 

[Schuey2002]

Supremeco had it listed on the front page of their website starting around mid December of 2005. But, the original price is not listed. I can tell you that the L2 Porcupine was listed at $258.00, and that A2-BK's were on sale at that time for a mere $119!

SureFire Korea shows the L6 Porcupine on their website for a scant $777 USD! Whether it is still available or not, I wouldn't know..

 

[Illum]

T
3) Try to imagine being the one who has to take it to Gustav Bonse and ask him to make it!!

poor Gus...then again I'm not a machinist
the L6 may be the most unusual light in the surefire arsenal, I wonder how did PK cook up with such a design

 

[Monocrom]

P K mentioned the design was for navy seals who needed a strike bezel that extended out a bit bast the muzzle of a handgun so that they could poke objects and not jam their guns, he also says their head photographer accepts rare Surefire lights for payment instead of money, I hear this is where most Porcupine Surefire's come from.

Surefires as money? Ironically, I'm not surprised.