I can't resist - I gotta weigh in. My posts have pointed out with great enthusiasm how much I love Don's lights. Oddly, I never really think that much about the artistic side of it - but always feel that the lights are beautiful.
I think the huge appeal to me, outside of the obvious utility, is the fact that there are still craftsmen, entrepreneurs, visionaries (yes, I really believe that visionary describes this work) who can 'make it' in this world and do so by creating amazing products/devices that stand the test of time. With all due respect to all the great members all over the world, the fact that Don, Dave, Scott, Henry and others are American appeals to me as well. There's a real satisfaction in buying and owning a product such as the ones that Don and the other custom builders (don't mean to exclude any of them - they are all great) create.
Also, what has appealed to me is Don's marketing position - he KNOWS what he likes and builds lights to those specifications, then offers it up to the forum and you witness what I have said before,"... when McGizmo launches a new light, we clamor around like feeding time at the zoo." If you like it and want to buy it, great. If not, that's okay, too.
And this forum allows everyone to have an opinion, yet I've never witnessed hostility. Oh, sure - a strong opinion might elicit strong reactions, but that's half the fun of the forum.
At the end of the day, I'll borrow from an older post of my own once again, "I have still discovered a remarkable pleasure and satisfaction in the 'KISS' philosophy of flashaholism. All the concerns about lumens, blah blah, pale in comparison to the satisfaction of owning a simple, durable tool that just plain works - every time you need it.
Don's lights do that better - at least for me - than most of the others I've tried or use."
Oh, and I LOVE my Makai!
And welcome Fourdogs - that's one heckuva light you own!!:thumbsup::welcome: