US Made Flashlights . . .

[HighlandRanger]

I have a lot of old Surefire . . . . but it seems like they lost their edge, have Maglites but their specs largely aren't current . . . recently purchased a Malkoff, very nice, Elzetta look nice as well so they are on the list.

Anyone ever heard of Sol-Tac? (https://www.soltacusa.com/shop/p/sol) - - - supposedly made in USA with what looks like good prices for the listed specs. Looks like they are out of Alabama. - Anyone try?

Any others I missed?

 

[iacchus]

It looks like those are just lights assembled to whatever spec from chinese parts. I'm happy to be corrected about that, I generally only carry US lights. Those look like the lights I used to build from components off Ali-E.

Which, I mean that's fine. If he offers actual product support, I suppose that's a decent option for some people. If I'm buying an Alabama light, that's not the one I'm looking at though.

Any others I missed?

So many. There's a lot of great US made lights. They tend to be pretty spendy pretty quick though. Modlight is popular and US (I think?) HDS, Dawson Machinecraft, Torchlab, OKluma, CWF, bunch of little boutique brands that can be kinda hard to find in stock. I've been lazily chasing an OKluma for over a year now.

 

[jabe1]

Peak, McGizmo, Fraz labs

That S-Tac looks suspiciously like a Convoy S2+

 

[iacchus]

Peak, McGizmo, Fraz labs

I feel really bad about forgetting Peak and Fraz now. Thanks. Those are both fairly available and in that price range of Malkoff and Elzetta.
I really need to get a Frazlabs light soon.

 

[scottk2112]

I feel really bad about forgetting Peak and Fraz now. Thanks. Those are both fairly available and in that price range of Malkoff and Elzetta.
I really need to get a Frazlabs light soon.

Love my new Malkoff and recently new Fraz. Such great instruments and both feel like the are nuclear bomb resistant.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

FrazLabs came to mind; glad you three mentioned it. People need to know that they utilize QTC material that conducts more (gets brighter) under pressure.

It does compress (losing the incredibly low output for me) if a lot of pressure is applied, but the flashlight still works. It will function without QTC; considered direct drive but there are designed-in resistance areas.

I use our Lumenite II every night as indoor lighting for an hour or more, and a QT-L every morning when the nights are longer (working days start at 5am). Plus middle of the night calls of nature.

 

[Voider of Warranties]

Photon (LRI), Pelican, Princeton Tec, and Black Diamond are still American, right? And Cloud Defensive?

 

[thermal guy]

FrazLabs came to mind; glad you three mentioned it. People need to know that they utilize QTC material that conducts more (gets brighter) under pressure.

It does compress (losing the incredibly low output for me) if a lot of pressure is applied, but the flashlight still works. It will function without QTC; considered direct drive but there are designed-in resistance areas.

I use our Lumenite II every night as indoor lighting for an hour or more, and a QT-L every morning when the nights are longer (working days start at 5am). Plus middle of the night calls of nature.

I run most of my Fraz light without the QTC. Simple and bombproof

 

[bykfixer]

Bright Star Koeler (BSK) still has some US made lights.

 

[letschat7]

Bright Star Koeler (BSK) still has some US made lights.

Which ones?

Fulton is US made in Ohio, Streamlight has some models made in PA, some newer MagLites are awesomeness and beat the mods to older Mags hands down and for less money, then there is Tektite in NJ, and some others I can't remember.

 

[HighlandRanger]

Photon (LRI), Pelican, Princeton Tec, and Black Diamond are still American, right? And Cloud Defensive?

I know Princeton, at least some of their stuff is engineered here made in China which as far as I am concerned is made in China.

 

[ilikeguns40]

FrazLabs came to mind; glad you three mentioned it. People need to know that they utilize QTC material that conducts more (gets brighter) under pressure.

It does compress (losing the incredibly low output for me) if a lot of pressure is applied, but the flashlight still works. It will function without QTC; considered direct drive but there are designed-in resistance areas.

I use our Lumenite II every night as indoor lighting for an hour or more, and a QT-L every morning when the nights are longer (working days start at 5am). Plus middle of the night calls of nature.

Do you run protected or unprotected cells in yours. I know they don't have LVP. Just curious what everyone is using. I have had some interest in them for some time now

 

[kerneldrop]

I have a lot of old Surefire . . . . but it seems like they lost their edge, have Maglites but their specs largely aren't current . . . recently purchased a Malkoff, very nice, Elzetta look nice as well so they are on the list.

Anyone ever heard of Sol-Tac? (https://www.soltacusa.com/shop/p/sol) - - - supposedly made in USA with what looks like good prices for the listed specs. Looks like they are out of Alabama. - Anyone try?

Any others I missed?

Nothing about that site is USA anything

 

[ilikeguns40]

Yup, all pre made Chinese lights with their name on it.

 

[HighlandRanger]

Nothing about that site is USA anything

I just looked again - nothing says made in USA - they were on a Youtube channel and introduced as made in usa . . . . I guess I should have known.

 

[ilikeguns40]

"Designed in the USA. Assembled with globally sourced components."

 

[letschat7]

Hmm

 

[iacchus]

Which, I mean you could do yourself cheaply and easily. It's a fun hobby and a great way to get into modding and such.

Folks might look at you sideways if you sold them as "made in America" though

 

[letschat7]

"Designed in the USA. Assembled with globally sourced components."

Maybe a USA made Cree inside at best or a Energizer AA?

 

[ABTOMAT]

There are a bunch of flashlights "companies" like that no one's heard of, selling AliExpress lights as made or assembled in USA. Probably too small for the FTC to bother with. Can't remember the one that got the most attention, the one with the owner who creates fake profiles on messages boards.