Why can't flashlight manufacturers design decent clips?

[Buffalohump]

This is a real mystery to me.

How hard can it be to come up with a decent clip for a flashlight?

And yet over and over again they seem to get it wrong.

Its a pretty simple thing - isnt it? :thinking:

 

[Oddjob]

At least the McGizmo clip is good.

 

[Illum]

"good" is relative

Most manufacturers agree that a flashlight needs a clip, but apparently a few didn't expect someone to actually use the clip 24/7

Is it stylish? yes
Is it protective? yes
Does it hold the light while the owners riding on a roller coaster? not necessarily, but for everything else its a good clip:candle:

 

[maxspeeds]

McGizmo clips are the best IMHO. After my first McGizmo, there was no turning back. Only downside is all the $$$$ you will spend in your flashaholism.

 

[Yoda4561]

I like the newer "long" style surefire clips, like on the C2-HA. The older short ones sucked, lost an L4 to one :mecry:. If you sat down the wrong way those would just walk right out of your pocket.

 

[Juggernaut]

The Photon Proton pro has a very large robust stainless steel clip. It's not to pretty but every time you change out the battery you van put the clip's body on table "or similar hard surface" and bend the tail cap down. This re bends the clip making it as tight as it came from the factory, in fact you can make as tight as you want:thumbsup: "it's can be difficult to screw the TC back on though if it's to stiff. However I've only found my light in my car seat and couch twice since I got it many months ago and that's because I hadn't retightened the clip.

Though I do have to admit while the Proton's clip is better then some of the others I've seen, it is no excuse as to a true quality clip. My Cold Steel pocket Bushmen which I have carried ever day as long as I've had my Proton has never came out of my pocket. In fact it's clip seems to have just as much of a death grip as the day I pulled it out of the box. It's hold is immensely tight to the point I can hold up my pants with all the gear in their pockets with just the clip. I have never "don't think I can" re tightened it and it always holds on firmly, not even my proton can do that. So how hard is it to put this clip on a flashlight:thinking:?

 

[jchoo]

I thought Surefire's short e-series clip was pretty good... and then I got an E2L with the long clip.

I thought that clip was pretty good... and then I put a McGizmo clip on my Ra Twisty.

Oh, boy, does this thing hold!

Now, I need to factor in an extra $30 on every flashlight purchase...

:sigh:

 

[smokinbasser]

It seem the light manufacturers need to talk with most any knife manufacturer! I have never had a knife clip fail yet. Lets just hope the knife manufacturers don't cheapen theirs as a result of talking to the light people.

 

[computernut]

I think it's like cell phone makers who only care about the styling then as an after thought try to come out with an optional case/holster for it. I carried my StarTac for years with it's plastic holster until I finally found Sanyo's Pro 700 that has a similar holster (but not quite as good as Motorola's). Most companies seem content to make some terrible leather-wrap plastic thing that reduces the functionality of the phone and doesn't sit properly on your belt.

The knife-style clips that some flashlights come with are great and shows the designers care about how the tool will be used and carried.

 

[Armed_Forces]

What's the big deal with clips?!!!?


..please feel free to vote.

 

[Buffalohump]

The comparisons to knife manufacturers is valid. Most flashlight freaks also carry knives and if the knife makers can make a decent clip why is it such a challenge for flashlight manufacturers?

I agree that the McGizmo clip is probably the best of its kind. Its a superb design and performs its function flawlessly.

There's absolutely no reason why the highly competent engineers behind lights like the Ra and Novatac can't come up with something similar.

Well, Novatac got it right second time round...... come on Henry, get with the programme! :laughing:

 

[Flying Turtle]

LiteFlux did a pretty good job with the clip for the LF3XT. Wish they'd done it from the start, and made it a bit more sturdy, but I appreciate their efforts to keep us happy. It is a mystery to me, too, why all nice AA or CR123 lights don't have them as a well thought out part of the design.

Geoff