Flashaholism, a truly equal opportunity hobby

Spydie · May 20, 2006

I've been a flashaholic most of my life (when I was 5 and we were moving my dad asked me if I wanted to have his old radio or flashlight. I picked the light and here I am).

The one interesting thing I've noticed about this hobby is that money doesn't necessarily equal quality and that you can be a full blown flashlight enthusiast with a full collection of many well built lights for not much cash.

When I started to buy high end lights and before I discovered this place, I fell into the specialty cop store trap and did my Surefire buying there. Great lights, but spent more than I should have.

Latley I've been chancing it with cheaper lights (L1P, Dorcy Super 1watt) and am amazed on the return I'm getting for a fraction of what I used to spend.
My other hobby, knives, is generally pretty unforgiving on the wallet. There are a few decent blades out there that aren't too pricey (Buck 110, Kabar/Dozier to name two) but when you get into steels and materials the price jumps and aside from buying online and risking giving the trolls at Canada Customs a gift, you're stuck paying a premium at brick and mortar outfits.

I used to think torches were great in that they are utilitarian, and encompass some interesting technology. I'm now realizing its one of those rare pastimes that a person can undertake regardless of income or local laws, which is probably the best tribute to this hobby :twothumbs

benchmade_boy · May 20, 2006

Spydie said:
I've been a flashaholic most of my life (when I was 5 and we were moving my dad asked me if I wanted to have his old radio or flashlight. I picked the light and here I am).

The one interesting thing I've noticed about this hobby is that money doesn't necessarily equal quality and that you can be a full blown flashlight enthusiast with a full collection of many well built lights for not much cash.

When I started to buy high end lights and before I discovered this place, I fell into the specialty cop store trap and did my Surefire buying there. Great lights, but spent more than I should have.

Latley I've been chancing it with cheaper lights (L1P, Dorcy Super 1watt) and am amazed on the return I'm getting for a fraction of what I used to spend.
My other hobby, knives, is generally pretty unforgiving on the wallet. There are a few decent blades out there that aren't too pricey (Buck 110, Kabar/Dozier to name two) but when you get into steels and materials the price jumps and aside from buying online and risking giving the trolls at Canada Customs a gift, you're stuck paying a premium at brick and mortar outfits.

I used to think torches were great in that they are utilitarian, and encompass some interesting technology. I'm now realizing its one of those rare pastimes that a person can undertake regardless of income or local laws, which is probably the best tribute to this hobby :twothumbs

amen to that. :grin2:

Flash_Gordon · May 20, 2006

Spydie, I could not agree more. It is a hobby that can be pursued without spending huge amounts. I have never and would never tally up about how much I have spent. Too scary.

I have a bunch of Surefires. Yes, they are well made useful, enjoyable and expensive. Too me, one of the most rewarding things is finding that great light that is fairly inexpensive. When I got one of the first SL Propoly 4AA, I was amazed at how good it was. A $35 light that in many ways blows away lights I have that cost much much more.

There are some members on CPF that make a point of limiting the price and seeking that treasure and bang for the buck. More and more I am starting to like that approach.

We should remember that to 99% of the population spending more than $5 on a flashlight is silly.

Mark

roguesw · May 20, 2006

oh yeah, sometimes i get amazed at the amount of light put out by some store lights for example nuwai as you said
but sometimes i am equally appalled by the amount of light put out by some expensive lights too
i was shopping in Shibuya this weekend, walked into a upmarket furniture shop, which had designed lamps etc,
they had a designer light, it looked solid, heavy, aluminum construction, twistie, then i turned it on, and it was a pale lit beam, i swear a photon could have been brighter than this thing
and it sold for 60 dollars!!!
but i am looking forward to advancing technology and cheaper lights becoming better in quality and more affordable
although from my signature line, i might look like a surefire only guy lol
des

Spydie · May 20, 2006

I definatley see where you're coming from regarding the search for that special, well priced light. I'm still a noob at this hobby and so I spend my time going through the old posts and trying to figure out what characteristics make a light worth buying. As it stands I'll probably find a light at a shop or see it mentioned here, check flashlightreviews.com to see if its been reviewed and then scan the search feature for more real world info on the product. In all honesty, the Dorcy was a complete impulse buy (I got mine for 17.99 CDN due to a pricing mix up) and was elated to see how well it worked and moreso on how well its been tested.

Looking for that elusive cheap but well built light is a bit of a treasure hunt and it keeps things interesting.

Now that I have some cheaper, well made lights I find myself wondering why I bought previous products like my SF E1L. Sure its a great product that is well made, but aside from its coating and clip, I can't see too much of a usability difference between it and my Dorcy. Maybe that's the noob in me speaking but just my observations.

webley445 · May 21, 2006

Spydie said:
I definatley see where you're coming from regarding the search for that special, well priced light. I'm still a noob at this hobby and so I spend my time going through the old posts and trying to figure out what characteristics make a light worth buying. As it stands I'll probably find a light at a shop or see it mentioned here, check flashlightreviews.com to see if its been reviewed and then scan the search feature for more real world info on the product.

I still do the same as you, look at how long I've been here in my profile

Spydie said:
In all honesty, the Dorcy was a complete impulse buy (I got mine for 17.99 CDN due to a pricing mix up) and was elated to see how well it worked and moreso on how well its been tested.

The BEST finds are the unexpected ones, IMHO

Spydie said:
Looking for that elusive cheap but well built light is a bit of a treasure hunt and it keeps things interesting.

My most fun part of being a flashaholic!!

Spydie said:
Now that I have some cheaper, well made lights I find myself wondering why I bought previous products like my SF E1L. Sure its a great product that is well made, but aside from its coating and clip, I can't see too much of a usability difference between it and my Dorcy. Maybe that's the noob in me speaking but just my observations.

Could not have said it better myself.
Spoken like a true NON-light snob. too many are hung up on name brand.
Keep up the good work, as Mr Sagan said, "We are not alone".

Spydie · May 21, 2006

Thank you for the great feedback and its really nice to see others in this hobby share these sentiments. I figure most of us would take a decent, cheap light on any day and its awesome to see threads asking for top lights under $70.00 dollars etc, as it shows the versatility of our interest.

There still are some high end (expensive) lights I'd like to try out one day. Two that come to mind are the HDS EDC and a Mcluxx PD. I always seem to come across great reviews on those two items and am genuinley curious to see how they handle. That being said, I still enjoy the cheapies out there, and with technology improving every year this hobby is only going to grow with selection.

nuggett · May 21, 2006

For a small sum of money, I have what I think a rich assortment of lights. A RAW, arc-p, Photons, and a Firefly inbound. My wolf eyes eagle 4 rechargable is a great value, so is the Vital gear light. And of course, a Surefire or 2 to establish a "baseline"!

Flashaholism, a truly equal opportunity hobby

Spydie

Newly Enlightened

benchmade_boy

Flashlight Enthusiast

Flash_Gordon

Flashlight Enthusiast

roguesw

Enlightened

Spydie

Newly Enlightened

webley445

Flashlight Enthusiast

Spydie

Newly Enlightened

nuggett

Enlightened

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