I think sometimes people get the wrong idea of us and our products. We don't make artsy collector flashlights, we make tools. If you are looking for a nice looking flashlight, let me save you some time: Arc may not be what you are looking for. Now, I think our lights are good looking, but this is because I think function is beautiful. I am not saying we make the most functional light, but I am saying this is my goal.
That being said, we will try to make the light also look good from a cosmetic standpoint. This means using a balance of resonance and dissonance in appearance of the parts.
But this is not my first design consideration, nor is the second or third. The First consideration is utility.
There is something else you should know. We are a small company making one of the more complicated flashlight designs on the market. It tasks our company heavily to regularly improve the product. Being a true flash-a-holic at heart, I naturally have a long list of changes I want to make. Most of them have to do with derivatives of utility like making the light more reliable, more compact, brighter, less expensive to operate, etc.
And yes, I do want to make it look better (what some people call, "quality").
Functionality----VS----Cosmetics
---------------------------------------
Anodize thickness------Anodize mismatch
Anodize voids----------Anodize blemishes
Utility of beam--------Dust/scratched optics
Loose parts/flickering-Conductive epoxy blobs
Batt compatibility-----Phallic push button
Supplier redundancy----Knurl/etc differences
Sometimes people just don't like the design choices we made to pursue utility.
One of the most important things I read here on the CPF are posts that help me make a more reliable light. If our light is the most reliable flashlight you can carry but it looks like it was dropped down a dusty coal chute, I am very happy.
Problems that get a lot of my attention are things like flickering, dead units, dim units, not working with some batteries, left at home units, not waterproof, shock resistance, corrosion, ergonomics, etc.
Spending too much time talking about cosmetics takes me from what I really like to work on.
Some manufacturers have told that they don't post on the CPF because our focus is unrealistic and out of touch.
In conclusion, I am not saying that buying lights because they look good is wrong. You do what you want. Please. I am, however, trying to provide some helpful information on what to expect from our products. It is not my intention to be contentious but I am sure some will not be please with my opinion. Regardless, I do intend to forge forward on producing useful flashlights.
Peter Gransee