Surefire packaging

First, let me say that I like Surefire lights. I have bought over 12 of them including a 6pl and E2DL as my most recent lights. When I read the thread about the new L5 with the KL5A head (P4 instead of lux5) I was going to order one from Batteryjunction this morning. When I spoke with Jeff, (to ask about comparative brightness and tint) he told me the package was sealed and so he could not open it to tell me about it.

My 6PL was in a sealed plastic shell.... also, my E2DL. This is too bad, because as much as I would like to have this light, for $189... I do not want one with a serious purple, green or blue tint. My E2DL has a nice white (I don't care if a white is warm or cold...I just need it to be basically white) tint, but my 6PL was Seriously blue.

I understand why a sub $100 light might be sealed, especially if they are being sold at Lowes etc. I however, do not remember Surefire sealing their M2-M6 lights. I think when a light reaches a certain price point you should be able to look at it and play with it.

Apparently this is no longer the case.

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

I think every Surefire light I ever bought new was sealed. Including a few M2, M3, M3T, M4 and M6s. Some have a plastic shell, like the 6P, 6PL, 6PD, G2, G3, etc. and some have a sealed box like the M2-M6. I've never seen an M2-M6 in sealed plastic like the other lights mentioned. I completely understand a distributor being reluctant to open a "new" product to test it for someone prior to purchase, thus making the product no longer "new". There was a recent thread complaining about the same practice at a different distributor.

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

Every Millennium series SureFire I have ever seen has been in a cardboard box or cardboard packaging with a plastic sleeve.

Some 6P/similar models I have seen have been in a cardboard box that is easily opened and resealed. Two types of packaging exist for such lights - blister and box.

My L5 w/KL5A came in the same type of packaging as the Millennium series and was therefore easily openable.

Regards,
Tempest

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

Blame the American shoplifting community.

When I walked around Tokyo and the open markets, the packaging was not sealed. You can open up items, check them out, and place them back on the shelf when you're done. iPods and other expensive toys included. Theft is not a major issue in their culture.

Here in the US everything is sealed up to prevent sticky fingers :huh:

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

I'm not a big fan of the sealed plastics. If you don't have a proper knife, you cannot open those damn things without cutting yourself. My collegue almost killed me one time trying to open the plastic from a USB drive (yes, a $20 USB drive) with a cheap pair of scissors. As he was cutting the plastic, the scissors' tip broke and flew right by my face.

I really wish SF would have nicer packaging ... I usually keep the boxes for my knives and flashlights.

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

SF has moved towards blister packing (the plastic clam shell type) for the E series and classic series lights. However, all of the Millenium series, C2/C3, Lumamax series, and Rechargeable lights (kits at least) still come in boxed up display. I too have noticed that lights like the 6P LED that used to come in a card board display box now come in the newer clam shell blister packed plastic.

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

Hmmm...some Surefire collector tin boxes would be nice

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

Force Attuned said:

Hmmm...some Surefire collector tin boxes would be nice

Click to expand...

Not quite tin boxes, but the closest I can think of to "collector" SureFire packaging are their 6P-BK-CB and 6P-BK-CG (and similar) models. They come in a black (-CB) or green (-CG) soft zippered case. I think some other models (A2) were released like this.

Regards,
Tempest

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

I like the idea of a sealed package. I don't want something that has been played around with by everyone. If I'm not happy with it, I'll bring it back. It's that simple.

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

streetmaster said:

I like the idea of a sealed package. I don't want something that has been played around with by everyone. If I'm not happy with it, I'll bring it back. It's that simple.

Click to expand...

x2!! I was at Frys the other day looking at the TOP striker tactical lights. Someone had returned a $49 LED light, with a Xenon P60 module in its place. The blister pack was cut open and taped closed.

I was at Wally world and someone hat cut into a Brinkman 3AAA and stolen the batteries and cell carrier.

NO WAY would I trust the population around me to open boxes like that and honorably return them back.

I envy those who don't have to deal with people like this.

OP... you are getting the light from a forum sponsor and honorable retailer. I am sure Matt will do everything to honor the warranty should you get a dud emitter. Its not like buying lights from other places that make you jump through flaming hoops when the product is defective. If nothing else SureFire will honor their manufacturer warranty.

I think you should just buy it, knowing you will have all the support you need.

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

Let me get this straight. You would have the retail sales operation open every one of the packages in order to find one which meets to your personal needs?
You feel that you have the right to cherry pick so that others have in essence bought someone else's reject?

If you are willing to pay a premium then I doubt you will have a hard time finding a dealer willing to cherry pick for you.
The plastic protects you. It insures that you are not receiving some one else's rejected parts.
Here is what I suggest. Buy the KL5 as it is If you are unhappy with it when it comes call Surefire and tell them that you are unhappy with it and why ask them to replace it with a part which meets your personal specification.

Personally IMHO Cherry picking is for the birds and people who do it make buying a surefire flashlight even more of a risk.
When I buy a surefire flashlight and I don't like it I just sell it and try again.
I did this many times over just to match two KL4's. Cherry picking from a LOT (case) of lights is fine as long as you have the dough.
There you go. Buy a case lot. Pick the units you want and then try to sell the opened packages....That is what you are asking a retailer to do for you.
yaesumofo

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

+1

yaesumofo said:

Let me get this straight. You would have the retail sales operation open every one of the packages in order to find one which meets to your personal needs?
You feel that you have the right to cherry pick so that others have in essence bought someone else's reject?

If you are willing to pay a premium then I doubt you will have a hard time finding a dealer willing to cherry pick for you.
The plastic protects you. It insures that you are not receiving some one else's rejected parts.
Here is what I suggest. Buy the KL5 as it is If you are unhappy with it when it comes call Surefire and tell them that you are unhappy with it and why ask them to replace it with a part which meets your personal specification.

Personally IMHO Cherry picking is for the birds and people who do it make buying a surefire flashlight even more of a risk.
When I buy a surefire flashlight and I don't like it I just sell it and try again.
I did this many times over just to match two KL4's. Cherry picking from a LOT (case) of lights is fine as long as you have the dough.
There you go. Buy a case lot. Pick the units you want and then try to sell the opened packages....That is what you are asking a retailer to do for you.
yaesumofo

Click to expand...

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

im going agree here, as diplomatically as i can.

When i buy a light, i would prefer if i have tested out its performance first. Although i dont often get the chance. Some dealers like Khoo (LED cool) offer to test tint for you before shipping.

the way i see it, if someone played with it, and didnt like it, odds are when i try it out, i'm not going to like it very much either.

This "lottery" starts costing money when you live in other countries, shipping times and costs do factor in. Thats why although i bought my first surefire in a B&M store here (it was incan, so tint didnt matter) the rest i buy on BST, where a CPFer has handled it before and i can get info about the tint, etc.
and as i see it, we are paying a premium when we buy surefires anyway. they are a premium light afterall.

this is just my view.

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

woodrow said:

First, let me say that I like Surefire lights. I have bought over 12 of them including a 6pl and E2DL as my most recent lights. When I read the thread about the new L5 with the KL5A head (P4 instead of lux5) I was going to order one from Batteryjunction this morning. When I spoke with Jeff, (to ask about comparative brightness and tint) he told me the package was sealed and so he could not open it to tell me about it.

My 6PL was in a sealed plastic shell.... also, my E2DL. This is too bad, because as much as I would like to have this light, for $189... I do not want one with a serious purple, green or blue tint. My E2DL has a nice white (I don't care if a white is warm or cold...I just need it to be basically white) tint, but my 6PL was Seriously blue.

I understand why a sub $100 light might be sealed, especially if they are being sold at Lowes etc. I however, do not remember Surefire sealing their M2-M6 lights. I think when a light reaches a certain price point you should be able to look at it and play with it.

Apparently this is no longer the case.

Click to expand...

The question that I make to myself is: Why Surefire ("premium lights") is giving us those green/purple/blue tints ??

I was a bit disappointed with my green tint L1, at first too... Now I got used to it, but I would prefer neutral white beams, always!

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

yaesumofo said:

Let me get this straight. You would have the retail sales operation open every one of the packages in order to find one which meets to your personal needs?
You feel that you have the right to cherry pick so that others have in essence bought someone else's reject?

If you are willing to pay a premium then I doubt you will have a hard time finding a dealer willing to cherry pick for you.
The plastic protects you. It insures that you are not receiving some one else's rejected parts.
Here is what I suggest. Buy the KL5 as it is If you are unhappy with it when it comes call Surefire and tell them that you are unhappy with it and why ask them to replace it with a part which meets your personal specification.

Personally IMHO Cherry picking is for the birds and people who do it make buying a surefire flashlight even more of a risk.
When I buy a surefire flashlight and I don't like it I just sell it and try again.
I did this many times over just to match two KL4's. Cherry picking from a LOT (case) of lights is fine as long as you have the dough.
There you go. Buy a case lot. Pick the units you want and then try to sell the opened packages....That is what you are asking a retailer to do for you.
yaesumofo

Click to expand...

Respectfully, I disagree... and I want to show another point of view.

It is HARD to collect money (I am not rich), order a light from another country (SF are not cheap), pay more 40 dollars for insurance and shipping (it is far and it is not safe around here), and when you open it: VOILÁ!

Your "premium" light has a purple tint!

I don´t want to look like an over-reaction, but for me it is A LOT disappointing, so that´s why I think that if they´re premium, they should not give us "tint surprises".

Regards! :thumbsup:

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

woodrow said:

I however, do not remember Surefire sealing their M2-M6 lights. I think when a light reaches a certain price point you should be able to look at it and play with it.

Apparently this is no longer the case.

Click to expand...

Before surefire started selling merchandise in general stores, they are usually sold through arms dealers or over mail. Where the probability of an item being stolen would be second to none...now its...somewhat corrupted in terms of "five finger discounts"

Law of inanimate motion:Anything not securely fastened to the room will make its way out of it...the tendency to sprout legs isn't limited to flashlights. Just last month some one pinched my spare tire from my van

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

yaesumofo, you are as polite and diplomatic as ever.... thank you:sigh: No, I do not want to cherry pick... I just want to know if the $189 light I am about to purchase has a beam that is somewhere close to white. Sorry this offends you, but 2 out of the three Surefire leds I had were not white. I will put up with this on a sub $100 light... not on one costing close to $200. Forgive my audacity. I was in no way implying that I was going to ask the dealer to go through all their lights and pick me "the best one"... simply if the light had a distinctly green, purple, bluish tint (like many SF leds do unfortunately) I would have passed. Thats OK. I do not mind waiting for either their HO led lights.... which I would imagine (hopefully) would not have this problem or wait until the Leupold lights are in stock.

Again, thanks for giving your fellow cpf'r the benifit of the doubt.

yaesumofo said:

Let me get this straight. You would have the retail sales operation open every one of the packages in order to find one which meets to your personal needs?
You feel that you have the right to cherry pick so that others have in essence bought someone else's reject?

If you are willing to pay a premium then I doubt you will have a hard time finding a dealer willing to cherry pick for you.
The plastic protects you. It insures that you are not receiving some one else's rejected parts.
Here is what I suggest. Buy the KL5 as it is If you are unhappy with it when it comes call Surefire and tell them that you are unhappy with it and why ask them to replace it with a part which meets your personal specification.

Personally IMHO Cherry picking is for the birds and people who do it make buying a surefire flashlight even more of a risk.
When I buy a surefire flashlight and I don't like it I just sell it and try again.
I did this many times over just to match two KL4's. Cherry picking from a LOT (case) of lights is fine as long as you have the dough.
There you go. Buy a case lot. Pick the units you want and then try to sell the opened packages....That is what you are asking a retailer to do for you.
yaesumofo

Click to expand...

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

plastic clam shell = bad for environment

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

If we are strictly speaking of tint, surefire has no control over the tint that the suppliers give them. Think about it, they order thousands of LEDs and they are expected to check each light that they produce for tint ?
I have worked in factories before and this would entail hiring a lot of workers to check it as well as paying them as well as finding space for them to work.
This will ultimately drive up the price of your light from sub 200 to over 400 dollars.
When in large scale production, they have acceptable levels of tolerances. If the LEDs leave the factory ( Cree and SSC and Lumileds ) with those tolerances, we have to accept them. If surefire were to impose their own tolerances for the sake of tint over functionality, i dont think surefire would be selling a lot of lights and of the ones they do sell, it would be priced beyond affordable.

Surefire lights are not cheap, i grant you that, and you want to get good value for your money, but i think if the light was used everyday, you would not notice the tint problems.

Re: Surefire.... Whats with the plastic?

roguesw said:

If we are strictly speaking of tint, surefire has no control over the tint that the suppliers give them. Think about it, they order thousands of LEDs and they are expected to check each light that they produce for tint ?
I have worked in factories before and this would entail hiring a lot of workers to check it as well as paying them as well as finding space for them to work.
This will ultimately drive up the price of your light from sub 200 to over 400 dollars.
When in large scale production, they have acceptable levels of tolerances. If the LEDs leave the factory ( Cree and SSC and Lumileds ) with those tolerances, we have to accept them. If surefire were to impose their own tolerances for the sake of tint over functionality, i dont think surefire would be selling a lot of lights and of the ones they do sell, it would be priced beyond affordable.

Surefire lights are not cheap, i grant you that, and you want to get good value for your money, but i think if the light was used everyday, you would not notice the tint problems.

Click to expand...

its been said before, but why then can other manufacturors achieve great tint? im not trying to provoke anything, but i really do want to know

Crenshaw