Are EAGLETAC Lights Designed In the USA?

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Flashlight_Bug

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The boxes of Eagletac flashlights read "Designed in the USA". After looking at my Eagletacs (T10L, P10A2. P100, T100 Mk1, M2C4, T20), I failed to see which aspect of the lights are actually designed in the USA. The T100 looks so much like the TK11. The 2AA lights look so similiar to the Fenixs, Olights...... And the T20 looks like it came off the Olight factory. By the way, remove the clickie and you can see they are the same as in all the Chinese flashlights, even the Ultra / Trust-fires. The anodizing of the 100 series performs like a paint job. Put the lights with some coins in the pocket and they come out with shiny spots. Also, the aluminium used is soft. Drop it from one foot high and you can find dings. The M2 probably won't survive rough use since it's held together by tiny screws. By the way, the M2 anodizing is nothing to be proud of. However, Eagletacs are really bright. So, what is "Designed in the USA"?
The Eagletac website, yes. The packaging box, yes. But the lights? They all looked like "Designed and Made in China", 100%.
 

Monocrom

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Maybe the boxes are designed in the U.S., but a lot of Eagletacs are clearly copies of lights from companies based in China. Especially Olight and Fenix models.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Eagletac P10A. It's better designed than Surefire's E1B, and fills the same role.

But yeah, as good as some Eagletac models happen to be; the only thing American about them is the fact that they are imported into America. Eagletac is as American as Vodka, chopsticks, and escargo.
 

Mjolnir

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Although a lot of the new models bear strong resemblance to other manufacturers' models, their older ones don't as much. My T10L doesn't really look like any other light on the market, and definitely seems like it wasn't copied form anything (of course, it is fairly ugly though).

I have had no issues with the anodizing on my light being inadequate; except from a small bare spot on one of the "knurls" of the knurling (which should be expected because of how anodizing works - it is weaker at angles). Other than that, it seems to be true type III anodizing.
 

Porthos

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A new era is on the horizon: Eagletac, a chinese company is copying other Chinese lights, like Fenix or Olight and while are selling them as American designed with a company logo: the Eagle, which is an American symbol. I am not American but this is surely disgusting, at least to me. Maybe they want customers to think they are American company? This would make it even more disgusting. I know for sure, they are shipping from China.
 

Mjolnir

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It does seem that they wish to be viewed as somewhat US based, but they don't attempt to hide the fact that they are manufactured in China. The name doesn't really matter to me, since an eagle is really just a bird, and I don't mind if they use it.
I have been unable to determine how much of their company is truly in the US.
 

Marduke

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Although a lot of the new models bear strong resemblance to other manufacturers' models, their older ones don't as much. My T10L doesn't really look like any other light on the market, and definitely seems like it wasn't copied form anything (of course, it is fairly ugly though).

Ummm.... the T10L is clearly a copy of the Fenix T1.
 

f22shift

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hmm. anyone want to ask where their arizona office is? we can visit :whistle:
i always had the sneaky suspicion "nicole" was some chinese dude. hehe

anyway,
i dunno. i guess since it's a newer company it's bound to copy from older ones. seems that they are some really similar ones to other companies. they are not the only one though.
i think the new quarks 2aa's look like the eagletac p100's.

when you think design you have to consider more than the visual. there's circuit design, heat management, etc.
its' sort of a weird subject because everyone has there own tolerances.
 
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FlashlightsNgear.com

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Here is a link to the Eagle Tac store, which notes that Eagle Tac is an Arizona company. https://www.eagletac-store.com/?gclid=CPjl9dW6ipwCFRwDagodWAVtYA

Going to EagleTac.com I found their AZ address to be 800 N. Road Chandler AZ. The store is in Georga.
Alot of companies in the US make their products in other countries, its nothing new. Eagletac store is owned buy 4sevens and isnt part of Eagletac AT ALL, besides being a dealer/distributor of Eagletac products. BTW Nicole and Dan are Chinese American and are US citizens, they own Eagletac, and yes the Quarks look very similar to some of the Eagletacs, kinda a Eagletac Fenix hybrid and most likely made in the same factory IN China.
 
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Monocrom

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Here is a link to the Eagle Tac store, which notes that Eagle Tac is an Arizona company. https://www.eagletac-store.com/?gclid=CPjl9dW6ipwCFRwDagodWAVtYA

Going to EagleTac.com I found their AZ address to be 800 N. Road Chandler AZ. The store is in Georga.

Sorry Bill, but I get the impression that the store in Georgia is just there so the company can claim to be based in America. With a couple of exceptions their designs are clearly from other companies based in China. Their lights are Made in China. (If they were Made in the U.S., I'd have a helluva lot more Eagletac models in my collection).

I mean, I've got a Paralegal Diploma that I earned a few years ago. I don't use it. I don't work as a paralegal. I don't apply to jobs that are seeking paralegals. But I do indeed have a valid paralegal diploma. So technically, I could tell folks that I'm a paralegal, and technically; I'd be telling the truth. But for all practical purposes, it wouldn't be true.

Eagletac makes some great lights. But by pretending to have a much stronger American connection than they do, they're going to put some people off.
 

recDNA

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Sorry Bill, but I get the impression that the store in Georgia is just there so the company can claim to be based in America. With a couple of exceptions their designs are clearly from other companies based in China. Their lights are Made in China. (If they were Made in the U.S., I'd have a helluva lot more Eagletac models in my collection).

I mean, I've got a Paralegal Diploma that I earned a few years ago. I don't use it. I don't work as a paralegal. I don't apply to jobs that are seeking paralegals. But I do indeed have a valid paralegal diploma. So technically, I could tell folks that I'm a paralegal, and technically; I'd be telling the truth. But for all practical purposes, it wouldn't be true.

Eagletac makes some great lights. But by pretending to have a much stronger American connection than they do, they're going to put some people off.

They fooled me. I thought they were made in Arizona! Duh
 

PhantomPhoton

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Eagletac lights are indeed designed here in the USA.
Which aspects of the light are/were designed here? The circuits, reflectors, windows, and details of the light host body such as pocketclip, bezel rings, knurling, etc.

While the overall outward appearance may resemble various other lights one may stop to consider just why so many lights do look alike before simply dismissing them as clones.

Furthermore Eagletac was just about the first production light to use XP-E. There's no questioning that the MC2 design is an original concept. Nor is there any question that eagletac has some of the best production optics out there available in affordible flashlights.

Eagletacs are manufactured in China, which is an unfortunate necessity if you want to stay in the game nowadays. But they're a legitimate American company designed and owned by actual americas who live and work here in the states. Ask some of your dealers, like Mike@PTS for example who deal with Eagletac and have met the owner and talked with him about design ideas.
 

recDNA

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Eagletac lights are indeed designed here in the USA.
Which aspects of the light are/were designed here? The circuits, reflectors, windows, and details of the light host body such as pocketclip, bezel rings, knurling, etc.

While the overall outward appearance may resemble various other lights one may stop to consider just why so many lights do look alike before simply dismissing them as clones.

Furthermore Eagletac was just about the first production light to use XP-E. There's no questioning that the MC2 design is an original concept. Nor is there any question that eagletac has some of the best production optics out there available in affordible flashlights.

Eagletacs are manufactured in China, which is an unfortunate necessity if you want to stay in the game nowadays. But they're a legitimate American company designed and owned by actual americas who live and work here in the states. Ask some of your dealers, like Mike@PTS for example who deal with Eagletac and have met the owner and talked with him about design ideas.


I'm glad it IS designed in the USA. It's one of the reasons I decided to purchase an Eagltac. I wish the T20C used a bezel ring UI with marked positions so it would be possible to change and select ANY of the modes BEFORE turning it on.
 

Henk_Lu

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There's one more american thing on the EagleTacs than the design : The marketing.

Unlike chineese brands, EagleTacs are much more expensive in Europe than in USA, about 30%! This reminds me about Surefire, but they forbid american dealers to sell to Europe, EagleTac doesn't, I got my T10C and T10C2 from the official store.

While I want a T20C2 because it seems to be a fantastic flashlight, I dislike their marketing strategy, if it is true like I understood it between the lines, and as a european dealer I probably would refuse to sell them under those conditions. The price should be the reflection of the offer and the demand. I wonder if the profit of the manufacturer would really be lower if dealers could fix the prices themselves... :confused:
 

jirik_cz

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Unlike chineese brands, EagleTacs are much more expensive in Europe than in USA, about 30%! This reminds me about Surefire, but they forbid american dealers to sell to Europe, EagleTac doesn't, I got my T10C and T10C2 from the official store.

When you buy from USA, you usually get the goods without VAT. That is the main reason for higher prices in Europe.
 

AbnInfantry

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I get the impression that the store in Georgia is just there so the company can claim to be based in America.

You're confusing two different entities. EagleTac is a flashlight manufacturer. EagleTac-Store.com is an independent firm owned by David Chow/4sevens which sells EagleTac products. EagleTac has never claimed to be located in Atlanta; that's the location of 4sevens' business. EagleTac's address is in Arizona but their flashlights are manufactured in China.
 

Mjolnir

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Eagletac lights are indeed designed here in the USA.
Which aspects of the light are/were designed here? The circuits, reflectors, windows, and details of the light host body such as pocketclip, bezel rings, knurling, etc.

While the overall outward appearance may resemble various other lights one may stop to consider just why so many lights do look alike before simply dismissing them as clones.

Furthermore Eagletac was just about the first production light to use XP-E. There's no questioning that the MC2 design is an original concept. Nor is there any question that eagletac has some of the best production optics out there available in affordible flashlights.

Eagletacs are manufactured in China, which is an unfortunate necessity if you want to stay in the game nowadays. But they're a legitimate American company designed and owned by actual americas who live and work here in the states. Ask some of your dealers, like Mike@PTS for example who deal with Eagletac and have met the owner and talked with him about design ideas.

You make a good point. While the exterior of the lights may be very similar to those of other manufacturers, the things that actually matter (such as the driver, optics, and UI) are actually quite different. My Eagletac has a very nice beam, with virtually no dark rings. This is because of the reflector that they designed. They also have very well regulated drivers that are no doubt much more resource consuming to design than external looks are.
When it comes down to it, the outward appearance of a light is one of the least important aspects of the actual design, since it doesn't affect the operation (except for how comfortable the light is to hold). People might argue that knurling DOES make a difference, but most of eagletac's "clones" have DIFFERENT knurling than the lights that they "copied."

It is like saying that a hyundai is like a BMW because some of the models have similar external designs. However, they are very different on the inside, where it counts (ok, maybe hyundais don't look like a lot of BMWs, but there are a lot of very different cars these days that look the same on the outside).
 

chizel

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I see that folks have mentioned that just because light has similar design concepts doesn't make it a copy. There's only so many ways to make a flashlight with the same basic form factor; someday someone will accuse the maker of copying. I'll leave that at that.

As to the people who complain about lights being made in China, what else is new? Nearly EVERYTHING is made in China these days. I absolutely love to buy American. I honestly try to do that whenever the situation makes sense. But give me a choice between a US made item that sets the quality standard and costs X and a similar Chinese made one that's only perhaps 80-90% the quality but costs one half or one third the money, I may not be picking up the US made one. We all have budgets to make.

Some say that they'd have many more EagleTacs if they were US made. Really? Let's say you would have double the number of lights you have now. I'd bet they'd be double the cost each. So you've just quadrupled your flashlight "budget" (I do use that term lightly) for the sake of buying American??

I'm not a China fanboy or anything, just trying to keep it real.

I just picked up the new Elzetta ZFL-M60 with the Malkoff drop-in and I have to say that it's one of the nicest lights I own. High quality metals, innovative shape, tanklike in handling. It puts many Chinese light to shame. But it's also two to three times the price.

It goes both ways. Those who say you should buy American at any cost and poo-poo anything made overseas and those who say that it's a waste of money to spend more than absolutely necessary on a product.

Both are extremes that I don't subscribe to. The key is to strike a balance, no?
 
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Monocrom

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You're confusing two different entities. EagleTac is a flashlight manufacturer. EagleTac-Store.com is an independent firm owned by David Chow/4sevens which sells EagleTac products. EagleTac has never claimed to be located in Atlanta; that's the location of 4sevens' business. EagleTac's address is in Arizona but their flashlights are manufactured in China.

Nope. Not confusing the two. My earlier post was regarding Eagletac, the flashlight company making lights in China.
 

Monocrom

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Eagletac lights are indeed designed here in the USA.
Which aspects of the light are/were designed here? The circuits, reflectors, windows, and details of the light host body such as pocketclip, bezel rings, knurling, etc.

I'm at a bit of a loss here. Eagletac designed the circuits from scratch? Here, in America? The reflectors too? How exactly do you design a reflector from the ground up? There's textured, there's smooth, and then you have the half & half design. (Olight was the first company I saw using that one). Not really sure how Eagletac can claim a new reflector design.

The basic concept of a pocketclip has been around for awhile. But I will admit that the pocketclip design on my P10A is likely an American design. It was clearly borrowed from Surefire's E1B design. Eagletac made it thicker, and cut a groove straight down the middle. But it's still the same basic design. And I'm sorry, but knurling? I've seen Eagletac's latest offering. (The one that looks like an Olight M20 Warrior). The knurling on the bezel is far from unique.

While the overall outward appearance may resemble various other lights one may stop to consider just why so many lights do look alike before simply dismissing them as clones.

Main reason would be that they're made in the same factory in China as other Brands made in China. Ultrafire and Trustfire for example. Ultrafire's basic WF-500 design is available under half a dozen other Brand names. Meanwhile, it's the same exact light. And that light is a clone of the G&P Scorpion.

Wolf-Eyes is a clear example of a Made in China Brand that makes their own lights. While an Eagletac might get mistaken for a Fenix or an Olight from a grainy pic, no one will mistake a W.E. Raider for a Surefire 9P; based on looks.

Copying the basic shape of other lights is a good cost-cutting measure. But it's not as though every tailcap or bezel design has already been done. Thing is, when you copy the basic flashlight design of lights from other companies, you do indeed end up with a clone.

Furthermore Eagletac was just about the first production light to use XP-E. There's no questioning that the MC2 design is an original concept. Nor is there any question that eagletac has some of the best production optics out there available in affordable flashlights.

No doubt Eagletac has definitely done some things right.

Eagletacs are manufactured in China, which is an unfortunate necessity if you want to stay in the game nowadays. But they're a legitimate American company designed and owned by actual americas who live and work here in the states. Ask some of your dealers, like Mike@PTS for example who deal with Eagletac and have met the owner and talked with him about design ideas.

The issue is, what constitutes an American light? And, What does one consider to be an American company?

Eagletac lights are Made in China. Their lights are imported into America. I'm sorry, but to me (and I suspect to many other CPFers) that means Eagletac lights are not American lights. They are not put together by Americans, no one on CPF can travel to part of America, and ask to tour the plant where Eagletac models are made. Much of Eagletac's product-line is clear copies of Fenix and Olight models. Both of those companies also make their lights in China. It would be tough to argue that Eagletac is an American company when their product-line is all Made in China.

Also, it's not an unfortunate necessity that your product has to be Made in China in order to make money in this business. True, some Streamlight models are Made in China. But what about Surefire and Inova? Or smaller companies such as First-Light USA? You don't need a product-line made overseas to be competitive.
 
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