Strike Bezel - gimmick or useful?

Hello,

I'm fairly new to the forums however I can't seem to find a topic on this subject around the forums already.

I've mainly used Maglites in the past, primarily because of what I believed to be good runtimes and their self defence properties. I've recently updated to the new Rebel Maglites.

I live in a country where you're not allowed to carry anything for the express purpose of self defence, you are expected to go about less well protected than criminals, but a torch, having another purpose, I believe is generally fair game if you're out walking at night.

Does anyone have any information on wether or not the strike bezels on products like the Surefire E2DL are actually useful? It's not my intention to start a flame war or anything so forgive me if this is one of those sensitive topics that outsiders unwittingly kick off from time to time that sparks the flames.

I've been reading reviews on Surefire lights and I do like the small sizes offering more personal protection options than my current EDC, a Rebel AA Mini Maglite.

So thanks in advance for any advice/opinions.

I would say it's always better to bust your flashlight up on someones head than your knuckles.

But are any of them up to that kind of punishment?

They are definitely strong enough for their intended purpose BUT most of us would probably not need it.

SuperTrouper said:

It's not my intention to start a flame war or anything so forgive me if this is one of those sensitive topics that outsiders unwittingly kick off from time to time that sparks the flames.

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That's what this pretty much is. Also this is more suited for the general flashlight section.

Think about where you live and just use your hands.

I know what you mean. The chavs run round with knives and more guns since the pistol ban came in and our laws on defence are pathetic and it seems 9 times out of 10 if you bash someone in self defence you will be the one to get done. It would only take one punch or kick after they are down for you to be arrested for assault.

I would think a strike bezel would cut more than a maglite if pushed into skin but the size of lights now you couldn't use them as a cosh as with a mag so need the bezel to compensate for the size and weight?


Steve.

Sgt. LED said:

That's what this pretty much is.

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For some reason I suspected it might be one of those iffy subjects. I posted it here because I am considering purchasing an LED light with a strike bezel. I wouldn't want an incandescent light.

Great for mashing potatoes too! :naughty:

Welp ..... here we go again :mecry:

It's probably also legal where you are to carry a rock .... they're so abundant.

The bezels you speak of are very useful for what I personally think they were initially intended for .....

which was .... If you leave your light on , and place it head down on a flat surface , the escaping photons thru the crenulation curvatures , alert you that the light was left on . That which is not so easy to tell if you have a light with a smooth/flat bezel , placed on a smooth surface .

If there IS a gimmick to be associated with it , it must be the "Mr. Bad-A$$" marketing approach that redefined it for their needs as an "Attack Bezel".

I wonder which marketer was first to redefine it ?

Check with the Authorities in your region to see if its considered a weapon and how they would rule on it if you used it as one .

And YES - there have been many threads on this topic in the past. Which most didn't go well .

It's always best to stay away from areas , events and people that might involve hostilities .
The best advice I can give you is to be very careful who you associate with . Most fights break out in areas where that type of mentality is present . But if you are NOT in that type of environment , and you are attacked for no good reason - then anything goes , and fight for your life the best way you can .
.

i feel much safer having my low strike bezel on my Nex - its a small torch anyway with no weight behind it. it also gives usefull protection to the light - one of mine have bent after droping my light, rather that than something else braking.
you do not need one of those overly massive strike bezels and you could get done with one of them, a 'normal' strike bezel is enough with the 'points' on them, and you wont get stoped.

TooManyGizmos said:

Welp ..... here we go again :mecry:

It's probably also legal where you are to carry a rock .... they're so abundant.

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To have a rock on you without good reason is punishable with instant death in the UK.
However stab or shoot someone and you will get a slap on the wrist and told to not do it again

Sorry for going off topic and the sarcasm but our laws do frustrate me sometimes you have to seriously think before doing anything these days for fear of breaking the law.

Back to LED's, I would prefer a strike bezel if only like toomanygizmos to see if the light is on when placed lens side down.

Steve.

They are certainly effective, but if you are trained to used a flashlight as a defensive weapon, the addition of pointy bits won't add much more. By that I mean a properly trained person could do more damage with a Mini-Mag than I could with an E2DL.

They also have a downside in that the sharper bezel is more likely to break the skin. Some people might look at that as an advantage but do you really want some junkie's blood all over your light?

Meh...

it's gimmicky marketing, and a good way to rip your pockets.

However, using a flashlight as a field expedient Kubaton is not a new idea by any stretch, so there is at least some legitimacy to the idea. I just don't see as how they would make any measurable difference when deployed in such a manner.

Plus I think they look awful.

Just remember , if it's just a fist fight , and you use a Quote "strike bezel" , in the end you may be the one judged as using excessive force by the authorities.

In the USA , You are only allowed to use as much force as is necessary to defend yourself and cease the attack - but not excessive force - or you yourself in the end will be charged.

But only as of lately , that rule does not apply in some states when it involves home invasion crimes.

I think we as a flashlight community are doing ourselves a disservice by reffering to it in those terms. Maybe brainwashing ourselves in a bad way. If you are ever in front of a judge and jury , and let it slip , that you hit him with your strike bezel , then the tables may have just turned - out of your favor.

You better learn to just refer to it as your Flashlight and Every Day Carry for emergencies.
You also don't want it taken away from you , and used against yourself , which can happen in a skirmish.
A common tire tool is for changing tires , but if used in a fight , it becomes viewed as a response with a deadly weapon , and you better have a darn good reason for using it that way. A mean looking light , to the jury , might look like a deadly weapon as well . You better have a good defense lawyer . (one that can explain the original intended purpose of a crenelated bezel .
.

Blind them with the light and punch with the other fist. Remember that if you strike them with your light you may scratch it

TooManyGizmos said:

In the USA , You are only allowed to use as much force as is necessary to defend yourself and cease the attack - but not excessive force - or you yourself in the end will be charged.

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Yeah, but the police in the US generally use some common sense and ain't gonna bust a mugging victim just because they threw one punch too many in self defence. In the UK I'm not so sure that's the case al the time.

I understand people saying such bezels were not generally intended for anything other than showing a light is on when bezel down, but that's not always the case. Surefire porcupine? Heh. Even the E2DL is marketed as being a self defence tool, and that bezel is sharp enough to make a hole in someone's skull (literally).

However, simply having such a light on you is not going to guarentee anything... it's certainly not going to scare your average chav. Just be sure you know how to use it most effectively when push comes to shove so you don't end up breaking your wrist or having your arm broken while attempting. A well-aimed and effective punch is probably going to be just as effective in many cases... but then you have to know how to actually punch properly :devil:

Strike bezels are generally very useful... I have used the one on my E2DL 3 times before with a fairly impressive effect.

HOWEVER... since you are in the UK and Police are more inclined to use the very very broad definition of weapons for their purposes(anything and everything)... I would talk to a PC that you trust and find out what the regional services policy is on "what consitutes and wespon".

U.K.'ers ,
Please tell an ignorant American ....

What is a "chav" that you refer to ?

TooManyGizmos said:

U.K.'ers ,
Please tell an ignorant American ....

What is a "chav" that you refer to ?

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

you guys living in UK need to revolt already

your self defense laws are beyond insane

if you are going to prison for defending yourself anyways, you might as well carry as crazy a weapon as you can easily get..