My EDC is anchored by a SF M2. I've paired a couple of different lights with it, most recently an E1+KL1 & CMG Ultra.
What I wanted was a very bright light (M2), a medium task light 1W LS and a long running low output light. I really wanted bulletproof and waterproof lights. It was desirable to get to one battery type.
I purchased the E1+KL1 mostly for fun and didn't realize it would become part of my EDC, but the 1W LS is a pretty cool task light. I found myself really liking the E1 and it became my most used light. That made me realize that the L1 might allow me to get rid of the third light. My main worry was that it looked pretty big for a 1x123A cell light.
My first impression was that it was smaller than I had imagined. While a fair amount longer than the E1+KL1, the head doesn't seem quite as bulky. The edge of the bezel is scalloped which is a nice touch. It's comfortable to the hand - it basically feels like an E2.
The low output is similar to a CMG Ultra or Arc AAA, which is a very handy level IMO. After using it for a couple of weeks, I find I use the low output about %95 of the time. One benefit is with the lower light output, I feel less guilty at using the light for longer periods of time. High output is similar to the KL1. It is very handy to have the higher beam available at a slight touch. I end up going to high beam when I would have suffered with less light than needed to avoid having to dig out a different light.
This particular L1 (sn A03xxx) is a bit whiter than my KL1 (sn A02xxx). The KL1 has a slight violet tone to it, but it's still pretty white IMO, and the L1 is whiter. In either case it is quite acceptable IMO.
In the mouth carry is slightly worse than the E1/KL1, but mostly because the length causes the L1 to exert a bit more downward force. The groove in the L1 also contributes to a bit less comfort. The groove got me thinking that SF might have a cool feature if it made a shallow groove, sort of like the one in the L1 tailcap but wider and shallower and inlayed a bit of rubber - maybe about as thick as the Scorpion cover. This would allow a comfortable "bite" grip, but not cause waterproofing problems like in the Scopion.
The light seems very reliable under normal operation, but it has been pretty finicky upon disassembly. I've actually fiddled with it for about 10 mins where I couldn't get the thing to light. Looks like some room for improvement there.
The knurling is fairly sharp which is my preference, and the body with alternating knurled and smooth surfaces provides nice contrast.
The E1+KL1 laid nicely at the bottom of my front pants pocket, small enough that there was little risk of accidental activation. The L1 is long enough that while it lays in the same location, both ends are up against the sides of the pockets, significaintly increasing the risk of activation.
The main complaint I have is the light is a bit long for a single cell 123A light. With lights like the Firefly, Arc LS and sandwiches like Wayne's, it's hard to understand why SF can't make this light smaller.
All in all I really like this light. As the E1+KL1 before it, it has become my most used light. I find the low output perfect for most tasks. It meets all my requirements even allows all my EDC lights to take the same batteries. Cool.
-john
LARGER
LARGER
What I wanted was a very bright light (M2), a medium task light 1W LS and a long running low output light. I really wanted bulletproof and waterproof lights. It was desirable to get to one battery type.
I purchased the E1+KL1 mostly for fun and didn't realize it would become part of my EDC, but the 1W LS is a pretty cool task light. I found myself really liking the E1 and it became my most used light. That made me realize that the L1 might allow me to get rid of the third light. My main worry was that it looked pretty big for a 1x123A cell light.
My first impression was that it was smaller than I had imagined. While a fair amount longer than the E1+KL1, the head doesn't seem quite as bulky. The edge of the bezel is scalloped which is a nice touch. It's comfortable to the hand - it basically feels like an E2.
The low output is similar to a CMG Ultra or Arc AAA, which is a very handy level IMO. After using it for a couple of weeks, I find I use the low output about %95 of the time. One benefit is with the lower light output, I feel less guilty at using the light for longer periods of time. High output is similar to the KL1. It is very handy to have the higher beam available at a slight touch. I end up going to high beam when I would have suffered with less light than needed to avoid having to dig out a different light.
This particular L1 (sn A03xxx) is a bit whiter than my KL1 (sn A02xxx). The KL1 has a slight violet tone to it, but it's still pretty white IMO, and the L1 is whiter. In either case it is quite acceptable IMO.
In the mouth carry is slightly worse than the E1/KL1, but mostly because the length causes the L1 to exert a bit more downward force. The groove in the L1 also contributes to a bit less comfort. The groove got me thinking that SF might have a cool feature if it made a shallow groove, sort of like the one in the L1 tailcap but wider and shallower and inlayed a bit of rubber - maybe about as thick as the Scorpion cover. This would allow a comfortable "bite" grip, but not cause waterproofing problems like in the Scopion.
The light seems very reliable under normal operation, but it has been pretty finicky upon disassembly. I've actually fiddled with it for about 10 mins where I couldn't get the thing to light. Looks like some room for improvement there.
The knurling is fairly sharp which is my preference, and the body with alternating knurled and smooth surfaces provides nice contrast.
The E1+KL1 laid nicely at the bottom of my front pants pocket, small enough that there was little risk of accidental activation. The L1 is long enough that while it lays in the same location, both ends are up against the sides of the pockets, significaintly increasing the risk of activation.
The main complaint I have is the light is a bit long for a single cell 123A light. With lights like the Firefly, Arc LS and sandwiches like Wayne's, it's hard to understand why SF can't make this light smaller.
All in all I really like this light. As the E1+KL1 before it, it has become my most used light. I find the low output perfect for most tasks. It meets all my requirements even allows all my EDC lights to take the same batteries. Cool.
-john
LARGER
LARGER
