UPDATE - further torture added HERE!
I'd like to add that there is a subtle but notable difference in this manufacturer, perhaps as related to other ROC light manufacturers. Niwalker is located in Taipei, Taiwan, and in my conversations with them I've noted that they are very proud of their quality control processes, and of course, their final products. They mention that there are quality differences between their processes and some of the other manufacturers who are based in China. It's not my intent to endorse the company as a whole, but if this particular light is indicative of their QC and final quality, they are making a very fine product. Understand, this isn't my idea of a true "EDC", but for a search light, military, law enforcement, etc., where the need is a rugged product with extreme throw and high output, this seems to be an ideal tool.
I am very pleased and honored that a "new" manufacturer of quality flashlights asked me to 'torture' one of their lights! Actually, this particular manufacturer has been manufacturing high quality lights for many years, so they have a great deal of experience – but now they are entering the market with their own brand of lights.
Introducing "Niwalker", and their first product destined for sale, the NW750.
I won't attempt to provide a full review – my understanding is that Selfbuilt will be doing one of his excellent reviews and mine cannot 'hold a candle' (no pun intended) to his. Still, this is an impressive and strikingly beautiful light, so I will share a few photos.
A very deep and smooth reflector - with a 'nugget of goodness' at the base, a nicely tinted XML
Here's a side-by-side with a McGizmo Haiku (for size reference)
These lights are designed for harsh work environments – the beauty is more than skin deep. The threads are beefy and the walls of the light are thick aluminum. In the photos below the light is shown next to a VERY popular and well known manufacturer's light – this is the front where the body meets the head:
Here are 2 photos of the rear, where the body meets tail cap
There and many options for configuration and function, but I'm going to leave that to Selfbuilt and jump right into the torture testing.
Now, I can guess what some of you will say. You will correctly report that some manufacturers subject their lights to more harsh tests that the ones than I am doing. I know that Niwalker conducts far more strenuous tests also! My goal is to try and replicate harsh environments that a light might encounter in actual use. A soldier, law enforcement officer, guard, mechanic, or similar. And in spite of all the abuse we can think of, it is doubtful that any of these user's lights would be subjected to boiling water or spending days at the bottom of a pool. Oh, sure – it might happen, but probably not. Regardless, I think these tests will simulate conditions significantly more abusive than what would happen in the real world!
So first up, I took advantage of a late October freak ice storm/rainy day here in northern Virginia. What if I'm an LEO (I'm not) and I drop my light outdoors on a rainy day? Here you see the Niwalker going for a 3 hour dunk in a 5 gallon bucket of water, placed outside on a cold day with rain continuing to fall.
After 3 hours - no problems encountered
Next up, the light encounters the "Hot squad car on a sunny day in Phoenix" test – placed into my oven at 200 degrees F for 90 minutes. As the infrared thermometer shows, the oven actually exceeded 210 degrees.
Upon removing the light from the oven, the temp starts to drop quickly and by the time I grabbed my thermometer to read the temp it had dropped to 202 F
Did it still work? Sure! And yes, the batteries WERE in the light during testing.
What if the light was dropped outdoors in the snow and left to freeze into a snow bank? Or dropped into a pond and left to freeze overnight?
To simulate, I put the light in a container, filled it with water and left it in the freezer overnight
And the next morning?
"Lightcicle!!"
How to get it out? Let's use hot, running water!
At the end of the video, you are seeing a 'puck' of ice that froze inside the bezel ring...
As you can see, the Niwalker light shrugged off all of these tests…almost as if to say, "Really? Is that all you can do to me?" Well, it isn't all I can do! This was the 'easy' portion of the test – next weekend I'll add to this with my drop, throw, rock tumble tests!
But for the time being, I have to say that I am impressed. Certainly many a small light has been tested and survived, but this is a one pound (without batteries), 10 inch long light! So please check back next weekend for installment 2 of the Niwalker NWK750 Real World Torture Test!
I'd like to add that there is a subtle but notable difference in this manufacturer, perhaps as related to other ROC light manufacturers. Niwalker is located in Taipei, Taiwan, and in my conversations with them I've noted that they are very proud of their quality control processes, and of course, their final products. They mention that there are quality differences between their processes and some of the other manufacturers who are based in China. It's not my intent to endorse the company as a whole, but if this particular light is indicative of their QC and final quality, they are making a very fine product. Understand, this isn't my idea of a true "EDC", but for a search light, military, law enforcement, etc., where the need is a rugged product with extreme throw and high output, this seems to be an ideal tool.
I am very pleased and honored that a "new" manufacturer of quality flashlights asked me to 'torture' one of their lights! Actually, this particular manufacturer has been manufacturing high quality lights for many years, so they have a great deal of experience – but now they are entering the market with their own brand of lights.
Introducing "Niwalker", and their first product destined for sale, the NW750.
I won't attempt to provide a full review – my understanding is that Selfbuilt will be doing one of his excellent reviews and mine cannot 'hold a candle' (no pun intended) to his. Still, this is an impressive and strikingly beautiful light, so I will share a few photos.
A very deep and smooth reflector - with a 'nugget of goodness' at the base, a nicely tinted XML
Here's a side-by-side with a McGizmo Haiku (for size reference)
These lights are designed for harsh work environments – the beauty is more than skin deep. The threads are beefy and the walls of the light are thick aluminum. In the photos below the light is shown next to a VERY popular and well known manufacturer's light – this is the front where the body meets the head:
Here are 2 photos of the rear, where the body meets tail cap
There and many options for configuration and function, but I'm going to leave that to Selfbuilt and jump right into the torture testing.
Now, I can guess what some of you will say. You will correctly report that some manufacturers subject their lights to more harsh tests that the ones than I am doing. I know that Niwalker conducts far more strenuous tests also! My goal is to try and replicate harsh environments that a light might encounter in actual use. A soldier, law enforcement officer, guard, mechanic, or similar. And in spite of all the abuse we can think of, it is doubtful that any of these user's lights would be subjected to boiling water or spending days at the bottom of a pool. Oh, sure – it might happen, but probably not. Regardless, I think these tests will simulate conditions significantly more abusive than what would happen in the real world!
So first up, I took advantage of a late October freak ice storm/rainy day here in northern Virginia. What if I'm an LEO (I'm not) and I drop my light outdoors on a rainy day? Here you see the Niwalker going for a 3 hour dunk in a 5 gallon bucket of water, placed outside on a cold day with rain continuing to fall.
After 3 hours - no problems encountered
Next up, the light encounters the "Hot squad car on a sunny day in Phoenix" test – placed into my oven at 200 degrees F for 90 minutes. As the infrared thermometer shows, the oven actually exceeded 210 degrees.
Upon removing the light from the oven, the temp starts to drop quickly and by the time I grabbed my thermometer to read the temp it had dropped to 202 F
Did it still work? Sure! And yes, the batteries WERE in the light during testing.
What if the light was dropped outdoors in the snow and left to freeze into a snow bank? Or dropped into a pond and left to freeze overnight?
To simulate, I put the light in a container, filled it with water and left it in the freezer overnight
And the next morning?
"Lightcicle!!"
How to get it out? Let's use hot, running water!
At the end of the video, you are seeing a 'puck' of ice that froze inside the bezel ring...
As you can see, the Niwalker light shrugged off all of these tests…almost as if to say, "Really? Is that all you can do to me?" Well, it isn't all I can do! This was the 'easy' portion of the test – next weekend I'll add to this with my drop, throw, rock tumble tests!
But for the time being, I have to say that I am impressed. Certainly many a small light has been tested and survived, but this is a one pound (without batteries), 10 inch long light! So please check back next weekend for installment 2 of the Niwalker NWK750 Real World Torture Test!
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