What was your first memorable flashlight?

In 1958, when I was 5 years old the man who was like my God father bought a used 1950 CJ-3A Jeep. He set it up for deer hunting with ropes, a "gun box", and a 5 cell chrome flashlight. While I don't remember if it was an Eveready or a Rayovac,I just remember it had a special spot where it wouldn't get stepped on. When that Jeep became mine in 1969 the light had a broken lens. I threw that light away and put a 2 cell in its place. I know, I know. I was a dumb kid.
Anyway, what do you remember?
BTW I still own that jeep. I hope to pass it on to my son. Maybe with a light too.

a lightwave 4000...not the best light, but my first real light.

and...as with all things i have ever owned...i lost it

1975... a bordello outside of Tuscon..."Blaze" couldn't find my twenty and thought I stiffed her...pulled out a minimag AA and found it behind the nightstand...she gave me another toss in exchange for the light...I forgot what she looks like but I sure do miss that light...

SF E1HA, the size was unreal...Two years ago.

My first memorable flaslight was a cheap plastic 2D Ash Flash: pastel orange body and white head. It was actually the first reliable flashlight I ever bought.

The other memorable light I have, is the old fashioned metal body penlight that uses a #222 bulb and has that demonically possessed switch on the tail. I still have it to remind me of what 'designed by Satan's engineers' lights are. (push switch on tail).

Hmmmmm ... Christmas 1953 or '54 I got a "BSA" 2D flashlight that was absolutely wonderful. It was a chromed brass beastie in the usual 2D flashlight shape and size, had the usual slide switch plus pushbutton, but had a few features not found on many other lights.

On the body there were three small buttons that slid in three narrow slots fore and aft: One green, one red, one black. They were attached to three cylindrical "filters" that could be pushed up around the PR type lamp, a red, green, and "flood" (translucent white).

Amazingly, the beam from this odd duck of a light was quite decent, and the construction was sound enough to withstand many years of exuberant use by a male child (me).

(I tried to always feed it Burgess Batteries - those stout black and white striped cells, but Ray-O-Vac's were an acceptable second choice. )

Most memorable light... Still has to be an old Everready camp light. It is square shaped and takes 4 D cells made out of red plastic with black handles. It can go constant on or flash. It was the early to mid 70's and my Dad used it for our Indian Guide outings. I always thought it was the coolest thing to stand it on the handles and angle the beam. The light is still on my Dad's workbench shelf today and I smile every time I see it.

My first real light was a 2 AA Gag. I had seen them around for a while and wanted one in the worst way. I saved up and made a special trip to the store to pick one for myself. I got a satin grey one that I still have today. I look at it today and still remember how happy I was to finally get that light.

MAG AAA------1997

Must have been 1983-84, I was just a very little`un. Chrome finish 2 d-cell light with one of those 3 position slider switches - the ones with the red blink-button for momentary flashing. Screw-in bulb, I remember that one cos I`d keep unscrewing the head and bulb and losing it in the carpet!

But this one was special cos it had two extra sliders adjacent to the switch, one red and one green. Sliding either up to the head of the light would make it change colour which I thought was magic....almost. Coaxial, cylindrical red and green filters were held within the body and connected to those coloured sliders. Now there was a neat idea, why can`t they do that today? All these push-on, flip-off filter covers...bah!

I forget who made it but it could have been Pifco, a company whos lighting products I am very fond of. I saw one similar on Ebay a while back but foolishly forgot about it until it was too late, so I missed out. There will be another....

I reckon it was this first torch of mine that set my fascination with lights a-rolling, and might explain why I now have close to 150 of the things today. Oh, and 2000+ light bulbs and 350 boxed decoration light sets....

My first serious flashlight was a Kel-Lite 3C purchased in 1979. Still have it. Came with lifetime warranty and unique serial number. Black anodized aluminum with slide switch.

My first inherited light I got when my Uncle Jimmy passed away in 1975. I was rummaging around his stuff my folks stacked in a pile and found an old WWII flashlight that belonged to him (he was a navel officer). It's the kind that looks like a short piece of pipe with an elbow fitting at the end which held the lamp. Still have it around here somewhere. First "real" light was an ARC LS (this year).

1993- 4D maglight. This is the brightest light you can get, I (thought) Just wish the beam didn't have that black circle!

2001 compared a friends 6p to the mag- unreal size and power difference.

2001 bought SF M3 WOW!!

2002 bought SF M6 Seems to make people think your a swat member as they look on in amazement.

1999- SF 6P, blew everything out of the water from that day onwards, there is no substitute for lumens.
2000- SF 9P, again, lumens and more lumens
2002- KL3, i have seen the light and LED's are the wave of the future (and sheer coolness factor of that design )

First light was a Ray-O-Vac 2 AA chrome penlight with a twist-ring switch near the light end. Got it in my Christmas stocking in 1963 or 1964. Lost it a few years later. Found one just like it on eBay last year. $18 for a $2 (original price)light, but I just HAD to have it, you know? First REAL light was a Ray-O-Vac lantern that runs on a 6 volt battery. This thing is plastic with a handle/stand that pivots around the rotary switch so you can aim it where you want. I got this in the late '60s or early '70s and it still works fine. Actually has a pretty good beam because the plastic reflector has an orange-peely texture.
Kirk

good stories.

about '85, a mini gag AA. thought it was the coolest.

about '91, a gag 3C then a 3D. thought it was the coolest.

1998 i found out about this cool little lite made by surefire llc. a 6P. the rest, as they say, is history.

Around 1973 or so... Eveready 2-way with sealed beam headlamp and blinking red taillamp. oh o9h here comes someone gottago.

Don't remember the date, or the kind of light. It was in the late 70's probably. It was made of that chromed corrugated metal stuff and internally had 2 sleeves, a red and a green that could be pushed up over the bulb to make it change colors. It had little rivets on the side that you pushed up or down.

I had a lot of fun with that light.

Early 70's, a small red bodied flashlight with a bulb with a built in lens in a white plastic head.
If you pulled off the head too prongs showed and you could stick it in a wallsocket to recharge it.
I thought I had the coolest flashlight there was...

James - yours sounds just about exactly like mine - even the "rivets" that operated the filters. I expect it was a design that a few manufacturers worldwide used.

Slide both red and green up together and you got a dim, brown light! Hmmm...maybe that`s where my inspiration for the Torch Reviews Site`s colour scheme came from after all?

CRAIG!!!

Green-haired one... you have been missed

And to be a little bit more on-topic:

My first memorable flashlight was a chromed beast with the now infamous slide-switch & red translucent blinkie-button.

A 5D-job with a krypton bulb... travelling with all my classmates to an island, we wandered around one night at the shore... It was impressive to use this light while everyone had only lame 1AA, 2C and similar stuff

No brand-name that I recall, but it had a textured reflector. I guess this was back in 1977 or so.

Seth