Flashlight Purchasing: Patriot or Cosmopolitanist

I'm interested to know to what extent an individual's Patriotism affects his (her) buying habits with regard to Flashlights.

Are you a Flashaholic Patriot (tend to buy flashlights mainly from the country you live in, in order to support your country's economy)?

OR

Are you a Flashaholic Cosmopolitanist (buy flashlights regardless of country of manufacture and based on other decisions)?

EDIT: Please vote in the Poll above if you're happy for this information to be recorded publically.
Please don't explain below why you prefer one country to another. That is not the purpose of this thread.

I am trying to change over to USA Made lights when/where possible. e.g., Surefire, Maglite, Elzetta, HDS/Ra, some Nova Tacs etc. And if that's not possible, at least a USA company that has its lights made overseas. e.g., TerraLUX, Coast, Energizer, and some Streamlights, etc...

JohnnyBravo said:

I am trying to change over to USA Made lights when/where possible. e.g., Surefire, Maglite, Elzetta, HDS/Ra, some Nova Tacs etc. And if that's not possible, at least a USA company that has its lights made overseas. e.g., TerraLUX, Coast, Energizer, and some Streamlights, etc...

Click to expand...

Thanks for the answer. Please feel free to vote in the poll above

I try to get a good product no matter where it is built, as long as the people building them are treated correctly.

Good quality is good quality.

I don't think its possible to vote for option 1, since parts, components and often times circuit board assemblies are not made in any single country.

I buy designs that meet my personal preferences. I also buy from manufacturers and retailers who stand behind their products. I don't care what country, or if its domestic or over-seas... customer service, quality and robust design can come from anywhere in the world.

slightly OT: My only reservation is that I distrust customs... foreign or domestic.

I voted option 3, but I could have voted for option 2 just as well.

I tend to focus on buying the most durable and reliable flashlights. They just happen to be from the USA.

But, since I do want flashlights capable of taking every kind of battery, I've had to broaden my horizons and go for alternative lights, which are made errywhere.

I really don't care - China, USA, Azerbaijan, whatever - as long as I'm getting what I've paid for. If flashlights were made in my country they'd probably be a piece of crap, so no "flashlight patriotism" here.

Cheers

Majority of my lights are USA made, but I do have a couple of Chinese made ones. I just prefer a more robust light over bells and whistles. Not that I don't have the bells and whistles to play with, just not for serious use.

Hard to answer with the selections. I prefer to buy from my country. But, if another makes a better product then have to consider them as well.

A bit of both, leaning toward patriotic. A lot of what I look for is made and available here, but there are a few exceptions.

I buy mostly American made lights, especially when they aren't cheapies. Mostly Mag-Lites and Surefires. I have a couple of decent foreign made ones, like the Maratac AAA I use on my keychain, and a Dorcy 1 watt (123 battery) I use as a battery vampire. The Maratac AAA may be replaced by the Mag-Lite Solitaire LED when I get one.

Overall, I prefer to keep as much of my money in the USA as possible. I know that it's impossible to get a light these days that is 100% made in the USA, but if one is at least partially made here, that's better than one that's completely made elsewhere.

Most of my lights are made in the USA. It seems the lights I like are made by companies/people who live here. I guess it could have ended up the other way around, but it didn't. Most of the flavor of the month lights come from Asia, and I'm not into those kinds of lights, thus, I have few lights from those parts of the world.

It's no secret I'm a Surefire addict/fanboy. They've earned my business and trust.
The first step is being made in North America.

Philosophically, I'd buy flashlights from any company located in a country that isn't an enemy of mine in some way. But I end up buying US flashlights because I'm not really familiar with the foreign flashlight market other than China.

I'll buy the best flashlight for my purposes regardless of where its made. If the features are even in the same ballpark (and high lumens is NOT one of them), I would definitely tip toward US-made, even if significantly more expensive. I also like paying more for quality, warranty and customer support and the US-made flashlights seem to have the best of all that too.

Having said that.... I don't own any recent US-made flashlights since AA compatibility is a minimum requirement for me (although considering a Peak QTC).

Thanks for all the feedback so far, everyone.
At present, Cosmopolitanists 60%, Patriots 40% (including "would-be's")

Of course the number of votes would still need to be much more for the figures to be of much significance, but I find it interesting nevertheless.

I get being patriotic but I'm not going to do without a light or any object for that matter just because it wasn't made locally. If I want it I want it regardless of anything :0

Also since I live in the UK, 99% of lights are imported, I don't know of any UK production lights worth talking about :/ if I lived in the USA I'd probably be more patriotic

I tend to buy my lights in 'kit form', and they tend to be Chinese.
When I say 'kit form', it's because most of the lights on the market don't do exactly what I want. I buy the inexpensive Chinese lights, gut them, and put my own drivers and leds in them.
The Chinese lights aren't very reliable as standard, and they usually have stupid 'disco modes', but the machined aluminum parts tend to be pretty good, and I can make a decent flashlight to my own specifications using them as raw material.

So, my lights are 'Made in America' by me, but using mostly overseas components

I buy US made or assembled lights mainly. The only exception is for battery-less lights, since none of them are made here.

ABTOMAT said:

Philosophically, I'd buy flashlights from any company located in a country that isn't an enemy of mine in some way. But I end up buying US flashlights because I'm not really familiar with the foreign flashlight market other than China.

Click to expand...

I can agree with this.

I have no philosophic reasons to not buy something made in Switzerland/France/Canada/Australia/Germany/Turkey/Brazil/UK/Etc.


Not a fan of slave labor and communism though ...