Cheeze1617
Newly Enlightened
What is this spy 007 light? Who makes it and why are some for sell for 1000$ or more. I don't get it.Whats so special about it? Where do people buy them?
Spy 007
- Thread starter Cheeze1617
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
Arm and Leg
Banned
POPCORN, POPCORN, get your popcorn here!
franzdom
Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2013
- Messages
- 359
You may want to visit Cool Fall to read more, I am also still trying to navigate this question. I already know I want one but not quite sure why.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?94-Cool-Fall
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?94-Cool-Fall
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?94-Cool-Fall Pretty much everything you need to know. Take a look at the Tri-V2 if you think the Spy is pricey. But, for many they are the grail light.
BenChiew
Flashlight Enthusiast
Surely to thrill. Check Dave's section under Cool Fall.
easilyled
Flashaholic
Welcome to CPF, the world's Premier Flashlight Forum. :wave:
If you can't tell the difference between a Panerai and a Sekonda, a Ferrari or a Hyundai, a Bollinger or a Lambrusco, then my advice to you would be to forget about the SPY 007.
However, if you can tell the difference, then hopefully you'll understand that the same principle is at work in this Flashlight Forum as in all the other walks of life regarding materialism.
Cheeze1617
Newly Enlightened
Are they expensive because they are custom?
Last edited:
AnAppleSnail
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm certain that that's not what he meant. Please don't take such quick offense. Here is an appropriate thread for your query. He helpfully linked you to the forum (For lights made by Data) where I found you this thread. Check out the words and pictures.
Much of the price of the Spy 007 is not in simple specifications or numbers. Hold in your mind the idea of a custom-made, highly-configurable light with very different design and capabilities than most lights have. I just want to touch one of the 'gunner grip' ones to see what that finish feels like. Why are they special? For those reasons. Why is it worth it? Well, it isn't. Not to everyone.
easilyled
Flashaholic
Since you've decided to be rude, I don't have to take crap from you either.
Either you're prepared to pay for something you like or you're not.
If you don't think flashlights are worth the bother, then why are you on a Flashlight Forum?
mohanjude
Flashlight Enthusiast
You have just joined the forum and you are so rude to a long standing member who is well respected. You ask the question like a petulant child. Why ask such a question? Are you trying to insult the people who buy this flashlight. Now why don't you try and direct your rudeness towards me as I know absolutely nothing so I bought 11 of these flashlights.
Arm and Leg
Banned
***rude comment removed***
He's just unhappy he can't afford one, so he decides to come and be rude to people who try to talk to him.
He's just unhappy he can't afford one, so he decides to come and be rude to people who try to talk to him.
Last edited:
Cheeze1617
Newly Enlightened
Thank you for the redirection. I want to say I'm sorry, I just had a bad day and had a bad reaction to getting many replies but not very many useful answers.
Bullzeyebill
Flashaholic
Enough criticism re Cheeze1617. He edited out his belligerent comments in post 7, and has now apologized.
Bill
Bill
franzdom
Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2013
- Messages
- 359
How was my answer not very helpful? Did you even know about their subforum before I answered?
Cheeze1617
Newly Enlightened
I was trying to figure out why they were so expensive. I didn't know they were custom built from a guy.
franzdom
Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2013
- Messages
- 359
It's cool, I just found that forum today, I love high end titanium things so I am sure I am going to love one of these. If I knew what the specs are for some of them I would have shared.
Arm and Leg
Banned
JCD
Enlightened
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2010
- Messages
- 892
To be fair, I've had some of the same questions. I just didn't post them. Reading through the forum didn't answer them.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to imply in any way, form, or fashion that Cool Fall's, or any other custom maker's, products are not worth their price. I just don't get it myself. Perhaps if I had one in my hand, I would understand. I probably would, actually.
In my experience, true custom products usually must be experienced for their value to be understood. I've had some custom pool cues over the years. The same people who initially couldn't understand how anyone could spend well over $1000 (sometimes several thousand) for a pool cue were often the same people who drooled the most when they saw those cues in person, even more so if they had the opportunity to play with them.
Similarly, at one time, I didn't understand why Surefire lights commanded a premium price compared to other brands that boasted better specs on paper. Then I bought one and experienced it for myself. Oh. That's why.
After a couple years playing with D26 LED drop-ins, I couldn't understand why some people still preferred incans. Then I bought a C2, a couple 16340 IMR cells, and a P91. Then I understood.
Some things must be experienced to be appreciated.
Last edited:
Cheeze1617
Newly Enlightened
Money is not the problem
mohanjude
Flashlight Enthusiast
Ok that's much better that you edited your coments but should at least apologise to easilyled - he even welcomed you to this forum. Every few months someone will stumble on this forum and start this discussion about why is x light so much $$$$. You are asking a reasonable question and If I may I will give you some idea of why things work out very expensive in custom fabrication especially titanium flashlights.
Custom machining is a very expensive business. There are some people on this forum who will charge $30-40 to mill a small 1.5mmx6mm trit slot on a torch. Why? That is is because it takes time to set up the machine and it takes several passes to actually mill a slot that is only 1.6mm in depth. This may take 20-25 minutes to do which is where the money is spent. This is simply to carve out a slot in a titanium torch. Titanium is a fairly easy material to work with but it needs very hard and expensive tools such as carbide. These tools are not cheap, they wear out quickly and require extra time and effort due to the hardness of titanium.
now to custom build a complex titanium flashlight such as the 007 or the Tri-V would take hundreds of hours of planning, drawing, making prototypes, refining the design and that is just the shell of the light. You still need to get the electronics worked out, the reflectors, Lenses and everything else that goes into making these work - the guts. This is also a trial and error process. These range of spy flashlights are no ordinary flashlights - they have complex programming built into the drivers of the flashlight. This itself would have taken many hours to design and test to ensure that the functionality works. The assembly is even more fiddly - try taking one apart yourself. The maching of the parts cannot be done in a single operation and require several stages of production.
When I first stumbled on the spy Tri-v my initial sentiment was - you must be kidding (price!!) ..... But having purchased it and looked at in detail and then going onto to making little parts myself to mod it over the last few months I now realise that everything about the light is very complex. Even the battery cap is complicated. The inventor could have just made a very boring battery cap but he chose to make it a puzzle and very interesting in the way it works and operates the latch. If you try to replicate this you will realise that it is not a easy task to design this from scratch. It could have been made much more simpler but that would have reduced the 'wow factor' for people who appreciate the design that has gone into it.
in this day and age we find that things are mass produced and that creates assembly plants which drive costs down. Things are constantly designed to keep costs down. Somethings are sold for just a few dollars because there is very little mark up. These rely on volume sales. Others are sold with a high mark up because there is a demand for the item. Custom items need to be more expensive than assembly plant items as they are produced in small numbers and are very labour intensive. This of course means that hand made things are very expensive. Try a handmade suit, shoes and you know the cost just jumps up.
I truly do not know what the profit margin is for the range of spy lights but I am happy to pay the inventor his asking price as I feel that his efforts are worth rewarding by the way of purchasing his lights. There is no sense in questioning this - if I do not feel it justifies I should simply look elsewhere. I don't question why a Picasso is worth $100 million plus as I have no qualification or means to argue about this.
Is it absolutely necessary to spend $2800 on a flashlight? Well I guess it depends on what floats your boat. Some people might spend $12000 on a one way first class transatlantic flight for what most people on cattle class will pay $1500. It is down to prefetence and what you are willing to pay for. Others might feel that a Yacht is a good means of transport while somebody else might settle for a bicycle. I guess what I am trying to say is that it is not easy to put a value or worth on things.
Bottom line is that if you want the most complex and highly engineered titanium flashlight out there which also doubles as very useful flashlight (the Tri-v has a emitter for all sorts of lighting requirements) you won't find anything more handy than a Tri-V to fit the bill.
Does this help answer your question?
Custom machining is a very expensive business. There are some people on this forum who will charge $30-40 to mill a small 1.5mmx6mm trit slot on a torch. Why? That is is because it takes time to set up the machine and it takes several passes to actually mill a slot that is only 1.6mm in depth. This may take 20-25 minutes to do which is where the money is spent. This is simply to carve out a slot in a titanium torch. Titanium is a fairly easy material to work with but it needs very hard and expensive tools such as carbide. These tools are not cheap, they wear out quickly and require extra time and effort due to the hardness of titanium.
now to custom build a complex titanium flashlight such as the 007 or the Tri-V would take hundreds of hours of planning, drawing, making prototypes, refining the design and that is just the shell of the light. You still need to get the electronics worked out, the reflectors, Lenses and everything else that goes into making these work - the guts. This is also a trial and error process. These range of spy flashlights are no ordinary flashlights - they have complex programming built into the drivers of the flashlight. This itself would have taken many hours to design and test to ensure that the functionality works. The assembly is even more fiddly - try taking one apart yourself. The maching of the parts cannot be done in a single operation and require several stages of production.
When I first stumbled on the spy Tri-v my initial sentiment was - you must be kidding (price!!) ..... But having purchased it and looked at in detail and then going onto to making little parts myself to mod it over the last few months I now realise that everything about the light is very complex. Even the battery cap is complicated. The inventor could have just made a very boring battery cap but he chose to make it a puzzle and very interesting in the way it works and operates the latch. If you try to replicate this you will realise that it is not a easy task to design this from scratch. It could have been made much more simpler but that would have reduced the 'wow factor' for people who appreciate the design that has gone into it.
in this day and age we find that things are mass produced and that creates assembly plants which drive costs down. Things are constantly designed to keep costs down. Somethings are sold for just a few dollars because there is very little mark up. These rely on volume sales. Others are sold with a high mark up because there is a demand for the item. Custom items need to be more expensive than assembly plant items as they are produced in small numbers and are very labour intensive. This of course means that hand made things are very expensive. Try a handmade suit, shoes and you know the cost just jumps up.
I truly do not know what the profit margin is for the range of spy lights but I am happy to pay the inventor his asking price as I feel that his efforts are worth rewarding by the way of purchasing his lights. There is no sense in questioning this - if I do not feel it justifies I should simply look elsewhere. I don't question why a Picasso is worth $100 million plus as I have no qualification or means to argue about this.
Is it absolutely necessary to spend $2800 on a flashlight? Well I guess it depends on what floats your boat. Some people might spend $12000 on a one way first class transatlantic flight for what most people on cattle class will pay $1500. It is down to prefetence and what you are willing to pay for. Others might feel that a Yacht is a good means of transport while somebody else might settle for a bicycle. I guess what I am trying to say is that it is not easy to put a value or worth on things.
Bottom line is that if you want the most complex and highly engineered titanium flashlight out there which also doubles as very useful flashlight (the Tri-v has a emitter for all sorts of lighting requirements) you won't find anything more handy than a Tri-V to fit the bill.
Does this help answer your question?
