Help! How to get a new SF KL1 lens?

I tried to swap out my KL1 LED for a whiter bin, but I'm guessing that because of a prior crack (which I could see but which didn't seem to affect the beam too much), the pyrex lens cracked and chipped little further. Although I could put the chipped lens back, it now causes a slight defect in the beam. And I wouldn't be certain of the lens' structural integrity or of the watertightness of the flashlight.

When I wrote to SureFire asking if I could buy another lens, I got the following terse response from a Tom Bassett:

"That lens is not replaceable. When the unit was disassembled, the warranty was voided. I have been authorized to extend you a one time 25% discount."

I wouldn't mind utilising the discount to get a few other lights, but I will probably end up with a violet tinted KL1 again. All I really want is another lens. Does anyone know where to get one from?

Thanks.

Try speaking to www.flashlightlens.com
If you know the size, he can make you a nice new lens for much less than SF would charge.

Thanks Kakster. I'd forgotten all about them. I hope he has something in stock.

IMO there must be alot of Pyrex E2e lenses flowing around somewhere - its actually the same as in the KL1/Kl4 etc IMO - those lenses are left-overs from various McGizmo/TiN E2e+ builds where those think pyrex lenses were removed as they were to thick and replaced by thinner mineral lenses.

You actually have three choices size-wise though as all are the same diameter:

Ask around for one of those left-over SF Pyrex lenses
The Mineral lense from the Sandwich shop is the same size
Flashlightlense has the same size in UCL too, 22.6 or so

All except the original Pyrex lense are way thinner and might require additonal O-Rings - you might be best advised to ask around or just post a WTB for some of those Pyrex lenses IMO.

Klaus

Ya, they're pretty rude sometimes. I needed to have the bezel ring (zytel?) on my KL3 replaced because it was cracked in a fall (in the cold Colorado mountains), but they insist that they don't have parts on hand and that the whole unit needed to be replaced. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Instead, I said to myself "screw SF and their generally crappy c/s!" and I modded the bezel. It now runs at 1A and has a TWAK LuxIII with a Frean LP optic. I had never intended to do a mod to my expensive SF product prior to the accident, but the KL3 is now sooo much BETTER than stock, it was worth losing the warrantee. I managed to get the bezel ring to hold together with some really good superglue (for aerospace industry use) and it seems to be fine. I would still like to replace it sometime though... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

[ QUOTE ]
...but they insist that they don't have parts on hand and that the whole unit needed to be replaced.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did they quote you a replacement/"repair" price or did you have to buy a whole new unit?

I told them I didn't want to deal with their replacement service, due mainly to the normal turn-around time of SF for an issue like that (months in some cases seen here). The "price" would have depended on whether they decided the failure was from abuse/misuse, and who knows how that would have been interpreted. Yes, I dropped the light, but that happens during normal use. I didn't want to find out if that would be deemed misuse/abuse, and I also didn't want to spend any additional money on the bezel in finding out.

All of this was just enough prodding for me to go ahead and mod the bezel instead. At least the additional money I spent was to make it better than stock.

Just FYI, the stock SF pyrex lenses have some kind of coating on the inside. I don't know what it is, but I do know that a replacement UCL lens won't have it. You can also try:

http://www.ofrei.com

and get a sapphire watch crystal that will fit it.

I've heard such mixed results about SF customer service. Some of it was really good, much of it was not. You would think that you could get a lens out of them, considering what you spend to get one of their lights. Most people think that what you'd spend on a 6P is ridiculous, not to mention the cost of an LED light from Surefire.

What's odd is that you can get a light on CPF that will far out perform anything that Surefire offers for about the same price or less; and, although you won't get "cusomer service" per se, most CPF'ers will at least help you out if you have trouble after the sale.

I suppose I'm just ranting, but it saddens me that a another company that offers a product like Surefire's is now suffering from a case of having gotten too big for their britches (or having gotten too big to care).

Steelwolf,

PM me about the lens. I may be able to dig something up. It won't be perfect, but I suppose that less than perfect is better than cracked.

Thanks Chop. PM sent.

You know, I wonder if I shouldn't have PM McGizmo instead? If he has a number lying around, it would save Chop the time to dig up his stash.

Steelwolf,

I just PM'd you. If you want the lens, please confirm.

Chop: Thanks very much. Would you like to utilise that 25% discount? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif