Arc LE?

What does the Arc LE have that the regular one doesn't? TTS still shows some in stock for only 4 dollars more. Is it worth it?

I do believe its the HAIII finish and S-Rank nichia LED. And maybe something to do with the deeper knurling too.

Yup!
And TTS is a good place to buy from.

Oh yes, it's worth it. A very durable light.

Go for it! I bought two LE's from TTS a couple of weeks ago and they are AWESOME! They are as bright as a streamlight stylus and about half the size.And they got here only about two days after i ordered!

Gees, I got locked out of the forum for an hour. Anyway, thanks for the feedback. Looks like the LE is the way to go.

I've had my LE for a while now.

It's a totally superb lite.

The LE is the way to go. NO rings in the beam circle, and the HA finish is like a jewel.

And.. Best of all, I think I have the problem with the "flickering" on older models solved. It's the foam retainer, taking a set, and not pressing the rear of the battery hard enough into the point at the bottom of the barrell.

I'm working on a Spring Steel/Bronze replacement that should last forever. I'll keep the group updated.

There's an Arc forum in the mfg section now. If you want to learn more than you ever thought you'd want to know about Arc's, take a look.

Here's the deal on the LE:

It is currently the only one with a natural (colored) HA III finish. The standard now has black HA III finish. Except for the very limited CPF edition, the LE is the only Arc to have the SB1 ranked white bulb. The standard has the SB2 which is the same brightness but a slightly different tint.

So, for your extra money, you are getting the natural color and the different tint. Many of us think it is worth the extra money, but the standard is a fantastic light as well, and now VERY similar to the LE.

Has anyone got their Arc LE (with HA III finish) scratched by the keys yet? I intend to use it in a keyring and would like to see how good resist the scratces. My Infinity on a keyring now is &$%#@$!

Ake

Well, my own CPF has seen some action on hard surfaces (like concrete sidewalk and ceramic floor tiles) and its been in my backpack rubbing against a stainless steel multitool for a week - absolutely no sign of any wear yet.

--its been in my backpack rubbing against a stainless steel multitool for a week - absolutely no sign of any wear yet--

I'd think the multi-tool would show some wear by now

I have an early model LE that is in my pocket daily and shows no sign of wear. I also tested the HA finish by abusing a Benchmade 942 on it. Sawing and scraping did nothing. Only by stabing did I get a small knick. My blade got lots of knick's and I had to work to resharpen it.
HA all the way!!!

I have a question about the finish on the Arc AAA:

Which finishes are you guys talking about that doesn't show any wear after being scratched with keys or a knife? I don't know much about the different versions, so I'll just tell you that I bought my Arc AAA from www.theledlight.com about a month or two ago. It has the black finish. I sometimes keep it in my pocket with my keys, and much of the black has already worn off of the tops of the knurling. The metal itself is fine, and the flashlight works great. I guess what I want to know is if this is normal wear? Are you guys talking only about the one with the natural finish, or do I have an Arc AAA with an inferior finish?

Any insight that anyone can provide would be much appreciated.

I was in Tulsa on the weekend, and we used my Arc LE as a replacement drill bit on the local oil rig.

Narry a scratch.

Oh, ya. It still lights up.

Just kidding... April Fool, ya know!

BTW: The HA is the way to go. Why Fisher Pen doesn't have one, I dunno...

PhilAlex: Fisher doesn't have any Space Pens in Type III Hard Anodize probably because they have some with black or gold titanium nitride finish. Its also hard, (Rc 80-90) like the HA, and quite attractive in a different way. Would be nice to have a matched set, though. The black titanium nitride Bullet pen is georgeous but twice the cost of the chrome model and no matching clip.

I had a titanium coated fisher for a while. The "waist" of it discoloured since opening and closing the pen tended to wear away the coating.

I was so anal that for a while, I rubbed all the black coating off my regular annodized one and paid $80 to have it Nickel Plated. Lasted a while.

However, the pen was now thinner and the cap slid much farther down the length when put on the "butt" end.

I told Fisher about it, and they said I was the first person to do that.

Anyhow... I'll stick with Chrome... Silver would never wear, but I don't like the way it tarnishes, and I'm not paying for a Solid Gold Fisher!

Chrome is cheap, cheerful, and I find 'em at good prices on Ebay.

Phil

The older standard Arc didn't have type III HA, but all the new standard ones do. sounds like you got an older one. The LE has always had the type III HA.

My Arc-LE scratches the other keys on my keychain, and also makes a good nail file (blasphemy!). The regular Arc has a less sharp knurling--make sure you get version 3 (comes in a blister pack) so you get the HA-III finish.

THe LE is HA type III and compared to an ara AAA it will definately not scratch as easily.

Beam is supposed to be a little whiter, although I don't see a lot of difference.

I really like the grey color compared to black. It's sort of like a finish you'd see on tools...

FYI

Thanks for the info everyone. The Arc AAA I got came simply in a small Zip-Loc bag. Don't get me wrong-- I LOVE my Arc AAA and I always have it with me-- I just didn't understand how some of yours were so scratch resistant. It's still a virtually indestructable flashlight!