Gift lights

What better way to introduce the non-flashaholics to our world? Or at least equip them with a tiny, unobtrusive tool that may help them in some way.. my first practical EDC was a blue Maglite Solitaire given to me as a gift. (my first actual EDC-for-fun was a red 10mm LED. I never seriously used it as anything more than a keyring.)

I'd like to hear your gift ideas, for guys and girls alike. Guys are a little bit easier to buy for, just give 'em the brightest light you can find, tell them to aim at face and press tailswitch, knock themselves out, etc. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif even as a flashaholic I will probably try the P91's effects on myself in a similar way when the power source arrives.

I also try to buy something that cannot be readily obtained or looks like consumer-grade stuff. Hence, no plastic, not even the Surefire G2, because the uninitiated do not readily understand the true magic behind the G2. I'd like to give away lights that I'm prepared to support, and would appreciate owning myself, too. Most important: it's gotta impress. I'm not giving away Mags because everybody's seen those and they are like 'whatever, same old'!

<$10 category:
* Photon Microlight 1 or 2 if I can get it cheap

<$20 category:
* CMG Infinity Ultra white (specialty LED colors are not received so well. A general-purpose white seems to go down much better)

<$50 category:
* Surefire 6P? (price not a big issue, I can get it for around that much)
* Streamlight Jr Luxeon?
What else is good?

<$100 category:
* Surefire E2e in satin gray? This one seems to be impossible to find.


I wish the L1 LumaMax was <$100 too, as a viable subsitute for the E2e. You can probably guess I'm not giving away many of the E2s, I don't even have one for myself /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I think the Nuwai Quantum-III Tactical Light (3W/1-123) is a nice gift. From the opinions i read it seems to be a really good light for its price. I odered two, one as a present.

They are sold in two threads in the B/S/T area: Mark2
or ViKi.
they sell them right now for $58.
here is a first impression review of PJD.

Marc

Arc AAA seems to impress those folks who've seen mine - but the photon microlight has been a consistent winner (even my wife has one on her keyring - the AAA is too big for her taste and limited use).

The Peak prototype single LED AAA lights are really nice gift lights. Naked aluminum or brass, they have the exact same body as the Arc AAA but without the anodizing. $15 a pop shipped from their closeout site.

I think one of the best gift lights is the Dorcy AAA. One of those inexpensive stocking stuffers that keeps on giving. I think everyone in my family, including my mother-in-law and uncle, got one last Christmas. A fine way to introduce LEDs to the great unwashed. Heck, even sickos like us appreciate them.

Dorcy AAA's arent bad at all for a gift... The only thing is that my local wal-mart has stopped selling them. Now all they have are these flat button cell LED lights that are only momentary...They are cheaper though @ $4. So those wont be bad.
Cameron

I just got one of the Gerber Trios from The Battery Station for $20.00. I think this will be my choice for a Christmas gift to family and friends who have been nice this year. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

Hello KevinL,

I have noticed peoples reactions to various lights. The ones that I have noticed that impress the most are:

SureFire Dominator 10X - really bright.
SureFire 9NT - really bright, nice form factor, no longer available.
Golden 8 cell DragonHID - really bright, quite small, cool color.
X990 - Looks like it should be bright, but impressed with battery run time.
TigerLight - Some think it's a Mag, until I turn it on...
Jim Sextons improved TigerLight - really bright.
Brinkman Legend LX - really bright, small size, batteries cost how much at the store?
TnC HyperLux V Black and Orange splash - nice finish, feels good in the hand, lots of light, is it really an LED?
SureFire L4 - excellent close up flood light.
BB400 in MiniMag - what an improvement!!! You can also put a sandwich in a Brinkman if you don't care for the Mag lights.

I have several ARC lights and carry (and use) an LSH-P every day at work. People are interested in the shape of the light, and noticed that it is a really bright LED, but I don't seem to get a sense from them that they are really that impressed with it. I, on the other hand, am very impressed with them. I carry an ARC AAA on my key chain and love that light. I don't like the blue tint to the beam, but for form and function, it can't be beat.

A couple of impressive plastic lights:

EternaLight - multiple functions, different shape.
UK SL4 - tight pencil beam.
PT Tec 40 - great all around light, vast improvement over the Mag lights.
CountyComm's 20 for $20 key chain LED lights - my wife's favorite.

My wife prefers the 20 for $20 over the ARC AAA because they are easier to turn on and fit her hand better. I gave a trio of Red, White, and Blue lights last Christmas and am still hearing favorable comments of how handy these lights are. They are showing up on coat zippers, purse zippers, in glove boxes, in back packs, etc.

Good luck.

Tom

Great replies, keep them coming. I'm thinking about what I'm going to give this Christmas to some people who have been truly extraordinary. As for the 10X, ahhh.. I wish I could give MYSELF that, but no /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I have to ..uh.. settle for a Mag85 with NiMH pack, but I think I can live with that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif (800 front-end lumens, rechargeable, 40 minutes, single stage output only, but it'll do.)

The MiniMag dropin conversion sounds like a good idea, but I figure the Streamlight is a little bit cheaper because you don't have to buy the MM as well. No offence to dat2zip and his excellent work with the converters, but the Streamlight gives you everything including the housing and clickie in a $30 package, so it's a bit cheaper. (dat2zip's converters come in really handy for custom work though, probably gonna load one into my LuxV mod).

Last year I gave away Photon Microlights, and you can hear the gasp. "Dang it's bright" was the reply from most of the people. This year, it's probably going to be the CMG Infinity Ultra.

Thanks for mentioning Batterystation, I just went there and got a great idea - Pelican M6 LED. PERFECT for the <$50 category!

That Pelican M6 LED is a great all around light. Hard to beat it at TBS's CPFer discount, too.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

My gift light of choice has been the Night Cutter 5C laser engraved with the recipients name (or nick name). Always well received (hey, we all suffer from vanity to one degree or another). At less than $30 it is fairly easy on the bank account too.

GL

If you're trying to lure innocent friends and family into the twisted ways of flashaholism, you may want to ease them with something that looks familiar, and then... muehahahaha

Gerber lights (Infinities, Trio, etc.)
Mini-mag with sammie
Streamlight Jr.
One of the Photon lights (or Countycomm's little ones)
*these use "common" batteries and might be more appealing to some for their familiarity*

Of course then you show them your 123 lights and...
Pelican M6
Surefire G2
Inovas

Back in the ages of no-LED Mini-mags were my choice for gifts. I'm leaning towards the Infinities nowdays, or for "special" people, sammies. Nothing disposable!

I agree with many (if not all of the above) choices. Very good torches!

I've got to plug those "Tough Pocket LED" lights that CountyComm.com is selling for $1 each!

Brookstone Tools sells them for $20 each!

Certainly worth having on hand to give out anytime and/or along with one of the others mentioned above! (Talking myself into ordering more!)

(Oh and yes that new Gerber Trio is indeed a value from The Battery Station!)

The very best light for a gift would be the one you give to...

ME! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have given many Surefires and ARCs to my friends. The ARC-AAA is a wonderful gift.

I have given many Surefires and ARCs to my friends. The ARC-AAA is a wonderful gift.

People have always been really impressed with my Inova X5T and have really appreciated them as gifts. Just seems to be a classy light.

The X5T would be a gift for a GOOD friend or appreciative family member. It's very classy, tough, and practical.

I've given several lights away. One of the best gifts IMO is the Surefire G2. Hard to go wrong there! Both my Mom and my Dad have gotten those. I also gave my Mom a Streamlight Twin Task 2x123. She is digging it! My buddy down at the machine shop who runs the lathes got my SL TT 1x123 and he loves it for an inspection light.

Other lights that have been well received were the Nightcutter Sports. Hard to beat for the money and I'm going to pick up a couple more this year.

May I also add to your list the UKE 2AAA eLed and the UKE 4AA eLed? Both are cheap ($11 and $20) and bright, with long runtimes on common batteries. Any nonflashaholic would appreciate that, I think. The only question they might have for you is "Do the batteries ever die??"
Eternalights are great too, if you can get them on sale. They have a certain 'wow' factor to a nonflashaholic but gadget oriented person...