Luxeons at Sharper Image

I happened to stop in at the local Sharper Image earlier today. I hadn't been there in awhile and was pretty jazzed to find a couple of very nice flashlights for sale!

With their longstanding history with Inova, I guess I wasn't surprised to see them already carrying the 3 watt Inova XO3 (about $70 bucks as I recall),...It looks like a really great light, but if I can't carry it as an EDC, it'll just be another reasonably priced Luxeon flashlight, sitting around collecting dust (I already have two other inexpensive Luxeons at roughly that size, which I keep handy in case of emergency).

I was however, VERY pleasantly surprised to see a brand new (generic brand) 1X 123, 1 Watt.

I have no idea who makes it, but it's almost the exact same size as my QIII, the body color is silver-tone, it has a clicker, a lanyard (as well as a NICE nylon pouch), and sells for $29.99. From what I could tell from the store's open sample, it has VERY nice, bright white light. (At 3 Watts, my QIII is brighter, but this $30 light seems to be just as white...and I own one of the WHITE QIII's!) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

At that price (and considering there are no shipping charges), I would have bought it in a heartbeat if I didn't already have my QIII (which serves very well as my EDC- I wear it on my belt in it's nice little, unobtrusive black pouch). Now that I'm talking about it, I might just go back and get one of those 1 watt lights anyway...Never hurts to have a spare! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

This one? Looks pretty nice at the price. What kind of switch does it have?

I think you need to get one and give us a review!

-john

it has a firm clicky switch and is pretty bright for its size. Nice light!

Osprey_Guy:

I was all set to buy one of those online,
until taxes and shipping charges took it to almost forty two dollars. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sick2.gif

Do you have a PayPal account? Would you mind buying an extra and shipping it to me?

[ QUOTE ]
Do you have a PayPal account? Would you mind buying an extra and shipping it to me?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's late and I'm tired and this is probably meant as humor that's just going over my head.

I buy the flashlight and pay the local taxes. I go home and take the time to package it up, and then drive to the post office where I stand in line so that I can pay for shipping.

And you're concerned that it will cost you close to $40 if you do it from your end? Am I missing something? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Osprey Guy:

Gusss I'm just trying to express my frustraition with the overpriced shipping charges at Sharper Image. Perhaps I should have asked you for the address of the store: implying that I would rather drive to another state rather than pay the shipping charges. Would that have been more blatently sarcastic?

(Guess I should not post when it is past my bedtime. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif)

Listen, I can't tell you how often I've posted stuff when I was dog-tired and bleary-eyed....only to regret it the following day.

I had a feeling you were probably being humerous/sarcastic...I guess I was just too tired to fully pick up on that that and respond in the spirit in which your message was intended.

BTW- Last night I looked to see if your profile indicated where you lived...no such luck. The Sharper Image store is in the Towson Town Center in Baltimore, MD.

Well, I couldn't help myself. Even tho I recally don't have a need for one, I snuck down the the local Sharper Image store and picked one of these up.

I have to say I really like this light, esp. for the price. It comes with a Duracell battery a small black holster and a wrist lanyard.

The bezel and tailcap have a single, pretty heavy duty O ring so good points on water resistance there.

It looks like an NX05, which is fine by me, but I'm sure the reflecter police will throw their rocks.

The only donwside as far as I can tell is the optics don't appear to be protected. I haven't take the optics out yet, so I can't comment on waterproofing there or confirm the lack of a protective lens.

It is about the same length as my E1 + KL1 (old style) + E series clicky - a hair longer. It looks longer than it is because of a protective shroud around the button, where on the E series the button sticks up by itself.

It's clicky is firm but reasonable. Slightly smoother than my E series clicky (no tuneup).

LED is pretty white, where the particular KL1 I have is somewhat purple.

Fair amount brighter than my KL1, but I don't know how old the battery is.

Not sure about the electronics, but it does have some. I can see a small IC and a coil while looking in the battery compartment.

The lanyard is of nice quality. Looks like a camera lanyard.

The case is also very nice. Small, black and fits nice. The only downside is the belt loop attachement looks like it will not be horribly durable.

All in all an incredible little package for the price. Say, didn't the Reactor cost about this!?

-john

FWIW, I think this is a Nuwai light. Check the similarity to this one on flashlightreviews.com.

-john

I'd also guess that this is a Nuwai, roughly the same as the Q-I.

Is the clicky the Chinese "reverse tactical" type that comes "on" on the upstroke, so you can't really do a momentary? It is on the Q-III... which I like a lot anyway.

No, you can do momentary. Momentary isn't *quite* as smooth (close) as the E series clicky, but the actual clicky part is better than E series (that I have).

-john

Does this lights beam look more like blue, or more like yellow??

I'd say more whiteish.

-john

oh,, ok, thnx john,, and also,, im knew...,but would you recomend the inova x5, and about how many lumens does it put?

Sorry, I don't have an Inova X5, so I can't say for sure, but I suspect the Sharper Image light is whiter and brigher than the X5. But probably more limited runtime too.

-john

Sharper Image has that light, and the inova x5, and the inova t3,

Hi Han,

Do a search and you should be able to find endless dicussion of the X5, and quite abit out about the T3. I haven't been really that interested in those lights for a variety of reasons.

I really do like this one tho. Great, bright, well built light for the price.

-john

How about posting some pics of this light, John?

Yah yah yah. Ok, I'll try to.

-john

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Thanks. The light indeed looks interesting.