FW3A, a TLF/BLF EDC flashlight - SST-20 available, coupon codes public

Agree with the 45º step down to the tube on the Tool, I have all 3 versions (Brass, Copper and Titanium) and they did the 45º bevel on the step down to the tube on all of them and it looks nice, doesn’t take away from the clean lines and virtually eliminates snagging.

(Finding a picture online, this from outdoornerd, was easier than snapping a pic and uploading it)

Its funny how people have completely opposite ideas about the aesthetics of the old and new design.
I personally think the new design is a huge improvement.

I was not too crazy about the original, but functionally it sounded really cool. In my opinion the new design is much much better.
I dont like the luminitop Tool design at all, to me it just looks incredibly low effort and unimaginative. I have seen nicer looking spark plugs.

Yes I have a completely opposite view of this than you do

The first design is original (at least for me). The new design remember me the Nitecore Concept, remember the HDS lights……I not find the new design as improvement. Of course I like the Technical qualities, the interface, the switch…. but is a shame lost the original design.

Agree 100%

Please add me to the interest list. (Better late than never.)

Nobody is late yet. Development isn’t finished, and it won’t be available until sometime next year.

I like the original design better as well, but I will still order this tapered version.

I don’t know. I like both versions but the new tapered maybe will be better if it has a 45degree bevel at the tailcap too like Dale said and showed on Lumintop TOOL.

I’ve already managed to mess up my prototype a little. I replaced the 1x7135 chip with a different brand to see if it’d help, and it seems to have made the driver stick out a little so now I can’t thread the thing together quite as far. It still works, but I’ll have to fix it next time I take out the driver.

OTOH, I greatly improved the button debouncing. It’s not 100% yet, but it’s at least like 90% now.

Regardless of how the tapered section works out, whether it’s 5 degrees or 45 degrees or 90 degrees, the narrow middle area makes the light much more comfortable to hold. It fits comfortably between any two fingers, which isn’t something I can say for most of my 18650 lights.

This prototype has the wrong emitters (XP-G2), and there are some thin wires, and my main contact points are weak at the moment due to the replaced chip not fitting quite right, and my battery wasn’t full, but I did some quick output tests…

  • Moon: 0.24 lm (after swapping 1x7135 chip)
  • 1x7135: 160 lm
  • 8x7135: 1063 lm (highest regulated level)
  • FET: 2160 lm

The real thing should go significantly higher (though keep in mind the high modes are basically burst only, not for sustained use).

I also like the orignal the design better (even more with a 45 degree slope). But like ToyKeeper mentioned before, this way it gets a bit more thermal mass and that is (to my opinion) something this light could use very well. But I rather would have seen it in a different way (a thicker wall maybe). I still like the inside of this light so I would buy it anyway.

TK: For quick hack can you dremel the 7135 to size?

Are quick bursts shorter than 10sec?

How quick gets it hot fully regulated?

Yes Dale, you have an eye for detail and beauty.

Hmz,

I signed up for this

Now its fully blasted and tapered?

I like the original shape (that tapered design, can’t get used to it), but the blasted look of the latest sample.

Several times now I have headed out to the lathe to build a light, with the internal components in hand and no design cues in mind at all. Start out making the tail switch fit into a bar stock and then machine a copper light engine to hold the driver and emitter/s of choice. Then put the pieces together and shape the outside to whatever feels right. It’s odd maybe, but doing it that way the design takes it’s own shape on-the-fly and has produced some really neat and interesting results. Like making the battery tube fit my fingers in the grip I like to use, then seeing it resembled to spools of thread stacked on top of each other. I like machining it after it’s assembled because it makes the two pieces seem as one, even a transition between copper and aluminum the metal seems to be one piece that abruptly changes colors. I like that, it amazes me. (I’m easily amazed, true enough)

So it’s not that I don’t like the ramp on the tube, it’s just that I was drawn to Fritz’s primary design to begin with. It was more Raw, elemental, form following function. And so it goes, it’s never-ending…. :wink:

Yeah, agreed.

From TLF regarding the design:

Nice Moonlight!