——title:———————————————————————————-
Thorfire TK05 - single AA LED flashlight
——appearance and build quality————————————————————————-
the outside styling is attractive, and not overdone.
it seems to be part of a Thorfire family of styles - looks like a baby TK18.
it seems very well built and likely to be waterproof. (though i didn’t try it)
anodizing is nice and black, though i scratched it when i removed the clip.
i like the front ring styling, it is also useful.
by not being solid, you can set the light on its face and light still can get out.
——user interface————————————————————————
one side switch - VERY nice feel to that switch, my favorite side switch of all time. it is not illuminated.
you can position the clip so that it points to the switch.
modes are simple: low, medium, high, in that order
it has mode memory. it cannot be turned off. (sometimes you want it, sometimes you do not.)
sequencing is LMH LMH LMH etc-which is good
single short click turns it on. while on, short click goes through LMH, etc.
double click goes to strobe mode.
strobe is interesting - it varies its flash speed as it runs.
it is hard to get to the strobe mode accidentally - this is a good thing.
long click turns the light off.
mode spacing is decent, it claims 3, 70, 240 lumens, on NiMH AA. i believe that.
14500 lithium produces different, mostly higher levels, i did not test that.
i prefer more levels, including a 1 or less lumen at the low end but it only has 3.
it will shut off when the battery gets too low, which is good.
though you MIGHT wish it would stay on til the end, with disposable batteries.
——light color, pattern, and tint————————————————————————-
light color is fair, it is pretty cold for a ‘neutral’, plus it has some purply and yellowy zones out of the hot spot.
some color options for light output would be nice - specifically a warmer option.
the light pattern is very useable, a wide-ish center hot spot then gradual taper off to the sides, still useable as much as 30 degrees off center.
it has no PWM, which is good. (cheap lights actually flash at a high rate, to do their dimming, this is a bad thing and this light is free of it.)
——misc comments:——————————————————————
it can tailstand. this is good.
you an attach a lanyard.
the clip is ok though it is not reversible.
this light is very short at 84mm, i happen to like shortness over almost everything else, and plan to EDC this light unless i need a LOT of time or brightness,
for that i have several 18650 lights, but they are all too big for pocket really. the small ones are unreliable, i have had 3 or 4 of them.
it could be a little shorter with a TIR optic but it is ok in the length dept.
it warns you about ‘HOT’ on the light but it will never get dangerous unless you have lithium in there.
it comes with spare o rings
the manual is in good english, easy to understand mostly
clip cannot be reversed
18 month warranty
——summary:————————————————————————
i like it.
some of the things i don;t like are just personal preferences, or they are different from what i am used to
what i like:
finish
size
light output
side switch = positioning and QUALITY of the switch
suggestion for improvement:
warmer light color, less purple and yellow zones
lower low level, 1 lumen or less
2-3 more intermediate levels
what i don;t like:
nothing really, it is pretty good.
——disclaimer:———————————————————————
thorfire did ask me to review this light and gave me a sample to review
but now that you’ve read this far, i hope you can see i’m not playing favorites for that.
wle.