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

Thanks for the update, TK!

Anyone want to speculate why they made the clip ring wider? I canā€™t imagine itā€™s literally just a random decisionā€¦ maybe they were afraid itā€™s too thin and might break in some units when the clip is put under a lot of stress, especially when they canā€™t guarantee the quality of the steel is top-notch for every clip

Thatā€™s great news TK, thanks for the update.
Is the hole in the end of the clip on your sample? Iā€™m not a fan but itā€™s not a deal breaker at all, there are more important checkboxes that this light comfortably ticks for me so send out the order PMā€™s :innocent:

Yes, it has a hole in the tip of the clip. I suppose it could be called a tongue piercing.

Thanks for the update. I have been waiting with baited breath. I assume we are very close now. Hopefully.

The only thing I can think of that would expand the clip ring is to increase the strength of the clip arm. Maybe they realized that if you put some good leverage on the clip arm as if you were fighting the light off your pocket it had a chance of bending both the arm and the actual clip ring.

I agree itā€™s not very visually appealing compared to a flush ring but in my experience a mfg who increases the size of a metal component is doing so at their cost rather than to save cost. TK noted the additional strength of the new clip and Iā€™m thinking thatā€™s got to be due to the additional ring size?

:smiley: :stuck_out_tongue: :stuck_out_tongue: :wink:

It very well could have not involved any overt decision. Keep in mind that although it is easily noticeable in the picture, and Iā€™m sure will be easy to feel, the growth Toykeeper measured is only 0.3mm (0.012ā€) per side - equivalent to the thickness of 6 sheets of paper.

If theyā€™re sending out a CAD pattern to a vendor without tightly controlling the tolerance, the vendor may err on the side of providing too much material, especially with as thin as I expect the ring is. Or the supplier may have just ignored a specified tolerance.

Even in the US Iā€™ve had suppliers miss or ignore tolerances they didnā€™t think were important.

Sofirn had trouble with the clip supplier for the C01, by the way.

TK, any pics to share with the class?

Looks and sounds good. Iā€™m ready to order.

Me too!

Whereā€™s the order page? :stuck_out_tongue:

Bluzie posted photos at TLF!

You got a link??

TLF post

Bluzie posted here.

Thank you both.

So in his photo, left is proto5 and right is proto4?

Yes. I believe thatā€™s correct, though I think this is more production sample than prototype.

Well for me that makes the new clip look like something they found in the junk drawer.

Those are some very good & detailed pictures.

It looks very good too.

Thanks to all who put forth the endless hours to get the project this far!!

Thanks TK for your endless effort here on BLF to keep this on track. :beer:

Yeah, much prefer proto4ā€™s clip, but ah well. Itā€™s not a sufficient enough reason to deter me.