Maratac Cu Copper Executive AAA light Rev. 2
Purchased from CountyComm.com for $41.95
PROS:
- Body machined from hardened copper billet
- AR coated lens
- Incredibly small size
- Beautiful machine work
- Possibly the nicest knurling I've ever seen or felt
- Light OP aluminum reflector and smooth beam
- 2 very useful modes
- Easy to activate with one hand
- Smooth but tight threading and o-ring for good waterproof seal
- Gorgeous polished finish
- Arrived vacuum sealed in foil to preserve finish
- Comes with a nice plastic case with magnetic latch
- Ummm...pricier than the average AAA twisty
- So gorgeous you might not want to carry it
Specifications:
- Executive Series
- Packed in foil packs to preserve polished finish.
- Each light is hand finished.
- Length: 2.6" ( Smaller than Rev 1 )
- Diameter: .5"
- Weight: 27 grams
- Weight with battery is 40 grams ( 28.1 grams without battery )
- LED type: New Cree R3 with a life span up to 50,000 hours.
- The New Orange Peel Reflector is aluminum alloy.
- Flashlight body is machined of solid billet ultra conductive pure alloy 101 copper.
- The lens has been treated with an AR (anti-reflective) coating.
- Its proprietary circuit design features reverse polarity protection and runs off of one AAA battery that provides
- Now with 2 levels of brightness ( Low / High).
- Comes with clip & o-rings
- Note: this is a solid copper flashlight not plated
- Machined from solid copper billet stock
- Clip installed from factory to preserve finish
- New Stronger Clip
Using a single Duracell AAA battery we got the following results:
- low mode, 1.8 lumen output for 55 hours
- high mode, 115 lumen output for 60 minutes
My Noted Specs:
| Purchased from: | countycomm.com |
| Price Paid: | $41.95 + shipping |
| Material: | All Copper body w/spring steel clip |
| Battery: | AAA (14500 not recommended) |
| Lens: | AR Coated Glass |
| Emitter: | XP-G R3 |
| Modes: | Low & High |
| Memory: | No |
| OTF Output: | Low: 1.38 lumen High: 71.8 lumen (tested with generic alkaline cell) |
| Switch type: | Twisty |
| Length: | 67.23mm |
| Width: | 14.47mm |
| Weight: | 28g (w/clip) |
| Pocket clip: | Yes. Removable |
| Lanyard clip: | Yes |
| Waterproof: | Yes |
| Carrying Case: | Yes |
| Extras: | 2 spare o-rings |
Impressions:
My Maratac Cu arrived in a ziplock baggie with 2 main parts: the light in a sealed foil wrapper and a plastic carrying case with spare o-rings.
Opening the vacuum sealed foil revealed a gleaming, gorgeous little light. My first impression was "Wow!" and that about sums up my whole review. Thank you for taking the time to check it out and enjoy the pictures.
Johnny
Ok, ok...My review isn't over yet but it really could be. Look at this light and tell me WOW wouldn't sum it up. It is a bit pricey and $45 shipped can sure buy a lot of other flashlights both larger and brighter. Do I regret this purchase? Not one bit. Everyone deserves a beautiful, well made, functional work of art and I think this qualifies as one. Fortunately for me it's my birthday and that allowed me to have my sweetie open her purse strings and treat me to something special.
After I opened it and she admitted it is quite gorgeous, all she could say (and say it several times throughout the evening) was "it's so small, I don't know how it could be that expensive", or something like that. All I heard was blah blah blah, expensive, blah blah blah. I tried to explain that you are paying for the solid copper machining and how it's not easy to make something like this. "Besides", I told her, "it's a limited run and I can always sell it for more than I paid for it. Plus it's solid copper and one day, with the way things are going, it will be worth it's weight in gold". That seemed to put a smile on her face and I heard no more complaints. "As long as it makes you happy that's all that matters", she said, and that put a smile on my face. 
The pocket clip is removeable, seems sturdy and, according to Maratac, is stronger than the clip on the previous revision. The lanyard ring clip is small enough to not be intrusive while also providing an anti-roll feature.
Maratac says this is a new R3 binned XP-G. All I know is that with the mild OP aluminum reflector it proveds a really nice beam for a small EDC light.
"MARATAC AAA" is laser etched perfectly onto the head of the light. I am curious how well it will hold up or be visible once the light developes a nice patina.
Very aggressive but smooth enough to not tear up your pockets, the knurling is fantastic! As for those who worry that being all copper will leave their hands green and stinky, don't worry. It's not pure soft copper like used in plumbing that DOES leave your hands smelly and your fingers green. This is all copper but it is a hardened alloy that makes it not only more durable, but far less "copper" smelling than a copper pipe from the hardware store.
Threads are extremely well cut. There is very little play in the threads and the o-ring provides a very snug seal with the head but not so tight that it can't be turned off and on easily with one hand.
While blurrier than I am comfortable with, this photo shows the wide base which provides for solid tail standing. The small but sturdy lanyard ring provides anti-rolling even with the pocket clip removed.
Inside the body is what appears to be, at the very least, a copper plated spring for fantastic conductivity. I may even be solid, hardened copper alloy for all I know.
Perfectly centered and focused emitter. I measured output on low to be just 1.38 lumen. In a dark hallway at night it still lights up the entire hallway with just enough light to see fine by. It is really quite throwy for such a small light. On high I measured a very useful 71.8 lumens. CountyComm claims they measured 115 lumens using a Duracell AAA. I just use Dollar Tree Sunbeams alkalines in my 1.5v lights and find it hard to believe that they make so much less light than a Duracell but it is still bright enough for me.
Here it sits with one of my other gifts, a Ganzo G707 (awesome, BTW) to give you an idea how small this copper beauty is.
CONCLUSION:
If you can justify spending $45 on a AAA keychain light then all I can say is "GET IT!" and get it before they are all gone. Comfort yourself with the knowledge that you can always sell it to someone else later for at least what you paid for it and that one day, just possibly, copper will be worth as much as silver or gold. Consider it an investment for your future that you can enjoy in the present. ;)
Johnny
if I spent $45.00 on a tiny flashlight.
