Update 2016-01-07: The coupon expired again and was extended again. Same coupon code as before.
Update 2015-11-01: The coupon expired, but a new coupon is available: 8d7e0d ($27)
That’s a zero, not a capital oh; copy-and-paste is recommended when entering the code.
Update 2015-09-29: My order came in; pics are at the bottom of this post.
Update 2015-09-28: I got a green light from Banggood to keep sending coupon codes even though we’re over 100 units. It looks like they can produce more on demand. I think I’ve PM’d the coupon to everyone who asked.
Update 2015-09-17: The item is available for purchase, and coupon codes have been sent to people on the list.
The bare / non-anodized BLF A6 has been getting a lot of questions and not many answers. This thread is an interest list for that light, to help Banggood and Manker figure out how many to make.
So, if you want a bare aluminum, non-anodized BLF A6, please say here what you would like and how many. For example,
If you want a shorter version of this light, also sign up for the 18350 tube here: 18350 Battery tubes for BLF A6, Eagle Eye A6 and X6, as well as codes for short Convoy S2+ tubes in Blue and Red!
FAQs about the bare aluminum light…
- It will be silver in color.
- It will be completely bare, with no coating of any kind.
- It will be easier to dent or scratch than the regular hard-anodized version. However, it looks nice and the scratches shouldn’t be as visible.
- Tailcap lockout will not work on this version, but the tail button is a hard power cutoff so it has zero parasitic drain while off.
- The parts should be identical to the regular BLF A6, but without the anodizing, so the parts can be mixed and matched.
- Thermal properties may differ from the anodized version, but we’re not sure about the exact details.
- Bare aluminum will “rust” over time (oxidize), but aluminum oxide looks nearly identical to pure aluminum so it’s not really noticeable. Note that aluminum “rust” is self-limiting. Not harmful at all, will not continue to eat the metal. Unlike the rust that most people are more familiar with.
- I don’t have confirmation about whether there is any engraving (BLF logo) or not.
- There is no serial number, and your position on the list doesn’t matter.
- All the other parts are the same as the regular A6.
If you’re interested, sign up below.
Update 2015-09-29: My order came in today. It’s a nice-looking light, and I took some pictures to show it. The black-and-silver color scheme works well:
Here is how it compares to some of the other BLF special edition lights: (anodized BLF A6, bare aluminum BLF A6, original BLF EE X6, steel+copper BLF X6v2 prototype)
People had been very curious about the logo engraving, and so was I. Here are three shots at increasing zoom levels to show the detail:
With no anodized layer to smooth out the surface, the knurling is very grippy and even the smooth parts of the light have a texture which increases friction. Aluminum is pretty soft though, so if you want to polish the surface it shouldn’t take a great deal of effort. However, it also will be relatively easy to dent and scratch.