I continue to like it. This is a “tuned” flashlight, no need to reach into use only.
We have bags of batteries in home. I do not want any added extra battery.
It may be a full pack and only a flashlight package to us more cheaply. OTR work, work here, too. :+1:
What GearBest said here on the Giveaway thread may give a rough idea of manufacturing cost, or not ;
“5 winners from all the posts, per winner will get one Zanflare F1 flashlight (link is external) or $20 gift card”
Looks like a flashlight that to me personally should be worth the current special price of $35 when you consider the copper star and good solid build that appears in your well photographed review.
Don’t like to pay for flashlights until they are actually in stock, so no pre-order from here now, but will order when they arrive.
Thanks!
Keith
To be fair, I don’t like a “forced” tailcap, either. If you really need something to cut off power to prevent accidental engagement, just use a TCLO instead. Otherwise, an eswitch is presumed to be in always-ready mode (like a cellphone, tablet, any doodad like that).
I really like the spiral, don’t like the flare-to-moonlight thing, and ain’t a fan of side-clicky + tailswitch. Nice that GB took all that time developing it, but I’d just stick with a no-strobe S2+ or whatever.
Also kinda the reason I decided to forgo the L6 and opted for an L2 instead. No side-clicky and no damned strobe, “hidden” or otherwise.
Y’know, I was just thinking about something the other day, and the above kinda illustrates my point.
What’s the market in flashlights, that soooooooo many companies can all jump in with their own brand of lights, still sell them at a decent price (at least what the market will bear), and not go out of business as just another “me too!” company?
Hell, I’ve only been here less than 2mos, and have already bought 4 new lights because of youse.
Are we the only ones buying up all these lights? It sure ain’t the schmo at Home Depot who picks up a Mag or Led Lenser who’s buying Thrunite and EagleTac and Convoy and Sunwayman and JetBeam and… well, you get the picture.
Hmmmmm.
Yep, a lot of times newcomers have to duke it out with established companies, and even sell at a loss(!!) just to get their name out there. Otherwise, there’s “Why should we buy your new product for more than what XYZ is selling theirs for, when they’re 90% alike?”.
That’s why I’m amazed at how many companies sell flashlights for up to triple-digits, when the average schmo on the street thinks his 2buk plastic 2×D incan is Da Bom™ because it takes a krypton bulb.
It’s just a numbers game, in the end. How many people live in NYC? How many in China? It get’s dark everywhere, people want flashlights, a great many people like to have something their neighbor DOESN’T have, so… a numbers game. What’s a few 10’s of thousands flashlights of a given design when there’s BILLIONS of users out there?
We have access to so many lights, and yet, going to WalMart where I can’t choose an Anti-Perspirant from the shelves full of choices across the store in the sporting goods section their flashlight selection is pathetic. Wonder why that is? We, the consumer, are more educated than ever with constant web access, so do people shop for a light indiscriminately? Just any ol Ray-O-Vac will do to protect the kids on Halloween? Interesting…
Missed most of this thread until now. A very entertaining read, to be sure.
Also, as Dale pointed out, the triple PCB design should give much much improved strength to the switch. I also Don’t like e-switches without an easy way to lock them out. Dual-switch is preferable to me because your modding possibilities are endless, but I’d take tail clicky over side-switch any day.
That’s kinda my point, though. Anytime I talk flashlights to anyone, they glaze over. They still think in terms of the same old PR-2 bulb lights out there, and think “LED flashlights” are those 7- or 9-LED 3×AAA specials. Period. The thought of even spending 20bux on a flashlight sends them into shock. Now imagine the reaction when I told ’em I got my Quark for 80bux (when it was discontinued!). “What? Is it gold-plated or something?”
My mum collects flashlights, and has probably as many as I do. Problem is, they’re the garbage flashlights (aforementioned 3×AAA, blackened-bulb PR-2s, etc.), that she keeps feeding batteries to and keeps getting disgusted with. I try to tell her to get just 1 light that’ll work forever, but she refuses. She won’t work a ’501 because of the tailcap switch, but has 4-5 showerhead lights with the same type of switch! I give up…
(And I tried offering her side-clickies, twisties, etc., but nope, she’s stubborn.)
There are a lot of people like that out there…
And we’re a limited-number and rather incestuous group. Those who don’t hang out here on BLF, CPF, etc., probably are amazed at the deep-fryer-surviving Atomic Beam Flashlight or wotdahellever. (And what is that, a 5buk UF E17 selling for 40 after s&h?) Wow! That uses tactical Special-Forces technology! Oh Lordy…
Even if I had great ideas for my Perfect Flashlight, I don’t think I’d want to step into the already crowded waters of what’s out there now. Kudos to GB for taking the plunge, though.
Speak for yourself there. 
Speaking for the lot of us with only 175 posts to his name! Tsk tsk tsk… lol
Hey! I only got here like a month or so ago! Gimme time…
I gotta admit this light is growing on me. 35 bucks? I’ll cook burgers tonight instead of taking the kids to a restaurant.
But whatcha gonna do with the other 20 bucks? Buy new cells too, I suppose… 
Richard got $30 yesterday. That means will have to skip a couple beers this weekend 
To stay home and make burgers instead of going out to eat is dedication. Skipping beers on a weekend? Pure Flashaholism!
Don’t even mention buying batteries…
I thought the sale at GB was kinda nice, figured I’d get myself a 4-pack of 30Qs. Ha!
Bought a coupla lights, shipping was about a buk for both, add tracking/insurance for a coupla bux more, but the cells had to be a separate order. ’K, no prob…
I put the order in for the 30Qs, didn’t see anything as far as the shipping costs (just “UAE” for the only option for tracking, something like that), and now I’m looking at the “We just shipped your order!” email, and almost 20bux to ship! I paid more for shipping than I did for the 4-pack!
Balls, bet I’ll never do that again…
Damn that flashahol…
I hear the craft brewed flashahol is pretty good, but the Chinese flashahol can sometimes leave a bitter taste. :confounded:
You’re supposed to warm the Chinese Flashahol over a power bank with a 6A draw on it for about 20 minutes, then it vaporizes on the pallet and leaves the zingy flavor on the taste buds. 
Make sure you use the 12,000mAh SakiFire cells in the power bank, it’s a must! 
Nice review DB… thank you. :+1:
I just ordered one. GB has them on some kind of ‘super sale’ for $29.99 and I couldn’t resist.
Then I scrolled down the page just a bit to ‘Buy Together & Save:’ and got a LiitoKala Lii-202 for $0.99, a Nitecore Tube for $1,99, and THESE for $5.99.
Seems like a pretty good deal to me. :+1:
I owe the “hot tip” to ‘evankouros’…. the member known yesterday as ‘KGB’. 