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

Lumintop has been super busy this last year. They’ve released the GT, the GT70, GT Mini, ODF30, ODF30C, OC20L, Tool AA v2, plus some more I’m not aware of. So they have been busy.

To make it perfectly clear, I understand that Lumintop have been doing their very best, with the designs provided to them.

And are as keen as the rest of us to see this happen.

I respect them highly.

But it seems some key people involved (not BLF) are just rather dilatory. Maybe even out-of-their-depth.

Which is, frankly, inexcusable, if trust is to be earned, and you start off on a project of this scale.

The CPF Italia Cometa comes to mind as how not to do it (but that also involved treachery too).

Walking away from difficulties does not work, if that is what is happening. I sincerely hope not.

BLF used to be able to do this sort of stuff brilliantly, but the brightest and best managers, and engineers, have mostly given up, whilst commercialism has flourished but design originality less so.

Wither BLF ?

I’ll give it one month more, then I’ll be out, if the silence continues to be deafening.

We don’t get crickets, or cicadas in the UK, but the dawn chorus is beautiful if you live in the countryside, as I do. Even at this time of year, but in the spring, blissful.

Fortunately I have a permanent invite to a cottage in SW France (Lot-et-Garonne) where cicadas, lizards, bats, raptors, bees, etc. still seem to live in harmony, and the night sky is dark. No streetlamps.

It is now the hunting season, so I expect to have to gather up some bewildered young dogs most days and return them to the headquarters.

Wear a lot of blaze-orange too, if going for a walk. These guys (and gals) are not very observant.

Yep, makes perfect sense. It’s the only possible explanation.

:confounded:

This is in fact a hobby for most or all of the BLF/TLF people involved. They’re working for free and giving a design and a bunch of interested customers to Lumintop, who will then profit from it. They’re presumably OK with that because they want to live in a world that has the FW3A in it, for which the rest of us should be grateful.

YES! +1 This. :+1:

Not sure about that. Fritz has always known the value of his personal creations, and priced them accordingly.

As do other skilled people, it is not a one-way street, there is give and take, which is down to negotiation.

Nothing comes from nothing, and neither should it.

However if you have a more pressing, and rewarding, day-job, which you want to hold down, priorities naturally change.

I’ve even benefited from this, for some mediocre contributions behind the scenes, which might have saved going down a wrong direction. Enough to buy a few nice torches afterwards. and it was freely given by an honourable company, and passed on to me by the Project Manager.

The world is not black and white, just shades of grey.

But, excellence can prevail, eventually, if backers have faith and customers recognise it, and are prepared to pay perhaps a little bit more for it. And it really is excellent. Otherwise mediocrity will prevail.

Accept that skilled people can command some reward for their efforts, and should. Frankly if this stuff was given away for free it would be an insult to professionals. This is now a business, not a hobby, particularly for the manufacturers who have to take the chances and do the serious work.

You are at number #1100 .

Two more?
Two in total if there multiple emitter options.

You are at numbers #1100 and #1575 .

How many flashlights do you want in total? … x … units?

He means 2 lights total.

Thanks JasonWW
I edit list

Please add me to the interest list for 1 light, specifically the one with the LH351D leds.

Thanks

Another +1 for Zak-Wilson :slight_smile: I couldn’t Agree More! If anyone thinks that Lumintop (or any other Company for that matter), that has the Engineering Ability, Machining Facility and knowledgeable Machinists that are Capable of Turning Raw Bar Stock into any Shape Size or Diameter, and Length and then internally and externally thread each piece needed to Make a Perfect Fw3A EDC Flashlight . After their Mess-up with The CPF Italia Cometa, I would Imagine they are Triple checking Every Possible Problem that could Go Wrong, in an Effort to Make sure Everything Goes Smooth and Easy! And doesn’t start eating away at their profit margin and make them look Bad in the Manufacturing Community, (Saving face, after the Cometa problem). I feel would be Most Important. Getting this Order Right is most likely their main Goal! That’s just My Opinion, and I May be Wrong. I’m still waiting on my Newly Designed FW3A’s. They’re Going to be Great ! Can’t wait to get my Hands on One ! It’s not everyday that a Man Designs the Perfect Flashlight, and has a Pack of opinionated Groupies Chomping at the Bit to Buy at Least 1-3 each Of the Flashlights they are Going to Make! That’s Money in the Bank just waiting to be Cashed in. Everybody wants a Customer like that! (I Ordered 2 of the Cometa Flashlights), One Worked Great and is One of the Best lights I have and I Love it! (The 2nd Cometa Didn’t work when I received it, and it is still not working). When Life slows Down and I have the time, I will find out what I need to repair and then I will have 2 Great Bright Long Distance Throwing Lights. That’s just My Opinion, But I’m Still Waiting On My Lights!

I’d love to agree or disagree with you but I can’t read it…
Do yOu hAVe A diSeaSe thAt maKE yOu prEsS CapS LoCk rAndOmly ?

@ Tooreal: - One of us is confused…… :open_mouth:
Lumintop had nothing to do with the “Cometa”.

Cometa is almost a four letter word around here, huh?

:smiley: . :smiley: . :smiley: . . Good point cabfrank…… :wink: … :+1:

I like to call it DOAF.

Dead on Arrival Forever

Quite right.

This has nothing to do with Lumintop, who I understand have done good work with the BLF GT, and I expect will do a good job on this one.

The Cometa fiasco was the fault of Manker, and the CPF Italia project leader, in cahoots with a Banggood product manager, who mislead everyone into thinking that they would be getting a custom Jaxman Z1.

Whereas it turned out to be a badly made fake, the CPF-I man disappeared, and eventually BangGood tried to make things right, with refunds. But not before months of annoyance, anxiety, and evidence of shoddy, even dangerous, design and construction had been exposed on the forums, requiring owners to make DIY modifications and add retrofit parts to have any chance of having a safe functional torch.

There was a big falling-out between Banggood and Manker after that, and ISTR the Banggood product manager was dismissed.

The Miller and I then contacted Jaxman, and they cautiously agreed to supply a limited quantity of Z1 hosts to experienced modders to make their own versions of what the Cometa should have been, which were favourably received here.

And Jaxman continues to support experienced knowledgeable BLF modders with great hosts, by individual request.

Which was the start of The Miller’s management of group buys, building the development teams, and the full scale engineering development of the Q8, GT etc. And kicking this project off as well.

If I have miss remembered any of this history, please feel free to set the record straight.

/\ - That is a very concise & accurate description/rundown of the ‘Cometa Fiasco’. :+1:

The dark days of BLF group buys have become much brighter, with the Q8 as an example. I hope it continues soon, in the (b)right direction with the FW3A.

Sorry, cheesy post I know. It’s late.

This really isn’t the thread to discuss this stuff, but, whilst the tumble-weed continues to blow around, why not ?

There are many levels of commercialism here, obviously starting with those who have made a business from “discount codes”. Which I use, if I have any desire for the product. Just because it is x% off, flash sale, affiliate linked, 9/11 sale (some did that). or whatever, doesn’t usually inspire me to click on PayPal. I think very hard before doing that, and whether I really want to do that.

Then there are purveyors of (self declared) BLF specials meaning thinly disguised commercial products with little added value, except perhaps a different choice of LEDs.

Then newcomers to the business, for whom, typically, a driver from a “name” together with firmware from our loveliest and best, adds cachet.

I do hope that your efforts are properly rewarded, you really deserve it. Sincerely.

But, I have to say, generally they just get things wrong.

Properly developed BLF torches, where every aspect of the design has been considered, analysed, prototyped, perhaps not quite perfected, by various discipline experts and OKed by a tight team behind the scenes, but at least considered, and made produce-able bearing in mind the typical BLF budgets, are always great.

I don’t think I see much of this happening nowadays.

Please convince me otherwise, and cheer me up.