well… on some other flashlight sites? the “big members” have big wallets… a typical review goes something like:
“oh well, heres my review of the ”SEARING-Hawk 996… Mr Hawk Searing personally engraved my name and this site name in real 24K gold on the side, its a nice touch. Look how wonderful this light is! You can buy one for only 359 dollars, its a really good deal, and, you have something QUALITY now. Note the high quality Ha-9 anodizing, Mr Hawk ships them out to NASA for the same coating they use on the space shuttle. Its not the brightest light i own at 750 lumens? But, the quality of the workmanship and the Uranium-cured Neodymium coated reflector more than make up for that… blah blah blah…”
Here at BLF? someone will get a 10 or 20 dollar light? and work on it… and end up with the same 750 lumens… many times, with a little work, you end up with a light just as reliable and bright, for a fraction of the cost.
And? as you noted? You NOW feel “connected” to THIS light… not this BRAND of light? this light right HERE you worked on yourself… its personal.
Its the difference between spending 300 dollars on an expensive walking stick? Or… selecting your own branch, then carving it, shaping it, sanding it, coating it… it is now UNIQUELY YOURS, and to many people? its somehow better.
after a few times? you begin to appreciate a good light, on more than just cost or name brand, or, on having a light that impresses everyone. You begin to appreciate a light for what it “actually” is, not just a reputation.
after a while? you DESERVE an expensive light you buy yourself, as your no longer just a “trust fund baby” showing off your expensive toy…
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erm, actually either that same light, or, one that looks just like it? is ON ITS WAY from china, lol… i expressely wanted one, just so i could show people what a SCAM the “x700 shadowhawk” really is… and? i have a small shoebox full of mostly cheap zoomies, i dont know, i just like them. I like fiddling with them. If i LOSE one? i dont cry i could care less.
a FEW of them? i end up actually liking them… they work fine, and, they end up in a jacket pocket for weeks at a time every time i leave the house.
i actually bought a few “better” zoomies by now. I actually finally own one or two “half decent” lights. And? you know WHAT? i find i actually M-I-S-S working on my pathetic “cheap beater zoomies”. Thats another reason i bought this exact light? I MISS my tiny zoomies, and, this looks no WORSE than any of the china-tastic cheap zoomies i already have? but… it will take 26650 for long run time.
heck, you telling me that pennies fit in almost perfectly? THANK you, THANK you, THANK you… i am very happy now…
theres even a part of me? that WONDERS how ugly a de-domed lattice bright gets, LMAO… I mean, blue? purple? green? “bring it on, it will be fun to use it for a week or two, till i get a replacement cree in”, you know?
I just… i cant have this much “fun” simply BUYING an expensive light, that i cant play with it and fiddle with it, you know?