So, I'm big on objects. (Design background.) Call me weird, but few things are more impressive than a well-crafted flashlight body. The Solarforce L2T, for instance, is a solid chunk of aluminum, immaculately designed and finished, and inexpensive. The Fenix E01 -- dead cheap -- is probably the nicest light I have, in terms of build quality. (I wish they still used that olive HA anodizing: it doesn't instantly show wear the way that black does.)
Thoughts on other lights that are impeccably constructed, but not silly expensive? There are lots of threads here devoted to lumens, runtime, throw, etc. -- might be nice to have one devoted simply to craftsmanship.
I have to agree on the Maglite. Long before I started collecting, there was always a sense of pride in owning a nice Maglite and I still appreciate it.
Modern day lights, I am very partial to the Balder BD-2. I also have a design & art background. I appreciate the Balder's unique styling queues and immaculate build quality. It stands out from most other lights out there.
I'm very impressed with both the build quality and the technology of my Klarus ST10. Mode changing with the side switch is very cool and the light is well-made. Xeno build quality is great also, but I wish it had a lower Low.
Balder impresses me as well: the SE-1 is very solid. Well, the exterior, at any rate: the light module is pretty lightweight. I wish they'd machined the head so that it screwed tightly onto the body -- mine leaves a millimeter or so of the module exposed. But otherwise impressive. I've been looking at the Balder BD-1P XML, since it extends from AA to 2xAA. Can't decide how I feel about the silver band beneath the head: in the pictures it looks a bit cheap, but I take it that it's pretty hefty?
Yes it's hefty. A very solid and heavy feeling light all around. The silver part is the housing for the pill, actually the heat sink. I believe it is silver annodized aluminum finish. Nice review here and here. I also like the Balder BD-1P, looks like it's little brother and it's basically two lights in one. Can't justify getting it though, my Fenix L2D fills the 2AA spot and will for years to come.
(I like natural/gunmetal anodizing. And I'm looking for something with a larger head than my usual P60's. C8 is cheaper, and if it's the best of the C8's out there, it's what I'll get.)
"XinTD" seems to be their housebrand -- but they look a lot like the Shadow lights. Perhaps they're made by the same people, and have the equivalent level of craftsmanship? (Crelant too might come out of the same place?)
I've always heard fantastic things about the Fenix TK20. I know that they're hard to find, and they might not fit everyone's definition of a budget flashlight. Still though, they're much cheaper than a Surefire E2LAA!!!
You know, the other thing I'd love to find is a larger Fenix in the olive color they used to come in. The only one you can find in that color now is the E01. Dealextreme has photos of some of the older models, but looks as if they've been sold out for a few years:
And BetweenRides, are you the gunmetal connoisseur here? (I noticed someone was obsessed with that color.) Here's the other Shadow I'm considering, although someone was saying the gunmetal model may have disappeared. The JM07 Pro:
The Crelant V9 is also gun metal grey and a good looker. (internet photos)
I have the Shadow TC6 and the XinTD L2. They are quite different when you have them side by side. And if you look at the details you'll se they don't quite have much in common. One interesting fact for the XinTD L2 is that the reflector can make the false impression of a offcenter LED. That is because while you screw down the bezel the reflector is caught and moves. Otherwise the LED is well placed and the plastic insulator doesn't let the LED+base to move.
XinTD L2 (my photos)
I also have the Shadow TC6 but the first version where the LED is on a brass pill. The new one is screwed in place with two screws. From what I see there are two plastic insulators, one that doesn't let the reflector to move sideways and one that lets the reflector move sideways. However since I have the JM07-PRO White, I know that if the LED star is not screwed, the star has the possibility to move and make the LED look like not correctly centered from the factory, even if you get the one with the plastic insulator that also keeps the reflector in place. I may get a new one and see how they are actually building the TC6 these days, since I like the design very much.
Both my Shadow TC6 and my XinTD L2 have all the threads anodized, that is praised by many, since they will not grind with use, however that poses some problems especially to the less knowledgeable person. If the parts are not fully screwed then the light doesn't come on, that can also happen if you have long cells. Otherwise the Shadow TC6 has very good threads. The flashlight has a very good build quality-price ratio but it's not carefree in the regards I mentioned above.
The Knurling on the L2 is not as aggressive as the one on the TC6. The overall care for detail (machining wise) is higher on the L2. The L2's threads work incredibly smooth, I might say too smooth? However because they built the light with a brass cap contact problems can appear, especially because the movement of the brass caps is short and even if you have the threads tight light might not come on since the electrical contacts are stopped by the battery length. My L2 actually came with two thin magnets. Not a problem if you take the brass cap off and rely on the spring only.
I do like gunmetal, I believe 2100 is a big fan as well. I also love the look of Stainless Steel and Titanium. My first gunmetal light was the Uniquefire 3900, but it will not be my last. I seriously want to get a Shadow or an Xintd. International Outdoor has some nice lights in gunmetal, including the JM07 and I like the fact that many models they sell give you the choice of modes. I hate disco modes in general.
Hikelight: interesting that you have these, as well as the JM07-Pro, which is the other light I'm looking at. Of all four, including the Crelant, which do you think has the nicest machining?
I'm beginning to narrow things down, as far as my next light goes, to the JM07-Pro (in gunmetal or white), and the XinTD C8, which is now available in neutral (and is a bargain):
BetweenRides, might want to look at this: CNqualitygoods has the JM07 at a much better price -- $43 as opposed to $59 -- and it's in stone white, which is supposed to be an edition limited to intl-outdoor. Is there some catch here? (Both are the Pro model, if you look at the photos.)
visigoth: I do not have the Crelant V9. I was only mentioning about it as being gun metal gray, but I do intend to buy it.
So out of the three. The JM07-Pro has no machining flaws at all, however the knurling is quite shallow and doesn't grip that well, but it does small notches an all rhombuses.
The machining of my TC6 is also very good, but if I am to nitpick, maybe some of the knurling on the top element lacks the notches in very small portions like 1mm x 2mm and thus has somehow flat look. But for that you have to look close. And the flat part where the name is printed is not absolutely clearly flat but that can't be felt by hand only by changing the angle of the light hitting the body. Otherwise everything is perfect.
The machining on the L2 I'd say it's better than the TC6. The only defect that I have noticed in machining is that on a round surface of 2mm the notching of the rhombuses is done twice, and that slightly presents a different texture.
However these flashlights might suffer from low QC and that doesn't mean that someone else could not get slight different stuff.
If you look for throw the C8 will be better than the JM07-Pro.
All in all I think the TC6 and L2 are great flashlights they have quite the machining compared to other budget flashlights and the anodizing is just superb. Very good threads on the TC6 with double o-rings.
BTW the difference in price of the JM07-Pro is caused by the lack of free battery and shipping not being included on CNQ.
And I think the rest can be simply called a Chinese factory style of operating. Since the flashlight has Intl-Outdoor engraved means the light was done for them, but in the mean time Shadow decided to make it for everybody. You can see this style of manufacturer attitude with other brands. (Eg, Thrunite T30 and the exact same flashlight X-power Wildfire)
