What changes would you make?
My knowledge is outdated so i wondered if its a quick primer on modern lights, thus i would be interested in knowing what can be improved.
Who knows, i might become tempted enough to buy a new flashlight (or two) 
I’m definitely receptive to suggestions for the list. Good suggestions save me time.
There are some lights that IMO are just bad on it
Which, and equally importantly, what alternatives do you like for the same niche? There are certainly a couple I’d like to push off the list given better options in their niches.
missing good lights
Which ones? If they’re meant for a mainstream audience, are they available from a USA, and preferably EU dealer? Do their manufacturers have good track records?
3 Thanks
the acebeam pokelit gray and cheaper than the tac AA, in EDC which is better?
Only the enthusiast lights section. Mostly.
I think it’s the record we primarily differ on there as it’s primarily Fireflylite. I know they have had a bad reputation in the past but it does seem to me that they’re working to improve it and all of my customer service experience there has been good, and Jack has been transparent about the production progress of the new models. It was also pointed out to me fairly recently that there are no mules on the list at all, but the T1R and NOV-Mu certainly deserve spots, as does the D4K mule.
In terms of lights with significantly better alternatives, I will concede I accidentally remembered a few that were on the earlier 2023 version, but one that jumps out is the Pokelit AA (vs even other Acebeams with the Rider RX or Tac AA), L18 (vs L19v2), and the absence of primarily the Sofirn Q8 Plus and Noctigon K1 (way better than Thrunite and even still has USB charging) and DM1.12. I don’t feel like the Acebeam EC35 really offers much either.
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Fireflylite needs a solid year of consistent above-average quality before I’ll consider their products for the list, and private conversations with other reviewers tell me they’re not there. I’d like them to get there because they do make some interesting products.
The Pokelit is there because it’s $16-20 on Amazon with a USB-C 14500. The K1 is on the list as an enthusiast light and would get mainstream status if it was available with shipping from the USA. I’ll think about the Q8 Plus and DM1.12. The former is pretty popular, and the latter is very likely to get a spot, but I was trying not to make the entire enthusiast section “just buy anything from Hank”.
The EC35 is the light I personally carry when I’m going somewhere that might be sketchy and I’m not wearing a jacket. It could use an update though.
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While it’s great that they’ve got customers who’ve had good experiences with them - the track record is what matters. To me, their history of quality leaves much to be desired. I was hoping that they’d improved last year - but the reports I’ve seen in 2023 makes it sound like they haven’t improved much if at all. I dropped them years ago as a brand, after a few rounds of very frustrating service, shipping delays, CS troubles, etc.
I truly believe their designs are highly innovative and worth considering, if not for the company’s other faults. I’m usually a patient person when it comes to these things, but even I got wholly turned off from the brand. They’ll have to do significantly more improvements in the quality of their service before I would even consider buying their products - as innovative as they are.
I know that feeling. 
I’m far from objective on this, but it seems like Hank makes it really difficult for anyone else to compete. And difficult to write up a recommendation list without turning it into a list of his products.
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I had 3 difficult experiences with FFL. First was, they sent the wrong spare battery I’d ordered, and not easy to come by (it’s the 22430). They would not send me one without another order, because of shipping costs. So later I placed another order and made note about the battery, which they did include, but then they left off battery spacers I’d ordered, saying they were out. But the site still showed I could order more. Again, they wouldn’t ship separately, because of shipping. The last time, I placed a custom order for a PL47G2. What arrived was another PL47MU, bringing my total to 3. The light looked great, but I didn’t need this. Supposedly they have a USA “warehouse.” They asked me to ship the light there, instead of to China. Turns out, it was another customer… who’d they had contacted back channel to see if they wanted the flashlight. Basically FFL gave me PERSONAL INFORMATION about ANOTHER CUSTOMER. What the hell? So yeah, if I’d sent it and there was some problem with receipt, I’d be out of my money and my flashlight. So, I kept it. And that’s the last flashlight I’ve bought from them.
Meanwhile, I really like their flashlights. The machining is first rate. Excellent anodizing. My Emisar/Noctigon flashlights felt a bit gritty and needed cleaning/relube. But FFL? Nicely tight and super smooth. Also, value wise, a better deal comparatively than the competition (until they started running sales). Also the flexibility of customization is unmatched. Hank couldn’t do this:
