You almost can’t view a light these days that hasn’t gone berserko with all the machining work stem to stern. When ya reach into a pocket or pull one out of a holster (if it isn’t snagging the sh*t up in said holster) fondle these spikey things you almost preemptively cringe, much less the aesthetics of the overdone things. The humanity when things go overboard just because one has to outdo the other else they’re gonna be thought inferior.
Here’s an old school light I just held yesterday which is a smooth simple thing of beauty. Like a soft curving woman it calms the soul when caressed. Yet it’s not so smooth you lose traction.
Whatever happened to appreciating the tactile smoothline instead of this porcupining everything insanity in the guise of having to be able to “get a better grip” or foresee having someday club a zombie into a pulpy mess?
If manufacturers spent less time on the CNC machining and put more time into for example better drivers imagine the outcome. Better lights for the buck IMO.
Notta
PS. That DX 1JC8 sold out. SkyRay IMO tends to make great stuff and is well worth the extra buck or two. Here’s a Kaidomain link.
I think the new C8+ looks a bit busy, but still a better design than the original C8. Fins are necessary around pills, and I love some good knurling. The BLF GT overall aesthetic is very pleasing to me.
That one you linked is pretty generic / boring looking imo, but I’m a sucker for smooooth heads and good knurling.
Sometimes you just have to hold it in your hand to overcome what you think will be boredom. :laughing:
There’s a reason Maglite for all these years kept the knurling at just enough where it did the job handedly. Just ask a well-seasoned cop. :sunglasses:
This holster btw IMO is one of the most neglected and underrated accessories. The fact that it can rotate and click-lock in eight directions with just the right amount of tension is sublime design work by the talented crew at Nite Ize. And it’s lightweight as hell, cheap, and yet sturdy to boot. What a bargain. Now what kind of light doesn’t work well with this holster? Yup the kind with excessive every square centimeter horned up machining.
But I see your point nonetheless. I’m really referring to over the top stuff here.
If you haven’t yet, get one of these at any Home Depot, etc. Just make sure the light you use isn’t a porcupine. Oh, and one of its most beautiful attributes is it rotates to clicked horizontal perfectly so now you just turn your torch forward and you have hands free walking, talking, spelunking, illumination. A thing of magnificent thought process and practical design common sense.
The main problem with those is that head size is practically limited unless you don’t mind a 18650 body from front to rear to look and feel like a kielbasa. :laughing:
Then there’s the holster style mentioned above that isn’t useful because there’s no ‘head’ at all to catch it from falling through. But that’s neither here nor there if you don’t like said type holster anyway.
Oops, sorry there Endy. Just grokked that you were prolly just humoring us referring from one extreme to another.
No, I like that flashlight, I prefer tube lights
Clean and minimalist is what I prefer, however there are several lights with pretty extreme designs that I also like.
You’re one interesting man, Endy. Veeeeeeeery interesting. :sunglasses:
Yeah, Led Lensers. They’ve always kept it pretty dang minimalist and clean. In fact to this very day I EDC a David 19. Wonderful clean design IMO. Of course I also EDC two other simarlarly sized lights for different lumen applications. All of them in the same Led Lenser David 19 little style holsters. The David’s momentary switch is so DAMN useful too that I can’t imagine the illumination of life without it. :heart_eyes:
Isn’t it amazing that oft times the REALLY GOOD SH*T IN LIFE is discontinued/deleted and replaced with crap? I see this at Costco all the time. :laughing:
Here’s another IMO budget quality bargain little zoomie I’ve grown to like and will potentially mod up.
Notice how clean and minimalist compared to the SK68’s over the top machining. Take off the clip and IMO it gets even better. Stash the clip somewhere for when you really need it which is mostly rarely.
Yet it grips plenty fine enough and holsters beautifully without having snagville Heaven.
I prefer some knurling. But it shouldn’t be too aggressive. I want enough to to give good grip, but not so much that it tears up my pocket.
However, I find perfectly smooth tubes with no knurling to be uncomfortable too. They feel like they are going to squirt out of my hand at any moment. I’m not a fan of the Aluminum Emisar D4’s completely smooth body tubes. First thing I did on mine was install Talon Grip Tape to provide a better grip.
I dislike crenelated heads and tailcaps. I don’t think I’m going to beat zombies over the head with a Sipik 68, so why would I need a crenelated head on it? All it does is make for an uncomfortable feel in the pocket.
The aggressive look and design is great these days. With gun, baton, self defensive laws one needs protection. What better way than flashlight when aggressive features for defensive purposes.
It’s too much aggressive look at the cost of carry practicality.
Take this similar smooth bat-style light which I have - but without the knife and pointy part of the butt end. Notice especially the basic shape of the butt end. It’s smooth, rounded, and not too big that you can carry it in a thru holster (like in Post #4 above). It’ll slide in and slide out (FAST) without a glitch and you can bury it all deep upto the head into that holster if need be. It’ll stay put regardless. Ya see in most self defense situations things tend to happen QUICK. You usually don’t have time to fumble around with ANYTHING. You need to MOVE on it.
Now imagine for a moment what you’d like to have riding up against your skin under your shirt or even up against a t- shirt for that matter. See how much you’d like to carry it then or finding the holster that’ll work quick for that matter.
Oh, and one of its most beautiful attributes is it rotates to clicked horizontal perfectly so now you just turn your torch forward and you have hands free walking, talking, spelunking, illumination. A thing of magnificent thought process and practical design common sense.
