LOL, what a topic, eh? I can't isolate what it is that smells odd, because everything in it has sort of absorbed the same odor.
I think it first happened when I got my first 18650 batteries and charger, so it could be related to those items.
Do 18650 have a sort of 'burned' smell to them? Anyone else notice a pecular odor that goes with their flashlight stuff? Even my wife commented on it...
Not yet...? Well mine dont seem to have a strong odour... or im just used to it?
Solution!
On a serious note, have you identified where the smell originate?
I bet on a charger!
Might be a charger (both of mine are cheap ones). They never get more than mildly warm, but the smell is more of a burnt odor than a stale vinegar smell.
....................................... Don't put your flashlights in your drawers ..
that was too easy ....
I knew I'd get some flak over this, but it is a definite odor on everything in the drawer. After I handle any of the lights, I can smell it on my fingers 30 minutes later.
Gonna take the chargers out and Fabreeze the drawer, see what happens.
could the smell comes from the lube perhaps ??
My guess is you have a mildly leaking cell. The guts have a distinctive smell and do cling something awful. I'd closely examine all the cells in there and see if any of them are leaking. If they are, toss them. If the cells look OK on close examination then it could be a plastic moulding.
Some Chinese plastic mouldings smell truly horrible, I had a wifi adapter that smelt so bad it spent a month in the shed till the stink faded. It still smelled a bit when it got warm several months later, but not nearly as nasty as it had.
And when I describe a smell as nasty, remember I used to work in a sewage works...
Just don't smell it. 
I've heard of this .. some people were saying their chargers stink ..i'm with whoever said it above ... My bet is it's the charger ..
yeah putting your flashlights in your drawers and they stink .. it wasn't a stretch..i was just surprised i wasn't beat to it ..You're one of the best straight men in the business ..bet it's the charger .. what charger do you have ?? is it new ?? what kind of batteries ..New or old ?? where did you buy them ?
I haven't noticed strange smells from chargers / batteries / flashlights other than the smell of plastic the chargers have. On the other hand, in the same room I have about 100 bottles of e-liquid and they do leave a sweet odor, so they might be covering such smells.
Possible uses of an anti-stink soap... :D :D :D
Is it next to your sock drawer? I've noticed the lube on some of mine have an odor (and some have machining oils when new).
The first battery and charger I got were ones that came with a 501B I got off ebay; blue Ultrafires.
I'm gonna bag those two ini plastic and see if the smell goes away, I bet that one of them is the culprit.
The Nye lube does have an odor, but it is not objectionable.
Boaz, I know, strange topic, but what the heck...
The batteries are the only thing you need to worry about, I'd seal them individually in bags let them sit for a while and then try to figure out which one is the problem...and then get rid of it.
It could be your charger overheating and toasting it's self a little, might be worth leaving it to air out somewhere and then give it a sniff to see if it's to blame.
Mine could stink and I'd have no clue as I have almost no sense of smell. Occasionaly I can smell that there is a smell but those are all the details that my nose/brain are prepared to tell me :P
Im pretty sure that all lithium batteries have a "burnt" smell-at least all the laptop salvages I've done have smelled very much burnt.....even before I short something... 
I've also read that on CPF.
But the cells are 'new' from china right?
None of mine smell, infact the battery pulls smell fine (no smell) too.
srfreddy, that is good info, but I'm surprised that no one else around here has recognized the unusual smell in their stuff.
My laptops don't smell at all, however. This is just strange...
No I agree ....it would bug me Big time ..I had some links where it was the charger its self that stunk.. but I think it was a plastic smell ..I just remember the thread and numbers of people said it ..And obviously the venting of cells is discussed as well .. sounds like the smart thing to do is isolate it and maybe move stuff to the porch or garage so your wife doesn't wanna kill you .
No, the packs are ultrasonicly welded...you could probably drop one into a sink and not have it short...they're also a huge pain in the #$% to open. I expect at least 2 cuts per opening.