I collect knives, but didn't realize flashlights are collectables.

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Davor

Joined
Mar 10, 2010
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I have two surefires, but didn't realize people collect flashlights that are priced in the $300s or more. I thought guns and knives were popular, but flashlights? I hope I never get the bug to collect those or I'll be broke. I already have $3000 worth of knives and a few thousand in guns. I think its time to stop:eek:
 
Run while you can. LED flashlights are very addictive. I have a few different sized ones (outputs ranging from 20 to 800 lumens), but generally into EDC sized ones. Right now I'm considering the 4Sevens Maelstrom S12 which only uses the giant sized 26650 lithium batteries.
 
Flashlights are fun too, but I don't really "collect" them. There is so much light pollution around the cities that there's hardly a need for them. That said, I DO happen to own a custom Surefire 6P, Type III hard anodized, with 3x XPG emitters and a tight fit copper heatsink. It can put out about 800-1000 lumens for 30 minutes, with High-Strobe-Medium-Low-Moonlight settings, as well as the ability to change the order of those settings with a few clicks. But my knives still cost me more:thumbup:. I suppose I might get into it again if someone ever makes a pocket sized flashlight capable of putting out 2000 lumens for half an hour, but I think I still have a good 5 years before that happens:D.
 
Stay away from Candlepowerforums !! LOL Don't say that you weren't warned if you go there. A nice custom flashlight compliments an EDC package. Gun, custom holster, custom knife, custom light.. it all goes together.
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It should be said that flashlight collecting/using can be very dangerous to the bank account. Possibly moreso than knives, but that depends on the user. The problem is technology. There will always be new knives, and new steels. But the latest supersteel might offer a 2% increase in performance over another, which might not justify the purchase of a new knife. However, LED technology is still so new and evolving that if you have one that's 3 months old, it might be obsolete. If it's a year old, it's definitely obsolete, and if it's a couple years old, it's ancient. Every few months a new LED comes out that offers something like 5-15% increase in brightness/efficiency. That means ever year or two you get double the brightness with the same battery that you used, with the same runtime. Believe it or not, but Surefires are often considered dinosaurs, because they're not as up-to-date as other manufactures, although their quality of manufacture is second-to-none. If you're the kind of personality that has to have the latest and greatest, flashlight collecting can be very hazardous to the bank account. Companies like Fenix, 4Sevens, and JetBeam are the frontrunners when it comes to new tech, or they're the enablers to your addiction. It depends on your perspective.

The flashlight on my keychain is a $300 custom titanium one. And it's a few years old, so it's obsolete, so I'm looking for a replacement. If that doesn't say something about the flashaholic condition, I don't know what does.
 
Hello my name is Brian and I am also a flashaholic, I really do need to stop flashing people all the time. :D
 
Although I've never really gotten into flashlights the way I'm into guns, knives, and watches, I do have quite a few and used to frequent cpf often. I have around 10 flashlights and half of them are fenix. That being said, I end up using a knife maybe every other day. I use a multi tool (not the blade) several times a day. I could work without either a multitool or a knife. Couldn't work without a flashlight. They really can be addictive. Some of those guys even become rechargeable battery fanatics and end up with a collection of rechargeables.
 
I have maybe 10 flashlights, 2x SF 6P's, a SF 9P, couple of inova's. These don't get any use these days. 2 each of the Fenix and 4Seven's brands are new the past couple months. As mentioned by others the technology is moving pretty fast with these devices.
 
Planterz said:
The flashlight on my keychain is a $300 custom titanium one. And it's a few years old, so it's obsolete, so I'm looking for a replacement. If that doesn't say something about the flashaholic condition, I don't know what does.
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What is on the keychain ? Muyshont Nautilus or something from PhotonFanatic ? Have you looked into getting some of your older lights modded with the latest LEDs ? I've had my old Novatac's upgraded to XP-G's.. although now the latest mod is the XM-L .
 
I only own a few flashlights, but I am constantly on CPF and looking at them. I tend to get one or two a year. I tend to try not to buy many, as I am happy with what I have now. It's just that every year the 'new' flashlights are soon very old technology wise.
 
I really got into flashlights in the military everyone had a small mag light back then they were cheap and had red lenses for use at night. Then the small little led lights that you could clip to your collar were popular when going out to use the porta john. Then we were issued Surfires to mount on our M4's prior to going to Iraq in 2003. That's when I really saw how powerful a smaller flashlight could be. Flashlights have come a long way since then and Surefire went to the bottom of the list when manufactures started coming out with more powerful and cheaper flashlights but that Surefire was what really started me getting into the high lumen flashlights. Here are few that I have right now

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I got a Surefire C3 a while ago and added a Malkoff LED dropin... I could become addicted to flashlights, but that one light is just about all I'll ever need; it's amazing.
 
Please pay attention to the forum you post in. General KNIFE Discussion is the wrong place for flashlights. Moved to Gadgets & Gear.
 
Corpus said:
Run while you can. LED flashlights are very addictive. I have a few different sized ones (outputs ranging from 20 to 800 lumens), but generally into EDC sized ones. Right now I'm considering the 4Sevens Maelstrom S12 which only uses the giant sized 26650 lithium batteries.
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Great light, but good luck. Right now, we haven't had any since they went on backorder about a month and a half to two months ago. As of Friday, 4Sevens advised that they have the lights, but no batteries or chargers. Then, later in the day, advised batteries and chargers arrived, and they were going to start shipping to dealers. About an hour later, we got another message that shipping was on hold until further, because there was a problem with the chargers, and they were working to rectify it.

I know we currently have a ridiculous number of orders for them pending, and I would imagine all other dealers do as well. I'm just hoping this production run was large enough to cover existing backorders AND put some inventory on dealers shelves because it really is a great light.
 
I suggest everyone stay away from FPN as well. If you don't consider a pen a disposable thing and actually want to enjoy putting ink on paper then you are ripe for conversion.

It's funny though, I think knives are probably one of the deepest hobbies out there. There is a vast variety of different types of the tool, every different style drastically affecting function and performance, and you actually get to use one on a daily basis.
Not to mention that to really understand a knife you have to delve into metallurgy, one of the greatest mysteries mankind has ever racked his brain on, and that is a subject that seems to spill over into nearly every other hobby or industry in existence.
 
You will meet many of the members here on CPF. I have spent most of this year (and $) on CPF and flashlights.
 
I've always thought people who collected flashlights would also naturally appreciate knives. It's probably some survival instinct to hoard tools for fear of scarcity in the future or having an appreciation for tools that can be used in everyday life.

I've been collecting watches for years. Got into flashlights 2 months ago and already have 2 flashlights. I just bought my first "expensive" knife last week.
 
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