Into the Light: An Introduction to the madness of custom lights
Вставка
- Опубліковано 17 чер 2016
- This is simply an intro into my new series about high end EDC flashlights. Why I got into them, what to expect from this series, and a brief overview of my first 4 custom/semi-custom lights.
- Розваги
Great start to what will surely be an interesting, informative series.
That's a great idea!!! I think we all love toys and man stuff!!-LOL so expansion for this channel is very welcomed and speaking for myself I'm super excited! keep it up Jim and looking forward. just don't forget the knives
You rock Jim! Thanks for another great video!!
Congratulations Sir Jim! All I gotta say is, it's about time!
Thanks Jim for finally getting the last part of the Edc equation.
Cool to see you doing lights looking forward to seeing what you find and how you like them
It's awesome that your getting into high end lights, I've enjoyed your posts in Flashlight Fanatics as well.
Thank you!
Auh gheeze Jim, here I go again haha... Dabbled with the idea a few times here and there but always managed to talk myself out of them and into sticking with my Olights. Really looking forward to having some in depth reviews and being able to sort of, "experience" them first before making the plunge. Thanks as always for doing what you do buddy! Really looking forward to this.
here we go, Jims into lights now lol. and so it begins. enjoy the journey!
LOL!! Great first vid! And fyi, i did the same thing with calling all of my lights, "knives"....wait till you get 10k comments asking why you were calling them knives...ugh! haha...anyway, welcome to flashlights...look forward to more vids..
keep them coming love the change to custom flashlights and sure there will some exotic flashlights to come.ATB MICHAEL MCINTYRE.
Much love fore the S1 Baton. I'm not a torch guy, so they are perfect for me. you have a killer collection starting though, Jim. It will be fun to watch your evolution on flashlight tastes.
this is more practical then "tops" thumbs up.
Dammit Jim.. I'm already into tops because of you, I will NOT start getting into flashlights as well…… ooh, shiny :-)
Olight was a gateway drug for me too!
I was skeptical, but all I can say is... :O
And this is probably more practical than a knife for a lot of people.
saving up to buy the fz07. i cant wait till i get it.
Oh my god, no internet? SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDDDD
:P
On a serious note, I'm looking forward to this series.
I'm glad I recognized the Haiku.
Love torches, got to watch your channel just to dream on PEACE :-)
Here we go...It's all over...lol. Cool shit!
"I don't need a flashlight to find me fucking flashlight" lmao
lol its a Harley so its most likely gunna breakdown.
new sub here. i subbed for the tops. but i stayed cause you got taste. money cant buy taste.
True
Wow these knives have a nice beam of light to them LOL XD
To switch modes with the haiku just soft press the button quickly and once u get the mode you want press the button down fully.
those kick ass!!! soon as I get my knife game up I will dip into better lights!
Jim, Hope you could review your Road Glide someday. Cheers.
Thanks. I actually sold it a couple years ago and later bought a new Vmax.
Thanks for responding. Nice bike too. I am bike enthusiast.
Haha! Nice you already started "easy"! 😂👌🏽
So one of these, one of the tops, and a knife. Jim must have 7 pounds and $10,000 of gear in his pocket on a daily basis. Gunna need a custom Mokuti belt to support all that weight
All the 'how bright is it' comments are hilarious. If you're watching this video and all you care about is how bright they are, go watch a more budget minded flashlight video. These lights are machined works of art and in many cases are built to tolerances that far exceed most anything else. There is a lot more to a flashlight than how bright it is, noobs.
exactly, this is not about "value"
LensLights beam is something to behold! Aluminum body and youre talking bargain!
Damn! That Hanko is sweet! and the rest of them as well ! Have you looked into pens?
I just about shit my pants when i heard about the coolfalls price.
These flashlights are cool! I want all of them. Where can I get those?
"Maybe you're already a serious flashaholic..." ummm, shouldn't you people have to register and notify me when you move into the neighborhood? I'm just trying to raise my family. Do you guys have meetings you get court ordered to? "Hello everybody, I'm Jim. It's been six months since I sparked one up. I'm happy to be here and I'll pass." The group responds "Hi Jim". Just asking. ..
for a friend.
Nice,but the olights s1 put out 500 lumens ,at 70 bucks,the copper one is pretty cool.you would think these makers would up the actual light part of their lights
Flashlights aren't just about output since most of your EDC tasks don't require that much light. When it comes to these custom made lights it's more about reliability and quality rather than power. I own many high powered chinese lights but I still carry my custom lights over the Chinese lights since I enjoy using them more.
+Mark K I do agree.wasnt being confrontational,just was stating other side.i am way into all things shiny also
Just because I like to.
I love the way you justify wanting cool shit.
OLight rocks for the money!
So I'm a knife guy, a few weeks ago I bought a $5 walmart AAA flashlightover my lunch break because I needed something for that afternoon but I found that these things are very useful for many tasks I didn't even think about. I never felt I needed one before, but now I use it a few times a day and feel like something is missing when I'm not carrying it. I recently bought a Prometheus beta qr2 in brass because, from my experience with knives, a good quality (or custom) EDC is well worth the cost and I just love brass as a material overall. But now I think I might get sucked into this whole flashlight addiction... but I have no idea where to purchase good-quality lights. I know for knives a good source for production and mid-tech is bladeHQ, for customs I usually look at Arizona Custom Knives, are there equivalents for flashlights? TD;DR: I'm starting to gain interest in higher-end lights than I can find at walmart, what are the best online retailers?
Malkoff....Oveready.....Elztetta.....HDS.....Sigma....Prometheus......
Fw3a custom (by me) for my edc. brightest torch I've ever owned, turbo nut roaster
I refuse to watch this video and get sucked into another spending habit lol I already have too many tops. Thanks Jim haha
You should tell us the lumen output of your lights
This wasn't a detailed review. Also, many makers don't list the lumens because it's not an accurate measurement of the lights actual performance.
BLACKSNOW CUSTOMS??? would love to see that review
Any experience with the Oveready Boss?
Custom knives, tops and now lights. Are we going to see custom guns next.
I don't see anything wrong with custom guns.
jim needs to start reviewing lambos
I've owned custom guns for years. My Ed Brown makes it into a few knife pics here and there for example.
+David B custom watches are a whole different ball game we are talking $50,000-$1,000,000+ I doubt he'll be investing in custom watches
+Euge L well, I make them, so I can make a custom one for myself I suppose lol.
you makes me poor, but i love my toys!!!
graetings from swiss Ricci :)
The Aura (the one at the bottom) would be SOOO much cooler if the Tridium circles on the outside rim lined up with Tridium "star" formed on the inside.
I had no idea there were such great custom torches available. Why don't some of these custom torch makers make ecig mods and Clearomizers?
Like the light to the right of 4 not digging the cluster LEDs I prefer a single diode
+Jim Skelton What do you use to carry all you EDC obsessions?
My pockets....
+Jim Skelton 😂😂😂 Ok, I thought maybe you had cool bag or something you could recommend. Then what pants do you use? 😂😂
FFS Jim, first knives, then tops and now torches. I can't afford to stay subscribed to you any more!
LOVE my Haiku!! Some great flashlights you have here! Check out Oveready if you like to mix/match and build your own. They are addictive!!
been collecting lights since 1996. Aside from the sapphire lens and all that titanium and tritium none of those 4 lights are as good as say the new $99 Zebralight SC 600 MkIII HI. The Spy is interesting and different user interface but...when it comes to being a flashlight there are plenty of big name manufacturer lights that do it as good or better. This will be interesting to see you do.
Ill be touching on this quite a bit in future videos, but I'll say this: unlike most industries where custom makers utilize techniques and technologies developed by big manufacturers, it's the opposite here. The industry had to play catch-up because the custom makers pioneered many things, especially in the use of hi quality LED emitters.
I will admit my knowledge of the history of high end lights like these 4 specifically is not great. I just know they have been around a long time and have always been very expensive. Im still sticking with the $99 Zebralight SC600 MkIII HI being just better than all 4 of those lights. Only thing the Zebralight does not have is titanium. But hey if you have the cash you have the cash. I do admit the Spy and its variants as being something truly different.
I agree, the likes of the SC 600, no one really needs anything more/better.
These 4 lights are nice but really,..more money than sense springs to mind but hey Jim, if you have that much disposable income & it makes you happy, rock on.
Skelton is pretty darn convincing when it comes to demonstrating the ins and outs ups and downs of product. I am anxious to see how he presents these things. Must point out that those 4 lights specifically actually have been out for a very long time now. As to what came first the custom or the high value mass production as far as I know it is a toss up really. Would be very interested to see if Skelton shows some V54 Vinh modified lights.
What are they powered by li ion. Li po
Hey Jim - I have a Tain Aura also. I put one of those TEC P7 suspension clips on it. It carries great and the clip gives you something to grab to get it out of your pocket. If you prefer a clip set-up I suggest you try it. There's a pic of it on my I/G feed with a Graham fixie. My IG is mauldintn .
I have been looking for a flashlight with a C1D1 rating, explosion-proof. So far the only one found with a metal body is the Nitecore EF1. I am the type of person who wants everything custom & buying once for life. Are you aware of any other being in the hobby for a bit now?
Jim is it just me or is there not much of a middle ground in EDC flashlights price wise? Seems like under $75 or $300+ or I might not be looking in the right spots.
Well crap... I needed another expensive hobby like I need herpes.😂😂😂😂 Giddy up! Thx for the info and attention to detail’
Next it will be custom pens
But how many lumens are they?....
will we start seeing custom mods? If you still vape, that is.
$1400 flashlight!😂
thanks for blinding me! Thanks for the invitation into your neurosis . . . me too
It's all about modding by V54, vinhnguyen54, skylumen54. Same reason we care about blade steel/handle material is the same reason I care about Lumens/Lux. Plus he is just a great guy! SKYLUMEN.COM!!!!!!!!!!!
1
Cree makes nice ones for $10. I would rather have a 6D Mag Light as defense and light lol.
cree makes LEDs, not flashlights.
the shit you're buying from China for $10 claiming a million lumens are basically disposable.
nitecore or thrunite!
Does anyone know of someone making custom defensive focused flashlights? I guess custom Surefire is sort of what I have in mind... If someone into flashlights might know a name that wouldn't be at the top of a google search worth checking out I'd appreciate any recommendations!
Check out Nitecore. I've got on that puts out 2500 lumens, which will blind you i a second. Put it in strobe mode and it's awesome
basically all custom flashlight makers can make defensive oriented lights. There is really only two features that makes a light defensive. First is having an aggressive pointy bezel around the lens and the other feature is just having a bright emitter that can be used to temporary blind an aggressor. Basically any bright light can be used defensively especially if an agreed I've pointy bezel is added
infesting Yea I agree just about any bright light can be used for self defense... But I was more wondering if there's someone known for making super tough lights that can be thrown on a gun. Or with features like a strike bezel as you mentioned, aggressive knurling for added grip or some kind of modular system that can be customized for different configurations. Even just someone doing innovative stuff that is somewhat more self defense oriented.
I'm a flashlight guy. But I only buy production lights, all I can afford at this time.
I don't understand why anyone would buy a custom flashlight. A flashlight is a tool, nothing more. I've got a tiny Nitecore that I use for walking my dogs at night. It puts out 1000 lumens and pretty much brings oncoming vehicles to almost a dead stop. Certainly keeps my dogs safe from idiots who drive through the neighborhood at 50 mph. No need to waste money on a custom torch with one half the lumins of a small Nitecore
+Erich Diehl you could make the same argument for a knife... Different strokes..
have to say, tritium works a lot better on flashlights than knives.
you need to get beam shots.
Check out my Tain video, I spent a lot of time doing that. Thanks!
I'm screwed
vc por favor podia colocar legendas em português
tip for when you make the videos, I don't give a damn if it's crazy fucking bright, give me a lumen number. Also grab a $50 Nightcore or Klarus to compare brightness and beams
Good points. However, after discussing the topic directly with a couple high end custom makers, they don't list the lumens for a number of reasons that I'll get into in a future video. It boils down to the fact that the numbers can be easily manipulated. And I have a couple lights to use as a control to show the comparisons
+Jim Skelton Very cool, interested to hear that. I kinda figured your channel was too big to reply to, shocked you replied, thanks Jim!
custom flashlight makers don't want you to know how little lumens they're giving you at a stupid price. for less than a hundred bucks you can get a better actual flashlight, that's where this silliness differs from knives, when you pay for Custom your actually getting a better product than the majority of production.
It's actually the other way around. Seeing that it takes calibrated lab equipment to actually measure lumens, and the general buying public doesn't have any of that, light manufacturers can literally make up numbers for marketing (and it has been proven to have happened as I understand it) because the consumer won't know. Bright just looks bright to most anyone. Instead, custom light makers give you the actual milliamps they are pushing, and that knowledge coupled with the listing of the specific emitter being used will tell you how powerful the light is, and what it is capable of. Until about a week ago, like you, I didn't know that either. The difference is, I didn't run off and shout publicly that custom light makers are ripping people off and that a $100 light is just as good as a $1,000 light... because that would only expose my ignorance. I wanted to take the time to learn (which is why I haven't yet made an in-depth video), and understand the nuances to ALL lights (not just customs), and help other new folks like me understand what to look for in a quality light, regardless of price. And it's worth noting that unlike most other industries where custom makers take tried and true techniques built by large corporations and then refine them to make a better product... it's the other way around with lights. The pioneers were the custom makers like Mac and Don McLeish. They took the chances and took lights to where they are today, and the big corporations then followed their lead. Yes, you can absolutely get GREAT quality lights in production lights for less money... but it lacks a LOT of the workmanship that we as collectors value in these higher end lights.
If it helps, I have spoken to 3 light makers, guys who literally live and breathe the science of this stuff, and they all say the same things basically. Here is a snippet from an email conversation that I had with one recently, hopefully it will help you understand. But please keep in mind, when you don't know something, don't make inflammatory and accusatory statements.. just ask a question. That's what I do.
"Most CPF people do not ask about lumens. For my light running at 'X'mA and the XP-L-Hi emitter (best bin available) it is at least 1200 lm. Some of the Cree data show it to be upwards of 1350 lm, it can be very confusing to follow because the datasheets are often very conservative or outdated. I typically do not quote the number because it is on the Cree web site broken out for the emitter’s bin. Sorry, lots of CPF people got that kind of education long ago.
You may know that most manufactures just make up numbers and never have any idea how many lumens are coming out of their flashlights. There is no easy way to measure it without calibrated lab equipment. Even then it is fraught with peril.
Measuring amps flowing through an LED on the other hand, is quite easy and repeatable. Lots of CPF people do check that and it is usually an eye opener as to who in the industry is trying to mislead."
how do you even look your wallet in the eyes? it must be furious at you! i'd love a damascus light :I
I am all in for a Damascus light. who makes them?
Jim do you have any advice on how to be like u. How can I have all you have. I'm serious. What the secret
Instead of saving for kids college, buy a knife each month, ez
Just work hard and develop as many skills as you can. Then after your family is cared for, you have the house, cars, and other essentials you need, then and only then can you spend on luxury/frivolous items. My "toys" never come at the expense of my family's well being. My bills are paid, I spoil my family, I give to charities and THEN I feel it's ok for me to buy toys.
+Jim Skelton sounds good to me.
Get your hands on a Vox Snailor or some custom guns
Snailor lol
He’s a collector of custom flashlights! He’s studying them, like it’s art or something; perhaps with some hard work go for a BA in Flashlightology from the Univ. of Tactical Assholery?? America, learn to make something instead of just buying shit!
I thought surefires where expensive...
u started with a Damascus hanko? holy crap man way to start
Madness...cool...but madness all the same
Look into the Reylight Dawn, Aonic and Eryx all reasonably priced high end lights. And all available in copper - my downfall:)
Dennis O'Brien The Reylights are pretty cool. Just got my Eryx a couple days ago and love it. Review coming soon.
@@JimSkeltonKnives My Eryx (copper head and body with Ti heatsink, tail and clip is due Saturday and I'll be looking forward to your review. Will you be getting into a complete review measuring times, lumens, tints, etc?
Over $1,000 on a little pocket flashlight? Fuck that shit!
Give me a frigging break !1400.00 for a flashlight ! I wish I had your money to piss away !
Work hard and you will.
🖒, I guess I can't argue with that comment... 😎
my $56 mec army pt16 is brighter than that $1,400 coolfall spy
And a Kershaw Leek will open an envelope with as much ease as a Bodega. I think you may be missing the point here.
Lose one of these babies and it's gonna hurt no matter how much fucking money you have.
And did u just say with ur luck. Jim you don't get to say that. You might get a creeper for saying that. Not with all u have man
1400$ in a flashlight, you really don't know, where to spend the money, don't ya...
Not sure if you made a typo, so I'll let you elaborate before I reply.
Call me a prude, but I really hate it when you use the F....word. Vids are very i informative and you review some cool stuff.... But I cringe every time use use the F.....word. I know I don't have to follow your channel. Just wanted to express my thoughts.
Thanks for letting me know in a respectful manner, I appreciate it. Sorry if it's off-putting, it's just how I talk.