# Ever run into non-CPF'ers using premium lights?



## Big_Ed (Mar 25, 2009)

I've been a mover for almost 16 years, and one of the things I do as a mover is pack my customer's posessions in boxes. As a flashaholic, I'm always on the lookout for flashlights. But in those almost 16 years, I've only seen maybe 2 Surefires, a Pelican or other dive light, and maybe 3 or 4 Inovas. I've seen several Photons, Inova Microlights and other keychain lights. Other than those few examples, I basically never see anything "above the rank of MagLite". I have run into a couple heating & A/C contractors and building maintenance workers with more premium lights, but aside from that, nothing. And I've never run into anybody in the general public that had anything more than some 5mm led light.

Have you run into non-CPF'ers using premium lights? I know that most police, fire fighters and possibly EMT's probably have some, but I'm talking about people who aren't exactly the target customers of the companies that make the more expensive lights.

Also, have you ever seen someone using a flashlight, and started a conversation with them about flashlights only to discover they are a CPF'er? I haven't.


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## Blindasabat (Mar 25, 2009)

I once had a supplier come in for a meeting with a SureFire E1L. It was well worn and he pulled it out to look closely at an engine mount stamping I was asking him to quote on.

Other than that, a friend had a Coast (David?) 1AA luxeon he bought in Germany.


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## jch79 (Mar 25, 2009)

Believe it or not, I saw a guy with a McGizmo Ti PD-S in a *bathroom*, of all places. :shrug:

We were washing our hands at the same time, and the Ti McG clip caught my eye.

I looked up, and he was staring right at me.   Then it hit me... it was just my reflection in the mirror. :shakehead It was a relief too, as it I found myself thinking that this guy was so good looking. 

:thumbsup: john


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## jblackwood (Mar 25, 2009)

That "john" joke was pretty funny, John. Take it from me, a fellow John . . . :wave:


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## FrogmanM (Mar 25, 2009)

almost spilled my juice there John! 
I have yet to run into another person with an exceptional flashlight.

Mayo


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## bigchelis (Mar 25, 2009)

While at the gun range the rangle masters had like 4 Surefires lined up against the window. They were E1L, E2D led, and I forgot the other two, but they were E series too. Maybe they were CPF members.


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## Gunnerboy (Mar 25, 2009)

A friend of mine is a non-CPF'er, but frequents Usual Suspects Network, BladeForums, etc. He owns multiple SureFire and Fenix lights. He's admitted to lurking in our hallways a few times. Lighthound, Fenix-store, and other dealers have a presence on those forums.

There's healthy cross-pollination between guns, knives, and flashlight enthusiasts.


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## T3hk1w1 (Mar 25, 2009)

> There's healthy cross-pollination between guns, knives, and flashlight enthusiasts.



I've noticed that as well. I found out about this place from a firearms forum.


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## seaside (Mar 25, 2009)

Yes. couple times.

One of them was a fisherman, the other guy was a diver. I guess they needed bright lights for their purpose, and naturally they picked up good light before even they knew CPF.


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## Stillphoto (Mar 25, 2009)

I was at a rainforest cafe in December, and was with a buddy who used to work there. So we're there after closing and one of the managers was taking inventory of some bottles at the bar. She pulled a light from her belt, and I didn't really pay any attention till it lit up... Suddenly I was like whoa, gauged the brightness and general tint and thought Surefire. When she clipped it back on her belt, I recognized it to be an E1B! I figure we live near Surefire, maybe she knows someone, or maybe she just knows.


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## mudman cj (Mar 25, 2009)

Wow, I fully expect to go the rest of my life without seeing a female civilian with an E1B clipped to her belt. She might be a keeper! :naughty:


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## Stillphoto (Mar 25, 2009)

Yeah that's what I'm sayin! I fully expect she was probably given it by a boyfriend/husband (not that a woman can't appreciate a good light on her own).


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## Culhain (Mar 25, 2009)

A fine gentleman that works part time with our company is a veteran of multiple tours in Mesopotamia. He regularly uses a SF 6P or E2D and has other lights that he doesn't use from Streamlight and Pelican. He hangs out online at the gun and knife forums, but wasn't aware of CPF. Interestingly, last fall we had an extended power outage and he said that he got by with a few Mag D cell LEDs. I sent him an email to the CPF addy, but to my knowledge he has not registered.


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## Federal LG (Mar 25, 2009)

NEVER!

Here in Brasil, "premium lights" are incan Maglites. I always see someone (in camping, or hiking) using incan Mags only.

I have some friends that aren´t CPFers, but have their Fenix, Lumapower and Surefire lights, but all of them bought those lights with my indication... hehehe.


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## KingGlamis (Mar 25, 2009)

It doesn't happen often, but in the last year it has happened more than it used to. Mostly I see people with SureFires or Streamlights. I have a few cop buddies and it's amazing that they had never even heard of Fenix before I showed them one.


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## Sgt. LED (Mar 25, 2009)

Nothing but the seemingly endless parade of the unwashed masses for me.

Maybe one day


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## aussiebob (Mar 25, 2009)

Nope, sadly.


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## Sub_Umbra (Mar 25, 2009)

I don't think I've ever met another CPFer but I know a couple of guys at the bicycle shop who carry NovaTacs -- one of them also caries an Ultra-G. I also know a couple guys with pretty slick weapon lights.


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## csshih (Mar 25, 2009)

yes... 

my friends who I give flashlights too.


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## ypsifly (Mar 25, 2009)

I fish at night and have run into other fishermen carrying quality lights. A few SFs (2 G2s and a 9P) but mostly Streamlights. Twin Tasks, Scorpions and a couple headlamps. Almost all came from the "local" Cabela's or a gun shop.


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## mossyoak (Mar 25, 2009)

surefires are nothing out of the ordinary around here, ive seen a few stenlights as well in peoples gear but they are are cavers or SAR. its nice having a local stenlight dealer here in chattanooga.


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## carrot (Mar 25, 2009)

My sensai carries a 6P in a SF nylon sheath. I swear I had nothing to do with it. He loves that light.


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## Mjolnir (Mar 25, 2009)

I have seen multiple people with surefires that were probably not CPF members. Many of the people I know have heard of surefire, and it is definitely more of a mainstream company. A while ago I believe I came in contact with someone who had a fenix, but this was before I had ever even heard of Fenix. For the most part, I think brands like these are more limited to CPF members.


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## Phaserburn (Mar 25, 2009)

hmm. nope!


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## Whind Soull (Mar 26, 2009)

I used to work as a bailiff, and one of our jurors had a Surefire E-series on his belt (don't remember what exactly...it was a year or two ago).


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## guitars (Mar 26, 2009)

I think I did this backward. I bought a 6P and a Malkoff M60 dropin and a G3 Nitrolon for my girlfriend. I learned about Surefire from an Elks Lodge friend who has a G3 and an incandescent SF upgrade. He wasn't a CPF member but I just got on board and I'm betting my Elk friend will be here soon.


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## Ferret (Mar 26, 2009)

Well, I have seen a lot of other people with surefires and other premium lights, buth then again all of my coworkers are LE or EMS.


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## auxcoastie (Mar 26, 2009)

At work in my group everyone carries a surefire. And of course in my Coast Guard world, most everyone carries something good on duty.


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## LightJaguar (Mar 26, 2009)

My coworker bought about 5 LuxIII led flashlights about three years ago. At my work if we request a flashlight they issue us mini mag. We are a big Maintenance department at a big hospital. We have AC techs, electricians, electronics techs, general maintenance and other similar positions. 
I guess one day my coworker got sick and tired of his dim mini mag and bought some Nuwai X3s I believe. That was before I found CPF and those same minimag lighs that they give at us work is one reason why I found CPF.
Also another coworker bought bought some Pelican flashlight with a luxeon III. That was also some years ago so it was a pretty good bright light back then.

Another coworker has a Streamlight Stinger and I think that he carries in his belt an Streamlight Scorpion wich its pretty bright.


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## NotSoBrightBob (Mar 26, 2009)

I pass some of my money on to a local gun shop and most of the guys there carry Surefires, they're not CPF'rs so I assume it's because they get some type of employee discount and the store carries them. One guy cracks me up with his bone stock SF C3, he loves to shine it across the room and tell everyone it's the most expensive and absolute best flashlight on the planet. Most people oooh and aaaah. I could screw with him even with my EDC without bringing out one of my better lights but why **** him off in front of his groupies.


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## [email protected] (Mar 26, 2009)

Don't be so mean to him. Be mean to his wallet:devil: introduce him to Mr Gene Malkoff and cpf. :devil:


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## importculture (Mar 26, 2009)

Alot of gunshop and airsoft places here have alot of everyday customers that buy exceptional lights. A place here called poweredge had 120p's for quite a bit cheaper than you can find online. A major sighting was on a local tv show called Let's go fishing. There was a fisherman that was talking about his custom LED lighting array for nightfishing. It had a batterypack mounted on an aluminum frame with the array of Led's mounted on a length of aluminum hanging above his head. Unfortunately he never said where he had it made.


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## jabe1 (Mar 26, 2009)

Nope. My Dad and my old Boss carry SL microstreams, but that's it. Everyone else I know thinks 3AAA 9led lights are awesome.


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## Helmut.G (Apr 15, 2009)

jch79 said:


> Believe it or not, I saw a guy with a McGizmo Ti PD-S in a *bathroom*, of all places. :shrug:
> 
> We were washing our hands at the same time, and the Ti McG clip caught my eye.
> 
> ...


good one john :twothumbs

I personnally have never seen anyone with an expensive light except one friend of mine that owns three fenixes


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## Chrontius (Apr 15, 2009)

Met someone at work who has at minimum a Surefire G3 and M2; one other guy was given a Blue-Dot of some sort. Other than that, it's only people I've corrupted.


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## RobertM (Apr 15, 2009)

Not much around here other than those that I've shown the light to. There is a kid that works at my local Cabelas that has an assortment of SureFires that I mentioned CPF to but I don't know if he ever joined. Other than that, I'll see local LEOs with SureFires, but that's about it.

-Robert


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## jslappa (Apr 15, 2009)

Believe it or not, my first M6 was free when I bought my house! In 2004 I bought a 3-year old house from a husband and wife who were teacher and nurse, respectively. 

The couple had moved to Beaver Island and left the house fully furnished, apparently to help sell the house faster. In the basement there was a computer room/office where the owners had tons of computer parts, laptops, and other electronic things. I noticed that there was a nice purple 6P on the desk and a cool display of a wine bottle being poured. Now I know it as the "wine lite" display, but was more interested in trying to get the John Deere tractor thrown in with the house. 

The day the wife and I took possession of the house I looked it over meticulously because the owner's kids were the ones who removed all the furniture. You know, some people even take their lightbulbs and half-empty toilet paper rolls when they leave! You just never know! So, anyway, I was checking the dates on the fire extinguishers and grabbed the one in the basement. Sitting on the ground behind it was an M6 and a small first aid kit. It Had surefire batteries in it and the MN21, as I recall. 

SCORE!


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## iveseenthelite (Apr 15, 2009)

I am a refrigeration mechanic, and find myself working often late into the night on dark roofs. I own several surefires and a couple of streamlights. The only non cpf'ers i've met with good lights, besides cops, firemen, and emt's, are my coworkers. a couple with g2's and fenix lights. at one of our accounts, the maintenance director has a surefire m4 sitting on his desk.


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## FredericoFreire (Apr 15, 2009)

Federal LG said:


> NEVER!
> 
> Here in Brasil, "premium lights" are incan Maglites. I always see someone (in camping, or hiking) using incan Mags only.
> 
> I have some friends that aren´t CPFers, but have their Fenix, Lumapower and Surefire lights, but all of them bought those lights with my indication... hehehe.



Not me... lol.


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## flasherByNight (Apr 15, 2009)

someone should come up with a handshake or a secret passphrase :grouphug:


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## tradderran (Apr 15, 2009)

This can work to our advantage
At the big Houston gun show
last fall I had the good luck to
have my tables next to a guy who
had taken in trade a Spy005
it was laying in his display case
when I enquired he said it was a good light but the batteries were outrageous about that time I had a custemer walk up
after he left this guy said I will trade you the light for that Case sodbuster you have there
Yes a trade was made.
So I got a nice Spy005 for the
price of a 22.00 knife.


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## Haz (Apr 16, 2009)

My friend thinks he is using a premium light, he is using a maglite.

He did some research on the net, and heard that leds are more efficient and wishes to upgrade to leds.

He has somehow read up on "Cree" on DX and have decided to purchase a 3xAAA light, this is going to be his next premium light.

I tried to convince him that it's better to either go with single AA or 2xAA, or even CR123, however he is convinced that 3xAAA is the best!.

He's pretty stubborn, because he thinks he knows best, and is pretty hard to convince. When I told him what I think, he seemed really sceptical and thinks i must be wrong.

Should I just let him buy his 'premium' light, stand by and do nothing, or should I continue to preach him, hoping he will convert?


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## csshih (Apr 16, 2009)

tradderran said:


> This can work to our advantage
> At the big Houston gun show
> last fall I had the good luck to
> have my tables next to a guy who
> ...



WHAT??!?!??!?!?!?!?!! o______________________O


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## Th232 (Apr 16, 2009)

Haz said:


> My friend thinks he is using a premium light, he is using a maglite.
> 
> He did some research on the net, and heard that leds are more efficient and wishes to upgrade to leds.
> 
> ...



Let him buy it, then compare it to one of yours. Don't forget to remind him how sure he was that he was right.

But that's just me speaking...


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## Tempsho (Apr 16, 2009)

This is a pretty interesting thread, and it got me thinking a little bit. If a lot of us cpf members don’t see very many people with "higher" end flashlights. So how big of a market is there for $50+ flashlights? Most people would think you are nuts for spending that much money on "just a flashlight" (My wife included) Obviously there has to be a market for them or they would all go out of business. I'm sure edcforums.com and cpf.com members alone don’t keep most of these companies afloat. (Although from what I’ve seen, you guys do buy a ton of nice flashlights!!) Word of mouth maybe? Obviously companies like Fenix, Surefire, Pelican, etc do well since police, paramedics, etc use them. I just bought my first real flashlight, an Eagletac T10L, so I hope up and coming companies like them do well and stay in business for a long time. Spread the word!! :twothumbs


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## hyperloop (Apr 16, 2009)

most of the non-cpf-ers i know do NOT own any decent lights at all. My country is severely light polluted, its streetlamps everywhere, finding a dark place to play with flashlights is a bit of a challenge here.

I have given DX fauxtons to my co-workers and that's about it. But it felt good when one of them came in to thank me cos there was a power outage at her home and she remembered the fauxton which i gave her. She was so impressed with it and i didnt have the heart to tell her that actually it isnt that bright. 

But that being said, when the lights go out, any light is better than no light. Think i will get them some DX AAA lights this year.


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## jhc37013 (Apr 16, 2009)

NotSoBrightBob said:


> I pass some of my money on to a local gun shop and most of the guys there carry Surefires, they're not CPF'rs so I assume it's because they get some type of employee discount and the store carries them. One guy cracks me up with his bone stock SF C3, he loves to shine it across the room and tell everyone it's the most expensive and absolute best flashlight on the planet. Most people oooh and aaaah. I could screw with him even with my EDC without bringing out one of my better lights but why **** him off in front of his groupies.




+1 My local range employees and managers I'm friends with so I have no problem outshining them, and yes all they carry in the store is surefire and my buddy the manager has yet to take my advice and sell a very worthy product like the Fenix foe half the cost or less to his customer. This gives me even more drive to show him my nice EDC's. Hopefully I can bring them to the light side. And no other than them guys I have yet to see a civilian carry anything but store bought generally cheap stuff, thats usally mechaincs. 

I dont even see people carrying lights at all, but everyone has a handgun on the belt thats for sure. I try to convience my buddys its almost a must to carry a light, and I try hard. I see them spend $200 a week on other crap but they just can't seem to pull the trigger on a $60 Fenix, Go figure. I wont give up I will continue to bug the holy crap out of them untill he(they) carry a EDC. BTW I think I typed such a long post becouse this is one of the best threads I have seen in a while


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## oronocova (Apr 16, 2009)

I never see anyone carrying a light period, much less an expensive one. The guys I work with (we are technicians) carry lights. Sadly their "better" light is a 1xAAA off DX I gave them all. It's brighter than their MagLite or the run of the mill 3xAAA-9-LED junk.

Thinking about it, I don't really carry "premium lights" either. Most of mine came off DX, but even if you show someone a cheapo AkoRay that will out shine anything on the walmart/kmart/****s/etc shelf (save a halogen spot light...) when you tell them it cost 20 bucks!!! "Who the heck pays 20 bucks for a flashlight!?!?"


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## Stillphoto (Apr 16, 2009)

Must be something in the water here in CA...On a film set the other day, my buddy's girlfriend sat to eat lunch with us and pulled out an incan E2D out of her pocket so that she could sit. Of course my jaw dropped. She also pulled out a leatherman crunch...


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## Monocrom (Apr 17, 2009)

One of the guys at the job site carries a Surefire Z2. Never asked him about it, or where he heard of Surefire. He's never said anything outright, but it's clear he hates his job; and would prefer to be left alone. I usually don't have to interact with him in order to get my work done, so I leave him alone.


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## bloke-gear.com (Apr 17, 2009)

I discovered something interesting lately which is that my family doctor is a flashaholic too! Although I've only seen an E2E-HA on his desk though. Not sure if he's a CPF member though, maybe I'll ask him next time.


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## oldblazer (Apr 17, 2009)

Two mechanics in the shop have Surefires (one a G2L and the other 6PL).

Another guy that used to work here has a DRAWER full of Stinger incan and LED stuff (batts, bodies, & chargers).

Not premium lights (but "good value" light), at least three other guys each bought a Task Force 2C Cree at Lowe's after using mine to look into the many recesses of small aircraft.

:naughty:


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## funkychateau (Apr 17, 2009)

Big_Ed said:


> Have you run into non-CPF'ers using premium lights? I know that most police, fire fighters and possibly EMT's probably have some, but I'm talking about people who aren't exactly the target customers of the companies that make the more expensive lights.


 
Sure, me. I collected flashlights for years (many were "premium" at the time, but antiques now), and only recently stumbled across this site. But I'm a gadget nerd, and I don't limit it to flashlights. I'm into guns, amateur radio, motorcycles, airplanes, pool cues, and video/sound editing. And tools .... I've probably spent $10K just in hand tools, plus the normal stuff like precision measurement, torch, welders, lathe, bandsaw, grinder, drill press, sander, etc. And one spare room is nothing but electronic test gear and components. Yep, I'm a nerd. I guess it keeps me single. If I got married, we'd have to get a new house so I could keep this one as an oversize adult playground 



Big_Ed said:


> Also, have you ever seen someone using a flashlight, and started a conversation with them about flashlights only to discover they are a CPF'er? I haven't.


 
No, never. The majority of folks buying nice lights at places like Bass Pro or EVS would have never heard of CPF. They just like to have quality tools, and wouldn't care one way or another whether a small group of nerds is making a hobby of one particular tool


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## AKDoug (Apr 18, 2009)

I have never seen anyone other than the "target audience" using premium lights. Which seems kind of odd when you consider that here in Anchorage there is less than 5.5 hours of daylight on Dec 21. Fairbanks gets about 3.5 hours that day and the the North Slope gets around 58 days with no sun at all every winter!


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## f22shift (Apr 19, 2009)

it'll be probably hard unless prem lights end up in dept stores.


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## Owen (Apr 19, 2009)

A year ago, I'd have said no, but...
Turns out my neighbor has a SF E2DL and some Underwater Kinetics lights, along with several Maglites. I want to get him a F04 beamshaper for his E2DL...maybe he'll actually use it then.

A guy I know who's an ex-paratrooper and has a surplus store carries an E series SF, as do a couple of guys at a local gunshop. Someone was having a SF M3 mounted on a SA M1A SOCOM's side rail instead of a regular weaponlight when I was in there, too. 

Two area supervisors at work recently bought Fenix TK10s or 11s. Not sure which, or what the difference is. I know they're nice lights, and brighter on high than the Malkoff M60W in my work light, though I prefer it for its tint. 

After going on night shift from evenings last year, I found that some of the mechanics and electricians on my shift have their own Streamlight and Pelican lights, plus there's a lot of cheap headlamps, both on straps and clip-ons. These are all tools, not toys, but the main lights are "premium" in the sense that they're tough, and are much more usable than standard Maglites or the Rayovac Industrial garbage the company supplies. 'Course they're all models that take alkalines, which we also get an unlimited supply of. 

I'm sure none of these guys has ever heard of CPF unless I've mentioned it to them. 

Oh, and I had a waiter comment on a SF I plopped on the table at a restaurant, who said he was a SF fan. I told him my name, and asked if he posted here, but he said he didn't.


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## 1203 (Apr 19, 2009)

Good thread.

I haven't seen anyone packin' any light worth mentioning.


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## angelofwar (Apr 19, 2009)

Three times...and all three times, only 1 of them really knew there "value". Two of them had C2's...one just wanted a really bad-a$$ light, and knew quality when he saw it. Didn't know half the stuff about it, or even what it was called, but knew it was a good light (he's a potential flashaholic). Another had a C2, which I tried to buy off of him, cause he didn't respect it, and then he brought it back from the desert with hand etchings on all four sides:mecry:. He TOTALLY ruined it, appearance wise...I almost cried to see an SF mishandled like that. the other had a 6P he had issued, and once again, failed to understand what he really had...he just complained about the short battery life, blah-blah-blah...I managed to get it from him for a G2 before he totally ruined it.

This is much the same reason I let few people borrow my "premium" lights...they have no idea what they hold!


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## Stillphoto (Apr 20, 2009)

Hate to say it but, surefires are meant to be used! What exactly are hand etchings? Just heavy wear? Or had he dorked around and ruined the finish stupidly...?


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## Chrontius (Apr 20, 2009)

hyperloop said:


> most of the non-cpf-ers i know do NOT own any decent lights at all. My country is severely light polluted, its streetlamps everywhere, finding a dark place to play with flashlights is a bit of a challenge here.
> 
> I have given DX fauxtons to my co-workers and that's about it. But it felt good when one of them came in to thank me cos there was a power outage at her home and she remembered the fauxton which i gave her. She was so impressed with it and i didnt have the heart to tell her that actually it isnt that bright.
> 
> But that being said, when the lights go out, any light is better than no light. Think i will get them some DX AAA lights this year.



In terms of bang/buck or bang/bulk, they really *are* pretty bright. Seriously, I've had fauxtons brighter than Mini-Mags.


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## Monocrom (Apr 20, 2009)

Chrontius said:


> In terms of bang/buck or bang/bulk, they really *are* pretty bright. Seriously, I've had fauxtons brighter than Mini-Mags.


 
I've had candles brighter than mini-mags.


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## american lockpicker (Apr 20, 2009)

At a gun show I seen a surefire weponlight mounted in a shotgun like this

http://www.frontsight.com/alaska/images/PagePhotos/Shotgun_Skill_Builder_01.jpg


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## angelofwar (Apr 21, 2009)

Stillphoto said:


> Hate to say it but, surefires are meant to be used! What exactly are hand etchings? Just heavy wear? Or had he dorked around and ruined the finish stupidly...?


 
Took an etcher to it, (a real small jackhammer?) and etched his name (sloppily) and a bunch of slogans into it, right through the HA...:shakehead


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## bogeymachine (Apr 21, 2009)

only: Men and Women with Badges, EMTs, Smoke Eaters, Hunters, Fishermen, Boaters, Hikers, Campers, Dog Walkers, Maintenance Professionals, Cyclists and a few others that just plain "worked nights".

maybe people carry these things instead of having them moved by the OP?


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## chibato (Apr 21, 2009)

Good post, although it took me a few days before I got around to reading it.  Like most, I see a lot of SF around; however, I did once run into a LEO in north Florida with a Lumapower, which at the time was pretty interesting. I have managed to turn my brother, dad, and uncle on to some "premium" Fenix lights. They too think they're the greatest thing since sliced bread, although none are CPF members. My brother works at a hospital and is always showing off his Fenix LOD Q4. Once you get the bug it is hard to stop.


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## kosPap (Apr 22, 2009)

we I did too..on an green led Aviator...

there was a to-be new guy in our gun club, we were talking gear & prep and showing off flashlights...

When I pulled out the Rexlight he pulled out the A2..I was definetely outflashed!


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## Saint_Dogbert (Apr 22, 2009)

Never seen any flashlights at all beyond a small keychain led light. Once saw a paramedic in target (while I was on my way to the flashlight section, haha) with a light holstered on his belt, but on closer inspection it was a minimag.:shakehead


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## Dan FO (Apr 22, 2009)

My first 6P was labeled Laser Products so that gives an indication as to how long I have been using Surefires and I owned 4 McGizmos before joining CPF. I have just always had a thing for high quality lights.


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## Echo63 (Apr 26, 2009)

I havent seen anyone with a good light for a while

looking through pictures that have come in from photographers at work, i have seen a cop carrying a pelican LAPD light, and a TRG Officer with a SF M1 mounted to his MP5

when i was working security, i ran into people all the time, cops with 6ps and g2s, one with a Z2 and a M3T.
other guards used to carry some decent gear, Inova, Streamlight, Pelican, i will include Magcharger in this too, as it is a well built torch, with a reasonable output.


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## greenLED (Apr 26, 2009)

On my flight to South Africa, there was this group of hunters who had SF lights (mostly e2e's).
Actually, that's where I first heard about SF lights.


I once bumped into a gentleman in Corvallis, OR, who was carrying a Fenix P1D on his belt.

Another time I saw a gentleman with a SF 6P in a nylon holster (at Lincoln City, OR).


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## nakahoshi (Apr 26, 2009)

Cool thread!

Lights ive seen in the wild:

-An Arc AA light on a keychain (Building engineer)

-Surefire E2L (Contractor) 

I took out to show him my E1L with a McR20-S / SSCP4 and he said that his was going to be way brighter because it used 2 cells. one look at the output of my light and he said "yeah, i just need to buy some more batteries but mine is just as bright"

-Surefire E2D (Mall Cop)

-The last light i Saw was a Fenix L2T , being used by a ticket checker at the 9:30 Club in DC.

Never saw anything custom outside of these forums. I will say that all the lights i see in the wild are all USERS which is awesome. 

-Bobby


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## Corbs (Apr 26, 2009)

I have never found anyone with a decent light other than those I advise or have sold to, including UK LEOs. Generally they think a stock Mag-LED is the best out there, but the situation is improving....


..... thanks to me!  Spread the word!


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## rizky_p (Apr 27, 2009)

never seen one.....


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## Kestrel (Apr 27, 2009)

Saw a guy in front of me in the line at the post office, he was EDC'ing a SF L1 luxeon (aspheric). Which was funny since I was carrying the exact same light at the time.


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## Ny0ng1 (Apr 27, 2009)

A SureFire during a camping trip to neighbouring Malaysia. The trip leader was a good chap and he only carried 1 light, a SureFire G2.

Its year 2003, I was still a newbie in SureFire models. Well... actually I stopped reading about SureFire after I read all the 3 digit prices on its online shop :sick2:

I ignorantly asked him, is it SureFire M6? (its the only model number i remembered from the website, since it was one of the most expensive haha) Which he answered, 'nah, its just a G2, I have a friend with M6 in the army. Its crazy, 500lumens...'
Now that I think about it, he could be a cpf member, since knowing that lumens rating of M6 sounds pretty knowledgeable to me 

My only light back then was my first high powered led purchase, its not even a full flashlight purchase. It was the infamous lambda ill-pill :twothumbs: with my 8 years old minimag 

Well... I've come a long way since then, I now EDC an L1 and 1 McGizmo LunaSol27 in my cupboard


----------



## Kestrel (Apr 27, 2009)

Ny0ng1 said:


> Which he answered, 'nah, its just a G2, I have a friend with M6 in the army. Its crazy, 500lumens...'
> Now that I think about it, he could be a cpf member, since knowing that lumens rating of M6 sounds pretty knowledgeable to me


Now, if he would have said, 'Emitter vs OTF lumens', 'SureFire lumens', or 'output at 50% discharge', that would have been a dead giveaway...


----------



## lonesouth (Apr 27, 2009)

none of my friends or family would ever spend $50 on a flashlight. I did a Malkoff 3D for my dad's birthday and one of my friends got the Costco leatherman package as a groomsman gift for a wedding. That's it for the immediate friends/family. I've seen a few surefires, but those were all gun nuts or cops.


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## PsychoBunny (Apr 27, 2009)

No.

I have never seen any of these high end lights in anyone else's hands
but my own.

About the best I have seen guys use are the Mag's.

When I show them my lights, they almost always buy one for themselves
and sometimes I even turn a innocent nice person into a drooling
flashaholic!!!


----------



## GUYUTE (Apr 27, 2009)

I used to work with a guy that went out and got a SF E1D after seeing my E1L. Other than that just some LEOs and security personnel I know.

On another note, when I got home tonight my wife asked me if I had spent $200 on a flashlight. :help: I told her no, it was more like $140. I had just my Jetbeam M1X delivered and my in-laws were watching our daughter and saw the invoice. That conversation didn't go so well. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I'm waiting on three more packages to arrive this week. One from DX, one from Bugoutgear and another from Cheaperthandirt. I only hope I'm the only one home when they show up.


----------



## Burgess (Apr 27, 2009)

You are in *trouble*, my friend.

:shakehead




Only chance you've got . . . .

(pay close attention)



Something *really* nice for Mothers Day !



And i *DON'T* mean a flashlight ! ! !






Good Luck.

_


----------



## GUYUTE (Apr 28, 2009)

I know, I know. But what if I get her a gold plated flashlight. Maybe some diamonds put in like tritium vials? Yup, I'm screwed....


----------



## Flashlight Aficionado (Apr 28, 2009)

You need one of these (the middle one)


----------



## bagman (Apr 28, 2009)

GUYUTE said:


> On another note, when I got home tonight my wife asked me if I had spent $200 on a flashlight. :help: I told her no, it was more like $140. I had just my Jetbeam M1X delivered and my in-laws were watching our daughter and saw the invoice. That conversation didn't go so well.



School boy error, do you not have a work address to get most of your parcels sent to? 

The only people apart from fellow LEO's (and lots of them either just use the issue 2 x AA [email protected] I kid thee not  or rubbish multi LED ebay lights) that I have seen with quality lights are ones that I have given gifts to.


----------



## NoFair (Apr 28, 2009)

Most divers I know have some pretty high end lights.

Some cross country skiiers have $500-1000 headlamps over here

A couple of friends of mine had decent lights before I got to know them (lower end SF and Inova), but they have better ones now


----------



## seaside (Apr 28, 2009)

An old lady I met at seashore got very bright flashlight and HID. 
She use them to find shells in the sand at night.

Wow, where'd you get those?
It's my son, she told me with smile. With those, I can get more shells with ease, and others envy me.

I can tell she is no way to be a flashaholic, but I guess her son could be a CPF member.


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## marksun (Apr 28, 2009)

Of the few guys with good lights I know, none are likely to be cpf'ers- 'course I suppose you never know.


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## ALiteZ (Apr 28, 2009)

Not yet.

I contemplated whipping up a conversation with airport security this past weekend as IDs were being checked. They had the UV type I assume. I was carrying my fenix p2d. I decided against it...as the wife mad would have killed me I'm sure.


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## Stillphoto (May 18, 2009)

So the other day on yet another film set, my friend took out an older luxeon based huntlight I had given him over a year ago. He loves it. It's been to the top of Kilimanjaro and back. Definitely a premium light to him.

Anyways, the 1st camera assistant walks up, and she says "Ooh a crenelated strike bezel." I nearly proposed right there.


----------



## zipplet (May 18, 2009)

I've never bumped into anyone carrying a premium light other than recently when I was stopped by the police while walking late at night. One of the policeman had a rather bright LED light but I didn't think to ask what it was and couldn't really see 

The new job I work at often requires use of a flashlight (computer department for a school - we also have to do network/power wiring and this involves crawlspaces and attics) but the stock flashlights we are issued are all mags!


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## Monocrom (May 18, 2009)

Stillphoto said:


> I nearly proposed right there.


 
ask her out for some coffee first.


----------



## v188 (May 20, 2009)

Guess I'm backwards. I've had several SureFires, Gladius, and other decent premium lights before ever hearing about CPF. Also had Malkoff lights, and several IR lights and an IR laser for use with my PVS14. I'm more of a gun guy and use lights where they overlap. Visit here regularly, but don't post much. Unless there's a paradigm shift, I'm quite happy with the Malkoff gear. Maybe in a few years I'll upgrade again.


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## Stillphoto (May 20, 2009)

Yet another set last night, ran into a guy with a Fenix LD10. He was rather proud of it. Had to pull out my JHanko-built titanium D10 w/blue trit. He was impressed. Needless to day, I should have asked him where he got his light, but there was work to be done.


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## AusKipper (May 20, 2009)

Gunnerboy said:


> There's healthy cross-pollination between guns, knives, and flashlight enthusiasts.


 



T3hk1w1 said:


> I've noticed that as well. I found out about this place from a firearms forum.



And the people that cross pollinate in all 3 probably know what a BOB is, and probably have 1/2 of their knives and flashlights in various BOB's scattered around the place, and have firearms at some location lol


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## Fooboy (May 20, 2009)

I've "infected" a couple guys.

They both have Surefire E2DL's now.

Went in with my brother and sister to get my father a E1L (for his hiking on Appalachian trail.

Got my brother and brother in law SF G2's for X-mas.

I'm carrying my water here!


----------



## chanjyj (May 20, 2009)

hyperloop said:


> most of the non-cpf-ers i know do NOT own any decent lights at all. My country is severely light polluted, its streetlamps everywhere, finding a dark place to play with flashlights is a bit of a challenge here.
> 
> I have given DX fauxtons to my co-workers and that's about it. But it felt good when one of them came in to thank me cos there was a power outage at her home and she remembered the fauxton which i gave her. She was so impressed with it and i didnt have the heart to tell her that actually it isnt that bright.
> 
> But that being said, when the lights go out, any light is better than no light. Think i will get them some DX AAA lights this year.




To call Singapore light polluted, even severely light polluted is an understatement.

It is so bright that even with a power outage in Hougang, you can walk around on the streets without a flashlight due to Tampines's streetlamps bouncing light off the clouds and back down again.

Btw, I saw a SAF Medic with a light that looked suspiciously like a LED Lenser 4 days ago. He doesn't know very much about it though.


----------



## Cataract (May 22, 2009)

A Guy I take sword classes with carries a Fenix L2D with him all the time... Got him to buy a TK40 and I didn't even show him mine yet!:twothumbs I did show him My TK11 R2 the week before...


----------



## TKC (May 23, 2009)

*NO, I personally have never seen a non CPFer use a premium light.

I was out with soem friends this past week, and I noticed that on eo fthem had this huge monstrosity of a light attached to her keys!! ACK. I gave her a nice small & useful Arc-P (and a little knife. Everyone should have a good knife) for her key chain. She was most appreciative, and immediately took of that monstrosity. That made me happy.*


----------



## Stillphoto (May 23, 2009)

TKC said:


> *NO, I personally have never seen a non CPFer use a premium light.
> 
> I was out with soem friends this past week, and I noticed that on eo fthem had this huge monstrosity of a light attached to her keys!! ACK. I gave her a nice small & useful Arc-P (and a little knife. Everyone should have a good knife) for her key chain. She was most appreciative, and immediately took of that monstrosity. That made me happy.*



Finding someone using a premium knife is even harder!


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## AusKipper (May 24, 2009)

Stillphoto said:


> Finding someone using a premium knife is even harder!



Thats because a knife isnt a tool, its a murder weapon... and only psycho killers would carry a knife on them....

(I carry a Benchmade Mini-Ambush, 2 blades on my Leatherman Charge TTI, and 1 small poor excuse of a knife in my Swisscard....)

Being prepared makes you weird... sad but true..

(oh, and my knives are constantly used to stab people and defend myself from drug dealers and rob old people when I need some spare change.... or perhaps I use them to break into that darn impenetrable packaging they put everything in these days...  )


----------



## Stillphoto (May 24, 2009)

Before we get back on topic, I must say that I always get a kick out of people needing something cut, and then looking at me funny / asking / wondering why I carry a knife around.


----------



## Burgess (May 24, 2009)

Yep !


+1


:thumbsup:

_


----------



## apete2 (May 24, 2009)

one kid on my dorm floor had a streamlight twin task 2L he carries everywhere


----------



## polkiuj (Jul 20, 2009)

Reviving an old thread!

Just met a guy carrying a JETbeam Raptor RRT-1!! Whoa! 

Aircraft engineer.


----------



## 325addict (Jul 20, 2009)

For me, the answer is a firm YES, I met people who had more expensive flashlights than a mini-Mag AA 

And... they are all colleagues of mine! First, Maarten showed up with an Inova X5. Then Peter had a LED Lenser P7.... and Martijn just ordered that 742 Lumen monster. Legion II I mean 

A trainee showed us his Olight M20 Warrior Premium... and that started it for me 

After my boss saw all those bright lights, he finally decided to replace his worn mini Mag AA with a brand new Fenix TK20!

And Jordi bought some (not just one, but two at a time) Mini Maglites AA from me a month ago 

These lights are all users, people don't regularly talk about them. They use them in dark theaters, or crowded places full of audio-devices and computers....

In addition to all those lights, I just today finished the wooden board to hang the MagCharger on. I kind of lent it to the company, as we didn't have ANY(!) good light, and we quite regularly have power-outages lately.... and we have a very dark underground storage room then 


Timmo.


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## angelofwar (Jul 20, 2009)

Second post in this thread...

just last week, the power went out for about an hour at work, and I was the only one with a light...several actually...so yes, I have seen non-CPF'ers using premium lights...MINE!!!:ironic:


----------



## andyw513 (Jul 20, 2009)

Sometimes you see KSP officers at night with Streamlight Stingers, most of the time you see Maglites. Our fire dept went with Streamlights when we updated the search lights a few years ago. People who worked around the coal mines (surface) carried Pelicans...

...so with these brands listed I've yet to see an EagleTac M2 carried by search and rescue, or see the light of a Lumapower MVP the next time the neighbor loses his dog.


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## RGB_LED (Jul 21, 2009)

There are several Otis employees who work on the elevators / escalators in my building and they occasionally pull out a Streamlight ProPolymer 4AA.

Other than that, the only high-end lights I see are usually on the helmets of some of my mountain biker friends. For some reason, they look at my hand-held lights with surprise and indifference, yet will spend $200-500+ on a helmet-mounted light that they will maybe use 20 times in a season. I guess it serves more of a purpose for them. Go figure.:shrug:



Stillphoto said:


> ... Anyways, the 1st camera assistant walks up, and she says "Ooh a crenelated strike bezel." I nearly proposed right there.


:bow: I hope you have her number at the very least!


----------



## greenLED (Jul 21, 2009)

A guy I'm working with has a SF e2L, and another woman has an old-old style e2e.


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## [email protected] (Jul 21, 2009)

None that I can recall that weren't in the specific 'target market' even then it was a mix of Romisen, SF & Magchargers...


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## Badger_Girl (Jul 22, 2009)

I met a guy in a bar this past weekend who was carrying a RA twisty.

I was impressed!


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## Monocrom (Jul 22, 2009)

Badger_Girl said:


> I met a guy in a bar this past weekend who was carrying a RA twisty.
> 
> I was impressed!


 
Did you ask him if he was a fellow CPFer?


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## Badger_Girl (Jul 22, 2009)

I did not, but I wish I would have.


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## KevinL (Jul 22, 2009)

Sadly, no. Everybody around me thinks 'premium' means one of those $5 LED cheapies - that they paid $30 for.

Closest to premium I do know are some Pelican users. And they use small Pelican AA lights, not the ROAR of the Pelican 

I should introduce them to some #3854-H lovin


----------



## Badger_Girl (Jul 22, 2009)

I showed him my P1D that I EDC....he liked it, but it is obviously no match compared to his twisty.


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## Patriot (Jul 22, 2009)

I run into a fair amount of people using premium lights who aren't on CPF. Mostly LEO's, or fellow shooters, or folks with CCW's. The brand is usually Surefire but I've never seen anything more exotic than this. These folks are especially fun to play with since they're somewhat informed and look down on lesser lights, like maglite for example. That's when the Mag85 and 623 are some of my favorite play toys.


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## flatline (Jul 23, 2009)

Saint_Dogbert said:


> Never seen any flashlights at all beyond a small keychain led light. Once saw a paramedic in target (while I was on my way to the flashlight section, haha) with a light holstered on his belt, but on closer inspection it was a minimag.:shakehead



Now be nice. For up close work at night (like what a 3rd shift paramedic will be doing), even a stock minimag is plenty useful. My EDC light for the last 10 years has been a purple minimag with an LED upgrade and, though I plan to replace it as soon as my warm QAA arrives, it's been a wonderful light.


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## flatline (Jul 23, 2009)

I married into a gun enthusiast's family and between him and his shooting buddies, I've seen a wide variety of premium lights on belts and gun accessory rails (mostly Surefire, but a couple other makes...all of them 123A models).

I work in an R&D group with lots of gadget freaks. Some of them have premium lights, but except for green and blue laser pointers, nothing that wasn't available from Target or from Surefire.

-flatline


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## rotncore (Jul 23, 2009)

The occasional Surefire. Premium usually means LED of any kind. On my annual hunt, one of the guys was really proud of his Costco AAA.

Last night walking the dog, I saw three guys saying "I wonder how far it will go?" and shining an unidentified (but decent) light across the apartment courtyard. Didn't stop and talk with them though.

Really though, I'm just happy to occasionally see people with lights of any kind. Not everyone needs 100+ lumens to find the keyhole or their way down a darkened path, and I internally salute them for being prepared and properly equipped. I once went on a 4 day canoe trip with another couple and had to loan one of my lights to someone who didn't bring one. That blew my mind!


----------



## Superdave (Jul 23, 2009)

As i was getting yelled at by a park ranger a few weekends ago i noticed that he had a yellow G2. I complimented him on it and then showed him my M6.. He was impressed.. but still made me move my car to the other side of the road.. lol


----------



## angelofwar (Jul 23, 2009)

Superdave said:


> As i was getting yelled at by a park ranger a few weekends ago i noticed that he had a yellow G2. I complimented him on it and then showed him my M6.. He was impressed.. but still made me move my car to the other side of the road.. lol


----------



## gsxrac (Jul 24, 2009)

Superdave said:


> As i was getting yelled at by a park ranger a few weekends ago i noticed that he had a yellow G2. I complimented him on it and then showed him my M6.. He was impressed.. but still made me move my car to the other side of the road.. lol



Well of course he did! You made him feel inadequate!


----------



## Superdave (Jul 24, 2009)

gsxrac said:


> Well of course he did! You made him feel inadequate!


Probably.. lol 


too bad it wasn't dark


----------



## gsxrac (Jul 24, 2009)

Superdave said:


> Probably.. lol
> 
> 
> too bad it wasn't dark




"Now see shine your G2 over at that tree, niiiiice, but hold on check this out... " 

Actually on second thought the guy might have written you a citation for light pollution or disturbing the peace. :candle: :devil:


----------



## Sgt. LED (Jul 24, 2009)

rotncore said:


> I once went on a 4 day canoe trip with another couple and had to loan one of my lights to someone who didn't bring one. That blew my mind!


 
Sounds like a nightmare I had once! There were all these opportunities popping up to use a flashlight that would be perfect for a particular light and I'd open my case to find that one gone. Then it'd be a different scene with another light missing! Just awful. I always had lights with me but just not the perfect one for the job, that one was always gone.


----------



## Kid9P (Jul 24, 2009)

I was in the subway last week coming home from a 4x12 shift.
I noticed a guy sitting across from me with some type of Fenix
in a nylon holster hooked up to his belt.

When I looked up at the guy, he was smiling at me and actually winked 

Needless to say, I moved to a different car at the next stop


----------



## gsxrac (Jul 24, 2009)

Sgt. LED said:


> Sounds like a nightmare I had once! There were all these opportunities popping up to use a flashlight that would be perfect for a particular light and I'd open my case to find that one gone. Then it'd be a different scene with another light missing! Just awful. I always had lights with me but just not the perfect one for the job, that one was always gone.



At least im not the only one dreaming of lights. I have a recurring dream that i'll be doing something fairly important or dangerous and I will go to turn my light on and its almost dead and I dont have a backup (And that weird cuz I ALWAYS have at least 3 lights on me and I top off my battery's pretty regularly) Also goes along the same lines of my dreams that i'll go to use my EDC 45ACP and it'll jam up?

Ohh well the fiance thinks im weird enough for dreaming of lights. :nana:


----------



## zipplet (Jul 24, 2009)

Kid9P said:


> I was in the subway last week coming home from a 4x12 shift.
> I noticed a guy sitting across from me with some type of Fenix
> in a nylon holster hooked up to his belt.
> 
> ...



Hmm, were you noticeably carrying any lights? Perhaps he just noticed that you also carried lights... maybe the guy is on CPF :candle:


----------



## Sgt. LED (Jul 24, 2009)

He thought you were looking at his wanger


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 24, 2009)

flatline said:


> Now be nice. For up close work at night (like what a 3rd shift paramedic will be doing), even a stock minimag is plenty useful. My EDC light for the last 10 years has been a purple minimag with an LED upgrade and, though I plan to replace it as soon as my warm QAA arrives, it's been a wonderful light.




A low output mini-mag is absolutely perfect for checking pupil reactions whilst conducting head injury observations... 40+ lumen is seriously too much! :thumbsup:


Hmmmm... a Fenix EO1 would require less 'real estate' than a minimag however and still be within required output tolerances... but so would a Jet-III M on it's lowest setting :thinking:


----------



## flatline (Jul 24, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> A low output mini-mag is absolutely perfect for checking pupil reactions whilst conducting head injury observations... 40+ lumen is seriously too much! :thumbsup:
> 
> 
> Hmmmm... a Fenix EO1 would require less 'real estate' than a minimag however and still be within required output tolerances... but so would a Jet-III M on it's lowest setting :thinking:



My wife uses a maglite solitaire for checking pupil reactions. She doen't want a nicer flashlight because she thinks she'll lose it (for as often as she loses the pens out of her white coat, this is a valid concern).

Anyone have any recommendations on a pretty necklace light that wouldn't blind patients from 6 inches?


----------



## Echo63 (Jul 24, 2009)

i have run into a couple of cops carrying surefires, one carrying an inova (and he recognised my U2 - he must have been a member here)

i used to work as a security guard, the contract we were doing was more confrontational than most, so the guys "tooled up" a bit better than most guards, quite a few had SL Stingers, and there was a few Surefires too, thats how i found this place (looking for advice on good lights)


----------



## houtex (Jul 24, 2009)

I worked a club awhile back and helped search patrons on the way in. One guy had a Long Bow light in his pocket. It was kinda beat up and he did't know much aboput it. He said it was his dad's light.


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## bxstylez (Jul 24, 2009)

Kid9P said:


> I was in the subway last week coming home from a 4x12 shift.
> I noticed a guy sitting across from me with some type of Fenix
> in a nylon holster hooked up to his belt.
> 
> ...


:lolsign:

.


----------



## andyw513 (Jul 25, 2009)

Stillphoto said:


> Before we get back on topic, I must say that I always get a kick out of people needing something cut, and then looking at me funny / asking / wondering why I carry a knife around.



I spent an hour with a Dremel polishing the blades on my Case the day before yesterday. Don't feel bad, Stillphoto. 

To get back on topic, I'd like to add something that I already posted on before in this thread...

I recently installed a printer for a local Sheriff friend, and the space behind his desk was dark, so he hands me a light. Turns out to be a SureFire! Took me by surprise, I always knew him to carry a Mag with him on duty.


----------



## Chrontius (Jul 25, 2009)

Come to think of it, I've seen a lot of Streamlights (mostly Microstreams) at the university I work at.


----------



## ninjaboigt (Jul 25, 2009)

I've seen local plain clothes cop had a stinger in his hand.

This one guy i've seen around in a shopping center he has a bunch of gadgets and stuff on his belt, and he had a surefire clipped to his pouch. i didnt get a good look at which model, but he probably knows his gadgets...


----------



## Metatron (Jul 26, 2009)

the New South Wales police force in Australia use wolfeyes, paramedics use them too here...but ur correct, i go into an average of 6 houses a day, and it seems the average house only has the Dolfin torch:shakehead


----------



## boosterboy (Jul 26, 2009)

flatline said:


> My wife uses a maglite solitaire for checking pupil reactions. She doen't want a nicer flashlight because she thinks she'll lose it (for as often as she loses the pens out of her white coat, this is a valid concern).
> 
> Anyone have any recommendations on a pretty necklace light that wouldn't blind patients from 6 inches?




I just tested the low mode "10 lumens" on my nitecore EzAA warm tint, 6 inches from my eyes.

seems very tolerable (i'm sitting in very low ambient light right now, so my pupils are dilated). if you hold the light high up, angle it downwards, and hit the eyes with just the corona of the beam, the patient should be fine

You can wear this light around your neck, it's slightly larger than a pendant


----------



## Big_Ed (Jul 26, 2009)

flatline said:


> My wife uses a maglite solitaire for checking pupil reactions. She doen't want a nicer flashlight because she thinks she'll lose it (for as often as she loses the pens out of her white coat, this is a valid concern).
> 
> Anyone have any recommendations on a pretty necklace light that wouldn't blind patients from 6 inches?



What about a Photon Freedom? It's small, so it can be put on a necklace, and it can ramp up from off, gradually getting brighter, (just press and hold the button and it starts very dim and gets brighter and brighter) so it can be set at an appropriate brightness. Then with another press of the button, it goes off.


----------



## flatline (Jul 26, 2009)

Big_Ed said:


> What about a Photon Freedom? It's small, so it can be put on a necklace, and it can ramp up from off, gradually getting brighter, (just press and hold the button and it starts very dim and gets brighter and brighter) so it can be set at an appropriate brightness. Then with another press of the button, it goes off.



That looks like an excellent suggestion. I just ordered her a Liteflux LF2XT for her birthday (since it's a birthday gift, she's not allowed to ask how much it was), but if for some reason she decides not to carry it at work, maybe I'll try putting a Photon Freedom on her keychain.

I chose the the LF2XT since it has a super simple ramp up/down interface like the D10 and she can use either the hot spot at low setting or the spill at a higher setting, whichever she finds more convenient/useful. Also, the natural colored one is just a pretty flashlight to look at. She'll appreciate that (as long as she doesn't know how expensive it was).

--flatline


----------



## fitzDaug (Jul 27, 2009)

I was on the Brown Line on my way home after a night of taking pictures at the Taste of Lincoln. I was sitting down when a gentleman asked me what flashlight did I have clipped to my pocket.

I asked him if he was a CPF member. He didn't know what that was.

I told him I was carrying an L1 (with an F04 diffuser), and he knew that was a Surefire. He then showed me his E2DL.

I told him to check out CandlePowerForums. Hopefully he does and joins.

What he didn't know was that I also had with me my Malkoff MD2 w/M60W and JETBeam Jet-III PRO I.B.S. holstered, as well as a Ra Twisty 100TW, Ra Clicky 140T, and a McGizmo LS20 clipped to the other pocket.


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## DimeRazorback (Jul 27, 2009)

fitzDaug said:


> What he didn't know was that I also had with me my Malkoff MD2 w/M60W and JETBeam Jet-III PRO I.B.S. holstered, as well as a Ra Twisty 100TW, Ra Clicky 140T, and a McGizmo LS20 clipped to the other pocket.



:laughing:

He probably would of gone


----------



## rockz4532 (Jul 28, 2009)

DimeRazorback said:


> :laughing:
> 
> He probably would of gone


when he heard the price! and he thought surefires were expensive!:devil:


----------



## *Dusty* (Jul 29, 2009)

Mate of mine is a cop who has a couple of standard issue D-cell incan Maglites which he thinks are great.

The downside is he's too tight to fork out for a decent light, I may have to do it for him for his birthday or something.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2009)

boosterboy said:


> I just tested the low mode "10 lumens" on my nitecore EzAA warm tint, 6 inches from my eyes.



The medical examination lights I've seen are only rated at around 4.8Lm so 10Lm is still too much 




flatline said:


> My wife uses a maglite solitaire for checking pupil reactions. She doen't want a nicer flashlight because she thinks she'll lose it (for as often as she loses the pens out of her white coat, this is a valid concern).
> 
> Anyone have any recommendations on a pretty necklace light that wouldn't blind patients from 6 inches?



Doesn't the Hospital Administration supply examination equipment? this is the type (see below) I've seen in use over the last 20 odd years down here 






_Keeler Medical Pen Torch_


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## nemesiscavalry (Jul 29, 2009)

GUYUTE said:


> I used to work with a guy that went out and got a SF E1D after seeing my E1L. Other than that just some LEOs and security personnel I know.
> 
> On another note, when I got home tonight my wife asked me if I had spent $200 on a flashlight. :help: I told her no, it was more like $140. I had just my Jetbeam M1X delivered and my in-laws were watching our daughter and saw the invoice. That conversation didn't go so well. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I'm waiting on three more packages to arrive this week. One from DX, one from Bugoutgear and another from Cheaperthandirt. I only hope I'm the only one home when they show up.


U r sure in trouble, man...and still have the gut to say "more like 140$" :nana:
God help you with her thwart...


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## divine (Nov 23, 2009)

I was in Arby's for lunch today. Infront of me in line were three guys in Coast Guard uniforms.

One of them had a Surefire L1 clipped to his belt.


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## Woods Walker (Nov 23, 2009)

Big_Ed said:


> Have you run into non-CPF'ers using premium lights? I


 
Yea, I did some winter camping with a some hunters and they had good headlamps and flashlights.


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## Monocrom (Nov 23, 2009)

The nicest supervisor at my job-site uses an inca. Pelican M6 model.

But he's not into lights.


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## jamie.91 (Nov 24, 2009)

i have never met another CPF'er. never mind see a non-flashaholic with a well known light, i feel all alone!

this forum is my only insight to my sanity

jamie


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## divechief (Nov 24, 2009)

I belong to a running club a lot of the guys in the club run 100 mile and 24 hour trail races. A couple years ago, a thread came up on our BBS about the best light for trail running. I was surprised that head lights did not win (bad when running in the rain) The winner was the Fenix P3D I ended up with one long before I found this Forum


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## tx101 (Nov 24, 2009)

jamie.91 said:


> i have never met another CPF'er. never mind see a non-flashaholic with a well known light, i feel all alone!
> 
> this forum is my only insight to my sanity
> 
> jamie




You need to get out more 

Seen Old Bill, not the armed ones, with 6Ps clipped to their belts
A plumber with a E2DL :twothumbs
Dept of Transport Inspectors with Mag 2C with LED dropins (I think Terralux)


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## yowzer (Nov 24, 2009)

Last week one of my coworkers was given a fenix PD20 by a family member, and this last weekend (A training session for new members of my SAR group), I ran across a guy with a Zebralight H60 (He might actually be a CPFer; how else would you hear about ZLs? They don't seem to advertise much), but in general, people I know with flashlights use maglights or showerheads of 5mm LEDs. Lots of people of petzl and princeton tec headlamps, though, and I know one guy with a Dinotte headlamp...


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## DuncanHynes (Nov 24, 2009)

I'm in an industry with a workforce heavily reliant on tools...we all use lights however only one has a Surefire but won't carry it for fear of losing it under a house; MiniMags are the popular choice for some reason. I'm the only one packing a Malkoff M60 MD3. All the houses I've been to, only seen one homeowner that had some twin HID spot monster of unknown origin. I visit average of 10 houses a day, 5 days a week for 7 years now...People are cheap! I use a light everyday for work, last thing I need is for a device to fail while I'm under a house or in a rainstorm. Vast majority of the population won't spend $20 on a good light, but then are desperate for D cells in a power outage because they never use their MagLite incandescent platform and the cells expired 8 years ago.

Not us! :nana::nana:


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## Launch Mini (Nov 24, 2009)

None yet.
I am quite suprised, as we have a cabin in an area that has no electricity, so everyone has a flashlight, but never seen anything better than a Maglite.
There are some public caves there too, again, maglites would the top. Actually, only a few Petzel on the heads of very few cave tourists.


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## TheInvader (Nov 24, 2009)

Zombie thread.
Neighbour who is a chief of police has a Streamlight Stinger. 
The force issue is a 2C xenon maglite, he threw it away and bought the stinger. He was impressed by my Fenix and 3D mag running a 2D xenon.


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## depusm12 (Nov 24, 2009)

Converted a few of the guys at work, one carries a Gladius. I was also able to convince our chief to buy all the officers in the dept rechargable Stinger DS leds last year when we had extra money. I've also convinced a few of the soldiers I work with to buy SF 6P leds and traded one soldier a 6P with a Malkoff for a hoster he didn't like that I use at work.


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## elumen8 (Nov 24, 2009)

I'm a realtor, so I run into quite a few property inspectors that use flashlights daily. This past week I was at a listing with an inspector that I've never used before. He wanted to point out a little damage in some dark corners. He pulled out a Pelican 7060 LED...that caught my attention right quick.

We talked about lights for awhile, then he casually says "my company is going to be the Bay Area distibutor for 5.11 Light For Life Flashlights". Alrighty then... Anyway, after asking a truckload of questions about the 5.11 lights, I had to rush out to another appointment. 

I'm going to see if I can get him to show up at a flashaholic get-together that modamag is holding here in San Jose on December 6th. I'll see if he can bring some of the 5.11 flashlights with him. 

JB


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## shark_za (Nov 25, 2009)

In South Africa the one distributor that does Leatherman also does Fenix and Led Lenser. 
So in all the sporting stores you will find the LL products along with maglites. 

Surefire is an old trusted brand with the gun fraternity, I had a Surefire incan for years before I even heard of CPF.


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## CLHC (Nov 25, 2009)

Three fellows at my workplace. Two will only buy, use, and EDC SureFire lights and are skeptical about other flashlights on the market such as NovaTac and JetBeam. The other fellow gets most of his lights (_not flashlights mind you_) direct from the manufacturer themselves more for T & E and otherwise from NiteRider, Light & Motion, and LumiCycle. When they talk the talk, they use the word "lumen" instead of "candlepower"! :laughing:

One more thing, they've never heard of CPF! :shakehead


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## WHT_GE8 (Nov 25, 2009)

Most people I know use the 2D Eveready flashlights that put out about .5 lumen. They find it crazy I spent more than $20 for a flashlight...


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## Hooked on Fenix (Nov 25, 2009)

I haven't seen many people using premium flashlights. However, when doing night hikes, I have noticed an increase in people using headlights. Many I have seen were Petzl Tikka/Zippa lights, Princeton Tec EOS/Quad/Corona lights, or Black Diamond Spot headlights. Some were the cheaper Energizer headlights. On one hike up Mt. Whitney last year, I saw a lot of people using Petzl Myo XP headlights. I think the facts that headlights tend to offer more settings for a cheaper price and are usually lighter tend make more people buy them. Most people think Maglite is the best flashlight and that there is no such thing as a multilevel flashlight. Now that Maglite is finally selling multilevel flashlights, we'll probably see more multilevel lights in brick and mortar stores to compete. Soon, the masses will wake up and realize how many options are now out there that are better than a Mag.


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## SFG2Lman (Nov 25, 2009)

what i have noticed here in country is that convenience is the name of the game, if you can clip it somewhere and forget until you need it, thats the perfect light, and honestly the little inova keychain lights sell like hotcakes at 5.95 apiece, although they are utterly devastated by my quark123 and its crushing solar immitation...hehehe and thats the LEAST powerful light i own...i will convert someone to flashaholism before i leave. a few people do have headlights, and i saw one guy with a bike light that was definitely a power-led of some sort but i just have to shake my head when i see those poor sickly incan lights...they look so pathetic...especially minimags...sad their day is gone...

but as of yet, excluding the bikelight, i haven't seen anything over 30 lumens, i was hoping to meet a fellow cpfer here too....


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## rhotondm (Nov 25, 2009)

This is actually the first lengthy thread that I have read all the way through. I find it quite interesting. 
A guy on my department has an old beat up incan 6P. He can't figure out why he has to replace the batteries every 2 or 3 days. Most officers I know carry streamlights, I have yet to run into another officer obsessed with lights, but I have recently converted my shift partner to buy a Fenix TK30, and he loves it. 
As for people who aren't officers, my brothers have some 2xAA fenix lights that I gifted to them last year, and they were amazed with them. 
Other than that I have not met anyone else with a high Q light.


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## gsxrac (Nov 25, 2009)

I had a dream last night that I met a guy (That looked like a short fat version of my dad) in the Wal-Mart Parking lot and he was carrying a Surefire M6 tucked behind his ear like a pencil lol. And them I posted it here! I have weird dreams :tired: :duh2:


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## DimeRazorback (Nov 25, 2009)




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## LightCannon (Nov 26, 2009)

I found out the other day that one of my marching band instructors, who is an alumnus of my school, carries a Fenix P3D. Don't think he's a CPFer though...


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## CLHC (Nov 26, 2009)

gsxrac said:


> I had a dream last night that I met a guy. . .and he was carrying a Surefire M6 tucked behind his ear like a pencil. . .I have weird dreams :tired: :duh2:


That's funny right there


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## PCC (Nov 26, 2009)

My best friend from high school bought a SureFire 6P some years ago. He recently bought a StreamLight Strion LED to go with his SL Stinger. His last purchase was a E2DL. No, he's not in LE or anything like that. He lurks around here but I'm not sure if he's registered or if he posts.

At work I was mentioning the Black Friday sale to some coworkers and one of them said that his two flashlights didn't work. He brought them in the next day for me to look at. The Mini-MagLite had a blown bulb and his spare had already been used. The SureFire Z2 had dead batteries in it. I confirmed that his lamp was still good in my Solarforce and he was amazed at the brightness of it so I made some suggestions for an LED LA for it.

Other than that I haven't run across anyone with a nice light, yet.


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## Cataract (Nov 26, 2009)

I knew a guy working security who owned some 60 lumen incan for interventions. He never let me see it upclose, but it must have been a surefire.

I know this other guy (retired) who owns a L2D and EDCs it all the time. I showed him my TK40 and he bought one too. These are his only 2 real lights. He used to EDC a minimag before that.

MY cousin did not subscribed on CPF (well, he does lurk around), but a flashaholic and pretty much owns a many lights I do... we got addicted to flashahol at the same time... don't know if that one counts.

I also got some training on industrial machines from an older gent who had a 60 or 100 lumen Dorcy on his belt and a 150 lumen rayovac in his toolbox.

Just to beat the subject, my dad and my cousin's dad both have some nice flashlights we gave them... and they do use them.


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## gsxrac (Nov 26, 2009)

CLHC said:


> That's funny right there



You know the more I think about it the weirder it is. And it was an M6 for sure because I remember thinking "Since when does my dad spend more than $20 on a flashlight!?" I didnt find it odd the way he was carrying it lol. AND it was a very light color almost OD? So if a new color M6 comes out I called it first!!! 

Maybe its a sign that I just REALLY need an M6?


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## RAF_Groundcrew (Nov 26, 2009)

T3hk1w1 said:


> I've noticed that as well. I found out about this place from a firearms forum.


 
There's a common mindset, I think... The desire, and the capability to be prepared for all eventualities.


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## RAF_Groundcrew (Nov 26, 2009)

lonesouth said:


> none of my friends or family would ever spend $50 on a flashlight. I did a Malkoff 3D for my dad's birthday and one of my friends got the Costco leatherman package as a groomsman gift for a wedding. That's it for the immediate friends/family. I've seen a few surefires, but those were all gun nuts or cops.


Most of the people I interact with on a daily basis probably don't even own a flashlight.

I would tend to be within 5 feet of a decent flashlight all day, unless I was swimming, or in a sauna.

There are 3 Surefires within reach, as I write this...


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