# Why do quality flashlights(torches) only come in black?



## bdogps (Feb 27, 2015)

Hello,

I understand why the standard colour is "tactical black," but the common user is not in any "tactical situation." After a while I get bored of the tactical black colour. I usually find myself saying "oh another black flashlight yay  more lumens yay.. :/(in apathetic tone). I know that you can customise to your liking, but I do not have that kind of money to do that, or there is not many places that do that in Australia. Even the ones used for "hunting" come in, you guessed it, "tactical black." I know ZB comes in green(or more like olive green), but no real colour variation. I know the second choice would be getting titanium torch. I wish there were camouflage patterns or other colours. Does anyone else feel the same or am I alone in this?


----------



## Winnemuccaed (Feb 27, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*



bdogps said:


> Hello,
> 
> I understand why the standard colour is "tactical black," but the common user is not in any "tactical situation." After a while I get bored of the tactical black colour. I usually find myself saying "oh another black flashlight yay  more lumens yay.. :/(in apathetic tone). I know that you can customise to your liking, but I do not have that kind of money to do that, or there is not many places that do that in Australia. Even the ones used for "hunting" come in, you guessed it, "tactical black." I know ZB comes in green(or more like olive green), but no real colour variation. I know the second choice would be getting titanium torch. I wish there were camouflage patterns or other colours. Does anyone else feel the same or am I alone in this?



I just got a Nitecore srt3 in grey. Very nice light.


----------



## lunas (Feb 27, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OY29W7M/?tag=cpf0b6-20

most are black yes but some are not...

i have this 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NC4QJI8/?tag=cpf0b6-20


also available in gold black and silver color...


----------



## thedoc007 (Feb 27, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

You are definitely not alone. I'm sure the reason is simple...having multiple colors means multiple SKUs, and if one doesn't sell, then all of a sudden you have a lot of useless inventory. That said, I think even some limited runs would be great, and if they sell well, more can always be made. Tons of keychain lights are available in all sorts of colors, but I would definitely like to see some more variety in larger lights.


----------



## Monocrom (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Black is traditional, and it seems popular. Thus, lots of black.


----------



## leon2245 (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Black, ii va iii glossy & flat, hard natural greenish, desert tan, the cerakote spectrum orange to blue, gitd white, bare al, bare ti & ss, copper, flame finished, brushed vs. blasted etc. the options are endless.


----------



## G. Scott H. (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Funny lunas would post those. I just got a Z1 in blue, and I have an L2 in blue on the way. You're not alone. I don't have a problem with black, but I do like the idea of branching out into other colors. I'm thinking down the road of getting an L2 in gold and a stainless L2T, so I can mix and match colors as the mood strikes.


----------



## Norm (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*



bdogps said:


> Am I alone in this?



*Yes *

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...LYCA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=653#imgrc=_

Blue

Green

Purple

Pink

Yellow

Search for whatever colour you heart desires. 

Norm


----------



## bdogps (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*



Norm said:


> *Yes *
> 
> https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...LYCA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=653#imgrc=_
> 
> ...



Thanks Norm, but there are none from my favourite Manufactures Thrunite, Nitecore, Fenix, Armytek and other brands I would like to know.


----------



## Norm (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*



bdogps said:


> Thanks Norm, but there are none from my favourite Manufactures Thrunite, Nitecore, Fenix, Armytek and other brands I would like to know.



You weren't so specific in your OP 

Malkoff used to make a nice pink md2. 

A pink Malkoff MD2







Picture courtesy of weklund. 

He makes colours in his MDC in colours, when they're available. 

Norm


----------



## Stream (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Maybe you should change the title to "Why do _many_ flashlights(torches) only come in black?" That would be more accurate since many flashlights come in all sorts of colors. As for the ones that only come in black, I suppose it is a cost issue, and since black is popular for high end flashlights they go with that. Fenix-Store has or had a thread somewhere I can't find anymore, in it you could ask questions they would pass along to Fenix and you would get answers in the thread. If you can find it you can always suggest colors and hear what Fenix has to say about it


----------



## bdogps (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

If I knew I would mate. If the mods want too, they are more than welcomed too.


----------



## Str8stroke (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

I say you may be alone. lol I call it TacBlack. That can be interpreted as you wish. :eeksign:
Nitecore Tube, colors galor
Fenix, makes some SS and Ti lights, tons of colors on key chain size lights. 
Armytek has some color options on the Bezels to help jazz things up. 


Of course, check around locally and see if you have someone who can powder coat or the like. Also see folks strip the finish to bare aluminum using oven cleaner then polishing. So you have some custom options as well.


----------



## thedoc007 (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Jeez, haven't you guys ever heard of exaggerating to make a point? Obviously it is possible to get a variety of colors, but an awful lot of lights (I dare say *most* that are of interest to CPFers) are offered in only one color...black. The OP already addressed secondary coating and custom work...it is pretty expensive to do after the fact. And while I appreciate the links to various color options, most of the lights in Norm's search would be considered "junk" grade on CPF...the color is not the only consideration.


----------



## Berneck1 (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

I personally would like to see more lights in orange or yellow for emergency use. 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Sick of 95% of flashlights being black aluminum anodizing?

Info for the OP: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?247493-Flame-activated-Anodize-coloring

1. Take out the plastics, rubber, and electrics.
2. Bake in oven. Allow to cool.
3. Reassemble.
3. Receive gold and honey.

Also, strip it with sandpaper and bead blast it.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?209436-Anodizing-Home-Brew-Style!

Your stainless steel light turns yellow under heat.

Titanium does interesting things under heat as well. A custom maker here electrocutes his Ti hosts for some wild, wild effects.


----------



## MidnightDistortions (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

I would say one option is to try doing it yourself on some cheap lights and see how well you did before moving onto the good lights. I'm not too bothered though other than it's more difficult to find them in the dark since they are naturally black. But then even with some yellow flashlights, it's still difficult to find them in the dark.


----------



## dss_777 (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

I think a big issue is cost- black anodizing is probably more appealing to the majority of consumers. Economy of scale combined with lowest common denominator, and all that. 

It's also a little sturdier than colored anodizing, which is said to require the extra step of a protective coating to maintain color-fastness. 

Other protective coatings like Cerakote, are significantly more expensive.


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Duracoat is a DIY cold process. I have a EDC knife covered in pink DC. Surface prep is 90% of the job. It also comes in a clear variant.

http://lauerweaponry.com/

Guns, knives, flashlights, metal building support beams, whatever.

It even comes in aerosol cans. It doesn't take a master machinist to do this. With proper masking and prep sealing, you don't even have to pull the electrics. The only problem is you, the user, not getting the surface prep done properly. Clean. Superclean. Then, go clean it again.

Also, there are cold coloring options. Van's Instant Blue or Birch Wood Casey's are examples, but they don't work on stainless. You'll have to strip any existing sealing/finish to do this. A local user did a flashlight with this stuff.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?394347-Made-it-purty

You, as the end user, have many many options to "fix" your black anodizing. It's up to you to research and implement. Just because it starts off one way by no means is a lifetime sentence of black anodizing.

Some people even strip the ano and polish out the light, though the surface is now much softer and scratch-prone. Naked lights. Woo. :naughty:


----------



## Norm (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*



thedoc007 said:


> Jeez, haven't you guys ever heard of exaggerating to make a point?


My reply was in jest, hence the 

Norm

Title edited as per the OPs request, title changes need to be done in advanced mode.


----------



## NoNotAgain (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*



more_vampires said:


> Duracoat is a DIY cold process. I have a EDC knife covered in pink DC. Surface prep is 90% of the job. It also comes in a clear variant. http://lauerweaponry.com/



You do know that Duracoat is nothing more than Sherwin Williams repackaged Polane don't you?

Duracoat isn't a very good coating for objects that are frequently handled. The product chips easily, it chalks and isn't good for parts with tight dimensions. 

A much better product is Gunkote and their primer product, K-Phos. K-phos acts as a primer/surface protector. Apply with an airbrush thick enough to barely see some color and allow to day 20-30 minutes. Gunkote also goes on thin, typically .oo1" thick and is available in air cure and oven cure versions. Once cured solvent won't remove it.


----------



## more_vampires (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Well, I also mentioned stripping it totally and running naked aluminum. If it's fashion above function, who cares about a rock tumbler test? Cold process coating is available in every color of the rainbow. That's all I was saying. Never said it would survive a kitchen sink garbage disposal.


----------



## Cerealand (Feb 28, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

It is probably harder to get a color match in any other color other than black. example:surefire Natural HAIII parts.


----------



## bladesmith3 (Mar 2, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

yes it is just an inventory problem. limited runs make sense.


thedoc007 said:


> You are definitely not alone. I'm sure the reason is simple...having multiple colors means multiple SKUs, and if one doesn't sell, then all of a sudden you have a lot of useless inventory. That said, I think even some limited runs would be great, and if they sell well, more can always be made. Tons of keychain lights are available in all sorts of colors, but I would definitely like to see some more variety in larger lights.


----------



## Monocrom (Mar 3, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Part of the reason for the popularity of black likely has to do with why black came on the scene. Used to be quality lights were at one point marketed towards police officers and such. Black was needed so criminals couldn't shoot at the bright, reflective lights officers used to carry. The color actually served a pragmatic purpose. Civilians who wanted the best quality inca. flashlights back in the day, went to police supply shops. Where the only choice for a quality light was a full-sized black one. So black then became the traditional color.


----------



## Chicken Drumstick (Mar 3, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

There are plenty of non black lights out there. Just don't be so blinkered to only look at a small selection of manufacturers.


----------



## cland72 (Mar 3, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*

Surefire offers G2X tactical in green, yellow, tan, and black
They offer a natural HA finish in a variety of lights as well (outdoorsman series, for example).


----------



## fivemega (Mar 3, 2015)

bdogps said:


> Why do quality flashlights (torches) only come in black?


*Normally, quality flashlights come in type III hard anodizing.
It is possible to do only black or natural type III hard anodizing. No other color can be type III hard anodizing and any black anodizing is not necessarily hard type III
type III anodizing needs special process that will destroy and decolorize any color dye except black. Natural type III hard anodize does not need any dye and color tone depends on aluminum alloy (percentage of other metals), temperature of electrolyte, duration of process and... *


----------



## Cataract (Mar 3, 2015)

Zebra used to _not_ do black flashlights or headlamps... what happened???

It's real easy to find camouflage flashlights around here, but I fail to _see_ the point... first off; if you drop it, it will be very hard to find and secondly; do animals even perceive non camouflage colors at night?


----------



## kj2 (Mar 8, 2015)

I prefer black for most of my lights. Just find the look cool  although also like the color on the XT11/XT2C and ZL lights. Am still looking for a bright yellow emergency light, and am thinking about a Surefire G2X Pro.


----------



## Cataract (Mar 10, 2015)

I just remembered the original point I wanted to make: black flashlights never look dirty. If I was EDCing a white flashlight for work, it might be irreversibly grey by now.Scratches would probably also be a lot more visible.


----------



## more_vampires (Mar 11, 2015)

Cataract said:


> I just remembered the original point I wanted to make: black flashlights never look dirty. If I was EDCing a white flashlight for work, it might be irreversibly grey by now.Scratches would probably also be a lot more visible.



Reminds me of something I thought once: When duracoating a rusty knife, first match the color of the rust.


----------



## Cataract (Mar 13, 2015)

more_vampires said:


> Reminds me of something I thought once: When duracoating a rusty knife, first match the color of the rust.



LOL! You make it sound like I inadvertently pointed out the reason why brown was a popular color for cars and pants back in the days


----------



## night.hoodie (Mar 13, 2015)

Color is so strange, I'm not even sure it exists (what does color weigh? What's it taste like? What does it smell like? What does it feel like?). Black is strange among the strange, as its defined as the absense of any reflection of visible light. Thus saying something is black is really saying it isn't anything.... or since it absorbes all colors, its everything. Thus your blue light really is all colors *except* blue. Are you *sure* your flashlights are black? How can you tell they're not infrared? There is absolutely no way to tell how another perceives a color. We may both agree something appears green when one is actually seeing a color the other would define as red, and the other is seeing a color the first would define as blue. Spectrography does not help, because we can't crack open your skull and find where color is perceived and test that color to see what color you're really experiencing. Perception is a harsh mistress. And if you see her, tell her its over, now.


----------



## Cataract (Mar 13, 2015)

night.hoodie said:


> Color is so strange, I'm not even sure it exists (what does color weigh? What's it taste like? What does it smell like? What does it feel like?). Black is strange among the strange, as its defined as the absense of any reflection of visible light. Thus saying something is black is really saying it isn't anything.... or since it absorbes all colors, its everything. Thus your blue light really is all colors *except* blue. Are you *sure* your flashlights are black? How can you tell they're not infrared? There is absolutely no way to tell how another perceives a color. We may both agree something appears green when one is actually seeing a color the other would define as red, and the other is seeing a color the first would define as blue. Spectrography does not help, because we can't crack open your skull and find where color is perceived and test that color to see what color you're really experiencing. Perception is a harsh mistress. And if you see her, tell her its over, now.



Color is a perception of a wavelength for which we have reached a consensus of giving it a specific name. Does it exist? That's only relative to human perception as it is part of the continuous spectrum of electromagnetic frequencies that go from things humans have named sound, ultra-low to low frequencies, radio waves, microwaves, light, x-rays and gamma rays. Does it exist? It's only a narrow band of the electromagnetic continuous spectrum that was named "light" (maybe pronounced "gafalgar" in someone else's mind) as one of our sensory perception organs we happen to use most of the time perceives that narrow part of twavelentgh going from 0 to infinite repetitions per second. Remember that falling sperm whale that wanted to make friends with the ground?

For all I know the word I perceive as the pronunciation "fart" sounds like "car" for you. Or maybe it is the color orange or the smell of roses for some other guy. They say some amoebas communicate by exchanging protein bases. Reminds me of and episode of twilight zone where a guy had to relearn language as the word for "green" was now dinosaur and all other words had also changed meanings. The funny part is that letters still had the same sound attached to them, so he was able to re-learn how to talk by reading children's books. What is real? Our brains only interpret waves as completely different and separate parts of one continuous world of frequencies.

But... we're off topic now aren't we... unless that too has changed meaning??? Where am I??? Isn't this 4397 geshunbefergler? Where is ghshrkhrsrhkhrskhskhkrhkhskshrk The Unpronounceable?


----------



## Grijon (Mar 15, 2015)

EXCELLENT, Cataract!


----------



## Jaysop (Mar 15, 2015)

*Re: Why do flashlights(torches) only come in black?*



dss_777 said:


> I think a big issue is cost- black anodizing is probably more appealing to the majority of consumers. Economy of scale combined with lowest common denominator, and all that.
> 
> It's also a little sturdier than colored anodizing, which is said to require the extra step of a protective coating to maintain color-fastness.
> 
> Other protective coatings like Cerakote, are significantly more expensive.



That's what I was thinking. It's a lot easier to maintain the same tint. That way interchangable parts and replacement part won't look like a cheap paint job.


----------



## Cataract (Mar 17, 2015)

Grijon said:


> EXCELLENT, Cataract!



Thank you 

(btw my post was in no way intended to be bashing at anyone, I just couldn't resist sharing stuff I have had too much time to think about)


----------



## night.hoodie (Mar 18, 2015)

Cataract said:


> Thank you
> 
> (btw my post was in no way intended to be bashing at anyone, I just couldn't resist sharing stuff I have had too much time to think about)



I didn't feel bashed, because you didn't disagree with me... I see no proof color exists in your other post. More importantly, it still doesn't solve the problem of "other minds," regarding consensus of what frequencies are agreed to as which colors. We may all agree 650nm is "red," but every single one of us may be experiencing something different.


----------



## more_vampires (Mar 24, 2015)

Interesting point. It reminds me of a philosophical discussion of what would happen if we saw radio waves and electromagnetic fields.

How could we describe what we see? There's math of course, but what... do you see?


----------



## bdogps (Mar 24, 2015)

Great, it is like that picture of that black and blue or gold and white dress. [emoji52]


----------



## night.hoodie (Mar 24, 2015)

more_vampires said:


> Interesting point. It reminds me of a philosophical discussion of what would happen if we saw radio waves and electromagnetic fields.
> 
> How could we describe what we see? There's math of course, but what... do you see?



I try to envision that, everything that is, including "solid" matter, as perceptable "light," and what it could be like metaphorically is liquids together that aren't mixed, blob of this stuff here, blob of that stuff there, all quivering. But it must reduce to, ignoring the other half of the duality, infinitely long waves of space-time, and not just parallel but all directions at once. Take a one-dimensional wave, and it stretches through me, through all the stuff between us, and through you off into oblivion, perhaps going through Neptune on its way out. That one-dimensional slice of you, me and Neptune is all one really long wave, and what its doing at a particular spot determines what that spot is, solid, liquid, gas, empty, and more qualities than that, such as temperature, mass, etc. When looking at the surface of the ocean, somehow we delineate "this wave over here, and that one behind it," but we must really mean just the different crests along one 3D wave with many troughs and crests. I think its probably a good thing our visual perception is so narrow. But why these bands, and these frequencies? If you cut up any portion of the spectrum in a collection that narrow, and had the ability to just see that, wouldn't it also be just as pretty or interesting as our visible rainbow, instead of (at least how I have previously comprehended) just massive bandwidths of homogenous "xray" and the like? Maybe not, because audio frequencies don't seem to have those "colors," but simply a relativey smooth curve of frequency (though we are more sensitive to some frequencies, such as the bell curve around 4K, it doesn't seem to me anything like a "rainbow").


----------



## more_vampires (Mar 24, 2015)

Cataract said:


> Reminds me of and episode of twilight zone where a guy had to relearn language as the word for "green" was now dinosaur and all other words had also changed meanings. The funny part is that letters still had the same sound attached to them, so he was able to re-learn how to talk by reading children's books.



There was also a DS9 Star Trek episode about that, "Babel." In real life, the medical condition falls under a category called "aphasia."


----------



## Cataract (Mar 28, 2015)

Whoa... we need to start a thread on perception. I have more to say on the subject, but it would definitely be off topic concerning color.


----------



## more_vampires (Mar 28, 2015)

Heh. Say I were 100% colorblind. You now have a very serious problem matching "black" finishes to my eyesight. I would be able to see things that you cannot as far as faint differences in grey.

I would be able to point to the parts that were anozided in different batches.


----------



## thedoc007 (Mar 28, 2015)

more_vampires said:


> Heh. Say I were 100% colorblind. You now have a very serious problem matching "black" finishes to my eyesight. I would be able to see things that you cannot as far as faint differences in grey.
> 
> I would be able to point to the parts that were anozided in different batches.



Maybe, but that is not assured. I actually know someone who is totally color blind (sees nothing but grey) and he is not able to see thousands of subtle differences...his ability to differentiate even shades of grey isn't great. 

Interesting (and relatively short) video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgHm5TKBW54


----------



## JF Priest (Mar 29, 2015)

I have this on my M&P 15 22...(Tan Surefire RAID)..I would of bought a second one but Surefire 's price increase put that on long term hold...http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0215/2560/products/Raid_surefire_2_of_4_grande.jpg?v=1366770242 and yes I also have a Black RAID..Sadly i hedged that their prices on these would fall rather than go up..Silly Me..


----------



## JF Priest (Mar 29, 2015)

Sometimes they get it right...


----------



## JF Priest (Mar 29, 2015)




----------

