I've had a pretty good month when it comes to reading. If you didn't see my post in March, I'm trying to read 52 books this year. With six completed books this month, I'm at a total of 21 books for the year. Here's my thoughts on the books I've finished in April.
1. Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
This was a very funny book and one I'd definitely recommend. It was the memoir of a lady that has dealt with mental illness, anxiety, etc. I've never personally dealt with any sort of mental illness, so it was interesting to hear the perspective of someone that has. I'm excited to read some of her other books this summer.
2. The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson
This is a non-fiction book about a disease that hit London in the 1800's. It talked all about the outbreak, the effects on society, and all the struggles that scientists had coming up with a solution to the disease. This book dragged on in places, but it was pretty interesting overall. The author was very well-researched.
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The basic plot of this book is that a man's wife goes missing and needs to be found. There's so many messed up things that happen in the hunt for her. I finished this book pretty quickly, because it was so good and full of suspense. Definitely recommend it.
4. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
This book is crime fiction about a journalist having to investigate the disappearance of a teenager. Just like Gone Girl, there's a lot of messed up things that happen in this book. I really did enjoy the plot. It was another book that I was able to read quickly. I didn't like the beginning all that much, but it got so much better as you got farther in.
5. The Gemini Virus by Wil Mara
I didn't enjoy this book that much. It wasn't really anything spectacular. There's a virus that breaks out in a small town that begins to completely ravage parts of the world. It was interesting to hear about how scientists attempted to create a vaccine for the virus. I didn't like very many of the characters. This book just didn't click with me for some reason.
6. How Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenburg
This book was written by two of the people that run Google. I didn't realize that this book was mostly business advice, but I did still come away with some good knowledge. I'm very interested in the technology industry, so this gave me an insight in how some of those companies are run. One piece I really liked was a short blurb about how important data and statistics is. That's what I'm studying in college, and it's cool to know that sort of field is useful.
That's all the books I've finished this month. Summer is quickly approaching, which means I should be able to read a lot more. I've got a lot of cool books on my to-read list for the summer. Thanks for looking!
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Thrunite TI5 Thoughts
I was preparing to write a very positive review of this light, but then it started having a lot of issues. It's a real shame, because I really thought this would make a good EDC light. I can't personally recommend it; however, it did have the potential to be a pretty cool light.
My issue with this light is that it isn't turning on consistently anymore. Sometimes I'll press the button and nothing happens. I'll take out the battery, put it back in, and it works for a couple clicks then nothing happens again. I'll try hours later, and all of sudden it will work for a minute or two then cut off again. I've tried a number of easy fixes, but nothing has worked unfortunately.
Besides that, everything about this light was very nice. I haven't tried many Thrunites before, so I was sure what I was getting myself into. The design is simple. There's nothing that really stands out about this light. There's no knurling or machining anywhere, which is fine because it's not necessary. The small size would be good for pocket carry. The pocket clip is nice and works as it should. I like that it's a clicky instead of a twisty light. The clicky is nice and firm. It takes a decent amount of pressure to push, so I don't think you'd have any issues with it accidentally turning on in the pocket. The TI5 retails for $16.95 on Thrunite's website at the moment. That's a good price for an EDC light that puts out more than a hundred lumens. One of my biggest gripes with this light is its lack of color options. You can get this light in either black or silver. Those are the most boring color options ever. As dumb as it sounds, I don't like to carry gear that isn't colorful.
The TI5 is a single AAA light that puts out a max output of 130 lumens and has a firefly mode output of 0.08 lumens. It also has a low mode of 10 lumens and a strobe at 130 lumens as well. I'm kind of surprised it has no medium mode. Sometimes 10 lumens is too little and 130 lumens is too much. I find strobe modes pointless, but at this point, pretty much every light has one. I've found that I really appreciate having firefly modes on my lights. Sometime, I only need a very small amount of light, and a firefly mode is perfect for that. I don't keep track of specific runtimes, so you'll have to look that up on Thrunite's website. The tint is a nice color. The light has momentary on, which is a feature I absolutely love.
I wish I could say more about this light, but once I've had a quality issue, there's really not much to say. You could have the fanciest and prettiest piece of gear out there. Yet if it doesn't work reliably, then what's the point in talking about it. I had a lot of faith in this light and was ultimately let down. I think this might just be a bad one, because I'm also trying out a Thrunite TI4, and that one has had no issues at all. Maybe it's just bad luck, but I can't personally recommend this light. I've had much more success with my FourSevens Preon P1, so check out that if you want a light in more color options that works reliably. The TI5 is less than $20, so it's not like you're going to break the bank by trying it out. Still, I've had plenty of cheaper lights, and they've all worked flawlessly. Thanks for looking!
My issue with this light is that it isn't turning on consistently anymore. Sometimes I'll press the button and nothing happens. I'll take out the battery, put it back in, and it works for a couple clicks then nothing happens again. I'll try hours later, and all of sudden it will work for a minute or two then cut off again. I've tried a number of easy fixes, but nothing has worked unfortunately.
Besides that, everything about this light was very nice. I haven't tried many Thrunites before, so I was sure what I was getting myself into. The design is simple. There's nothing that really stands out about this light. There's no knurling or machining anywhere, which is fine because it's not necessary. The small size would be good for pocket carry. The pocket clip is nice and works as it should. I like that it's a clicky instead of a twisty light. The clicky is nice and firm. It takes a decent amount of pressure to push, so I don't think you'd have any issues with it accidentally turning on in the pocket. The TI5 retails for $16.95 on Thrunite's website at the moment. That's a good price for an EDC light that puts out more than a hundred lumens. One of my biggest gripes with this light is its lack of color options. You can get this light in either black or silver. Those are the most boring color options ever. As dumb as it sounds, I don't like to carry gear that isn't colorful.
The TI5 is a single AAA light that puts out a max output of 130 lumens and has a firefly mode output of 0.08 lumens. It also has a low mode of 10 lumens and a strobe at 130 lumens as well. I'm kind of surprised it has no medium mode. Sometimes 10 lumens is too little and 130 lumens is too much. I find strobe modes pointless, but at this point, pretty much every light has one. I've found that I really appreciate having firefly modes on my lights. Sometime, I only need a very small amount of light, and a firefly mode is perfect for that. I don't keep track of specific runtimes, so you'll have to look that up on Thrunite's website. The tint is a nice color. The light has momentary on, which is a feature I absolutely love.
I wish I could say more about this light, but once I've had a quality issue, there's really not much to say. You could have the fanciest and prettiest piece of gear out there. Yet if it doesn't work reliably, then what's the point in talking about it. I had a lot of faith in this light and was ultimately let down. I think this might just be a bad one, because I'm also trying out a Thrunite TI4, and that one has had no issues at all. Maybe it's just bad luck, but I can't personally recommend this light. I've had much more success with my FourSevens Preon P1, so check out that if you want a light in more color options that works reliably. The TI5 is less than $20, so it's not like you're going to break the bank by trying it out. Still, I've had plenty of cheaper lights, and they've all worked flawlessly. Thanks for looking!
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Thrunite TI4 Thoughts
I've been very impressed with this light. It's one of the few 2AAA lights I've ever tried. I dig the form factor, and it's proven to be a solid light for EDC. While it's not the perfect light for me, I would say it'd be a great EDC light. A simple way for Thrunite to make this light better would be to introduce it in more color options.
I always feel the need to mention how the quality of a piece of gear is. In this day and age, most gear is super good quality. This light is no exception. I've had no issues with this TI4 at all. It's been extremely solid.
The design is pretty simple and lacks any features that makes it stand out from most AAA lights. That's not a bad thing at all. It does what it needs to do without being overly flashy or complicated. The body of the light is smooth, but is still easy to grip. This is a clicky light, and I like the clicky a lot. It's much firmer than most clickys I've tried before, which means it takes a little more pressure to turn the light on. I didn't think I'd like that at first, but it gives you a greater peace of mind that this light won't accidentally turn on. The pocket clip is good and works as it should. My biggest complaint would have to be the lack of color options. I don't like to buy black or silver lights, because they're way too boring for my tastes.
I don't really know much of the specifics about this light's output. I tried looking it up, but found that Thrunite has two different versions of this light that look exactly the same. One puts out a max output of 250ish lumens, while the other one puts out about 300 lumens. Just know it's somewhere in that range. In my opinion, the exact number doesn't really matter. I've never had this light be too dim for my uses. It lights up my room completely with no issue. Its got a firefly mode that puts out 0.4 lumens. This is by far my favorite and most used mode. When I need a flashlight, most of the time it's for something that I'm already close to and for a short amount of time. It's nice to have this super low mode, because you don't end up blinding yourself when it turns on. It's got a "low" mode that I consider more of a medium mode that puts out 32 lumens. If you need a strobe mode, this light has that too. The tint is a nice color. It doesn't have mode memory, but it does have a short memory mode that remembers the mode you used within the past 10 seconds. The light doesn't have momentary on either, but to easily switch modes, you can just half press the button when the light is on, so you don't have to fully click the button on and off a bunch of time. You can also double tap the button when the light is already on to cycle through the modes, but that takes a lot more effort in my opinion. Runtimes aren't as important to me, so if you need to know that info, just check out Thrunite's website. I will say that I've never had this light die on me in the past few weeks I've been using it.
The TI4 is about $20 on Thrunite's website right now. I think that's a pretty good price for a 2AAA light like this. You're getting a solid flashlight that puts out a good amount of light. I've been very impressed with it. I wish there were more color options and a momentary on feature. Other than that, I really don't have any major complaints about the light. It's been fun to carry and use. I don't think I'd choose it over my FourSevens Preon P2, but it's a good option if you want a light that doesn't break the bank. I'd recommend it for sure. Thanks for looking!
I always feel the need to mention how the quality of a piece of gear is. In this day and age, most gear is super good quality. This light is no exception. I've had no issues with this TI4 at all. It's been extremely solid.
The design is pretty simple and lacks any features that makes it stand out from most AAA lights. That's not a bad thing at all. It does what it needs to do without being overly flashy or complicated. The body of the light is smooth, but is still easy to grip. This is a clicky light, and I like the clicky a lot. It's much firmer than most clickys I've tried before, which means it takes a little more pressure to turn the light on. I didn't think I'd like that at first, but it gives you a greater peace of mind that this light won't accidentally turn on. The pocket clip is good and works as it should. My biggest complaint would have to be the lack of color options. I don't like to buy black or silver lights, because they're way too boring for my tastes.
I don't really know much of the specifics about this light's output. I tried looking it up, but found that Thrunite has two different versions of this light that look exactly the same. One puts out a max output of 250ish lumens, while the other one puts out about 300 lumens. Just know it's somewhere in that range. In my opinion, the exact number doesn't really matter. I've never had this light be too dim for my uses. It lights up my room completely with no issue. Its got a firefly mode that puts out 0.4 lumens. This is by far my favorite and most used mode. When I need a flashlight, most of the time it's for something that I'm already close to and for a short amount of time. It's nice to have this super low mode, because you don't end up blinding yourself when it turns on. It's got a "low" mode that I consider more of a medium mode that puts out 32 lumens. If you need a strobe mode, this light has that too. The tint is a nice color. It doesn't have mode memory, but it does have a short memory mode that remembers the mode you used within the past 10 seconds. The light doesn't have momentary on either, but to easily switch modes, you can just half press the button when the light is on, so you don't have to fully click the button on and off a bunch of time. You can also double tap the button when the light is already on to cycle through the modes, but that takes a lot more effort in my opinion. Runtimes aren't as important to me, so if you need to know that info, just check out Thrunite's website. I will say that I've never had this light die on me in the past few weeks I've been using it.
The TI4 is about $20 on Thrunite's website right now. I think that's a pretty good price for a 2AAA light like this. You're getting a solid flashlight that puts out a good amount of light. I've been very impressed with it. I wish there were more color options and a momentary on feature. Other than that, I really don't have any major complaints about the light. It's been fun to carry and use. I don't think I'd choose it over my FourSevens Preon P2, but it's a good option if you want a light that doesn't break the bank. I'd recommend it for sure. Thanks for looking!
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
FourSevens Updated Preon P2 Thoughts
I'm a huge fan of FourSevens' Preon line. I've got a classic P1 that's my most carried EDC light. I've never tried 2 AAA lights before, but I must admit, I really like the form factor. I'll never be able to carry them on my person. However, they're great to throw in whatever bag I've got with me. This Preon P2 has been a great light, and I'd say it's worth checking out.
At first, I didn't think I'd like the updated Preon P2 much. If you're not aware, FourSevens discontinued the original Preons and put out these newer updated version. The biggest difference between the updated and classic Preons would have to be the ridges, new pocket clip, and a clicky on all the updated ones. I loved the classic Preon for its sleek and classy look, so I didn't think I'd like the ridges on the updated one. The ridges are really not that noticeable though. If anything, they're nice to have so you don't have a super slippery light.
The quality of this light is great. I've had no issues with it at all.
Design wise, like I said earlier, the ridges are really what stand out. They're functional and look pretty cool too. Besides that, there's nothing that fancy about the light's design. It's simple and to the point. I love that FourSevens made these with clicky tailcaps instead of doing a twisty light. The clicky is great. It's got momentary on, which is a feature I've really started to appreciate more in lights. I've never once had this light accidentally turn on. The clicky isn't the firmest if that makes any sense. It can occasionally get stuck in the on position, but you can easily get it unstuck. It's kind of hard to explain, so sorry if that makes no sense. It only gets stuck every so often, which doesn't both me too much. The pocket clip is normal. It carries well and has pretty decent retention.
Output wise, this would be a perfectly adequate light for EDC. It's not the brightest light in the world. The max output is only 220 lumens, but I've found that it lights up everything I'd need on a day-to-day basis. This light has 5 different configuration levels. The default configuration is high and then low. To change the configuration, you have to do a few complicated things. It's too much of a hassle for me (basically you have to turn the light on/off quickly like 5 times and then wait until the light flashes to show what configuration you're on. you then just click until the light flashes to your desired configuration), so I've just left it in high and low. Normally, I like to have low, medium, and high, but it's kind of nice to have the two extremes only. It really simplifies how you use the light. There is mode memory, which is nice to have. The low mode, 10 lumens, seems way too bright for me personally, but that could be because I'm used to all my lights having firefly modes that are around 1 lumen. If you want more modes then just high and low, there's also medium, strobe, and various beacons if you change the configurations. I honestly don't know official runtime numbers. I use my lights so sparingly, only a couple minutes at a time, that they always seem to last forever. I've used this light a lot over the past few weeks, and I've never once had to charge it. The tint of the light is very nice.
These retail for around $50 on FourSevens' website. I'm sure you can find them cheaper at other places. I'm not sure whether these are worth it for the price. I've tried another 2 AAA light, the Thrunite TI4, that's extremely similar to this light for a lot less. As of now, you can only get this light in black or blue. I really want FourSevens to add more colors like they did in the classic Preon line. I recently bought a classic P2 for $35, and it's extremely similar output wise and looks a lot cooler in my opinion.
I really do like this updated Preon P2, but when comparing it the classic one, I don't think the raised price justifies picking one up. I've got a comparison post coming soon between the updated and classic P2 so you can see what I'm talking about. If you want all the fancy, updated features like mode memory and different configuration levels, then you're better off with the updated P2. Otherwise, I'd suggest a different light altogether or the classic P2. The 2AAA form factor is well-suited for EDC. I thought the size would be too big to carry, but it's not an issue at all. I like the light, but for some reason I feel tentative about recommending it. Maybe that's because of my undying love for the classic Preons. There was nothing wrong with the classic Preons that warranted them being discontinued. They were pretty old though, so I guess they were due for a technology update. The price of the updated Preons also makes me kind of cautious in recommending them. I'm not the biggest fan of FourSevens' configuration levels, so I don't necessarily see the need to pay extra to have that. I bet there's some better 2 AAA lights out there for a cheaper price. If you're a huge fan of FourSevens or want to try out a Preon, I'd recommend it. Otherwise, I think you could potentially find better 2 AAA EDC lights out there. Thanks for looking!
At first, I didn't think I'd like the updated Preon P2 much. If you're not aware, FourSevens discontinued the original Preons and put out these newer updated version. The biggest difference between the updated and classic Preons would have to be the ridges, new pocket clip, and a clicky on all the updated ones. I loved the classic Preon for its sleek and classy look, so I didn't think I'd like the ridges on the updated one. The ridges are really not that noticeable though. If anything, they're nice to have so you don't have a super slippery light.
The quality of this light is great. I've had no issues with it at all.
Design wise, like I said earlier, the ridges are really what stand out. They're functional and look pretty cool too. Besides that, there's nothing that fancy about the light's design. It's simple and to the point. I love that FourSevens made these with clicky tailcaps instead of doing a twisty light. The clicky is great. It's got momentary on, which is a feature I've really started to appreciate more in lights. I've never once had this light accidentally turn on. The clicky isn't the firmest if that makes any sense. It can occasionally get stuck in the on position, but you can easily get it unstuck. It's kind of hard to explain, so sorry if that makes no sense. It only gets stuck every so often, which doesn't both me too much. The pocket clip is normal. It carries well and has pretty decent retention.
Output wise, this would be a perfectly adequate light for EDC. It's not the brightest light in the world. The max output is only 220 lumens, but I've found that it lights up everything I'd need on a day-to-day basis. This light has 5 different configuration levels. The default configuration is high and then low. To change the configuration, you have to do a few complicated things. It's too much of a hassle for me (basically you have to turn the light on/off quickly like 5 times and then wait until the light flashes to show what configuration you're on. you then just click until the light flashes to your desired configuration), so I've just left it in high and low. Normally, I like to have low, medium, and high, but it's kind of nice to have the two extremes only. It really simplifies how you use the light. There is mode memory, which is nice to have. The low mode, 10 lumens, seems way too bright for me personally, but that could be because I'm used to all my lights having firefly modes that are around 1 lumen. If you want more modes then just high and low, there's also medium, strobe, and various beacons if you change the configurations. I honestly don't know official runtime numbers. I use my lights so sparingly, only a couple minutes at a time, that they always seem to last forever. I've used this light a lot over the past few weeks, and I've never once had to charge it. The tint of the light is very nice.
These retail for around $50 on FourSevens' website. I'm sure you can find them cheaper at other places. I'm not sure whether these are worth it for the price. I've tried another 2 AAA light, the Thrunite TI4, that's extremely similar to this light for a lot less. As of now, you can only get this light in black or blue. I really want FourSevens to add more colors like they did in the classic Preon line. I recently bought a classic P2 for $35, and it's extremely similar output wise and looks a lot cooler in my opinion.
I really do like this updated Preon P2, but when comparing it the classic one, I don't think the raised price justifies picking one up. I've got a comparison post coming soon between the updated and classic P2 so you can see what I'm talking about. If you want all the fancy, updated features like mode memory and different configuration levels, then you're better off with the updated P2. Otherwise, I'd suggest a different light altogether or the classic P2. The 2AAA form factor is well-suited for EDC. I thought the size would be too big to carry, but it's not an issue at all. I like the light, but for some reason I feel tentative about recommending it. Maybe that's because of my undying love for the classic Preons. There was nothing wrong with the classic Preons that warranted them being discontinued. They were pretty old though, so I guess they were due for a technology update. The price of the updated Preons also makes me kind of cautious in recommending them. I'm not the biggest fan of FourSevens' configuration levels, so I don't necessarily see the need to pay extra to have that. I bet there's some better 2 AAA lights out there for a cheaper price. If you're a huge fan of FourSevens or want to try out a Preon, I'd recommend it. Otherwise, I think you could potentially find better 2 AAA EDC lights out there. Thanks for looking!
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Thrunite T01 Thoughts
The Thrunite T01 is an awesome light for the money. It puts out over 100 lumens of light for less than $10. I'd definitely recommend you pick one up as a backup or keychain light. This was the first Thrunite I've ever tried, and I'm impressed enough to try out more of their lights.
As always, the quality of this light is great! I love that we live in a time where you can get so much quality gear. I've had no issues with this light at all. This light is as solid as any light I've ever tried. The threads are very smooth.
The design of this light is super simple. There is knurling all over the body of the light that helps provide some extra grip. In a light this small, that's nice to have. The end of the light is flat, so you can tail stand this if you need to. It's a twisty light, and I've found that it's easy to use one or two-handed. There is a single mode on this flashlight. I really like that, because you don't have to fiddle around getting to the mode you want. I'm bummed it only comes in black, but it's not the end of the world.
The light itself puts out 125 lumens for 40 minutes. That's a pretty good output/runtime for the price. I'm sure there are better single AAA lights out there on the market, but I'm perfectly happy with this light's performance. The beam has a good tint to it as well.
Something else I should mention is the packaging of this light. Despite how inexpensive it is, this light came in a small metal tin with a few different keychain attachments. I thought that was pretty cool, considering most products under $10 just come in a clamshell or something.
All in all, this is a great light. I enjoy using it as a backup light. It'd be a great flashlight to give to your friends or family that are just getting into EDC. It's very comparable to the Olight i3E. I like the T01 output better, but the i3E better for the color options. I'll probably do some sort of comparison post eventually. You can't really go wrong with either. I'd highly recommend the T01. It's less than $10 on Amazon, so you might as well try it out. You can never have too many flashlights. Thanks for looking!
As always, the quality of this light is great! I love that we live in a time where you can get so much quality gear. I've had no issues with this light at all. This light is as solid as any light I've ever tried. The threads are very smooth.
The design of this light is super simple. There is knurling all over the body of the light that helps provide some extra grip. In a light this small, that's nice to have. The end of the light is flat, so you can tail stand this if you need to. It's a twisty light, and I've found that it's easy to use one or two-handed. There is a single mode on this flashlight. I really like that, because you don't have to fiddle around getting to the mode you want. I'm bummed it only comes in black, but it's not the end of the world.
The light itself puts out 125 lumens for 40 minutes. That's a pretty good output/runtime for the price. I'm sure there are better single AAA lights out there on the market, but I'm perfectly happy with this light's performance. The beam has a good tint to it as well.
Something else I should mention is the packaging of this light. Despite how inexpensive it is, this light came in a small metal tin with a few different keychain attachments. I thought that was pretty cool, considering most products under $10 just come in a clamshell or something.
All in all, this is a great light. I enjoy using it as a backup light. It'd be a great flashlight to give to your friends or family that are just getting into EDC. It's very comparable to the Olight i3E. I like the T01 output better, but the i3E better for the color options. I'll probably do some sort of comparison post eventually. You can't really go wrong with either. I'd highly recommend the T01. It's less than $10 on Amazon, so you might as well try it out. You can never have too many flashlights. Thanks for looking!
Friday, April 7, 2017
Spyderco Bores Me Now
Spyderco easily used to be my favorite knife company. As the years have gone by though, I've been less and less impressed with what they're doing as a company. I think a lot of other knife companies have finally caught up to them, and maybe even surpassed them in terms of new knife designs. This is all just my perspective. I don't think Spyderco is innovating as much as they used to.
Take a look at their new product page (here) if you want to better understand what I'm talking about. As I looked through their new knives, the majority are either sprint runs (S110V and blue scales), knives they've already made before but shrunk down slightly (I'm looking at you Para 3/Lil' Lum/Lil' Sub-Hilt/Lil' Temperance 3), the knives they've already made with different blade shapes (wharncliffe Delica), or knives they discontinued in the past but recently brought back (Urban and UK penknife). Sure there are some new, "original" designs (Advocate/Polestar/Efficient), but to me, they look exactly like other knives Spyderco has already made in the past. Polestar and Efficient are basically different twists on the Tenacious. Side note, whoever came up with the name Polestar, congrats on the worst possible name for a knife ever. It just sounds so dumb to me.
Spyderco used to do lots of crazy and weird designs, like the Cricket, Balance, or Phoenix. Now it seems they moved away from that and are only producing things the market already has/is used to. Their weird designs didn't sell very well due to high prices, so I guess they're just producing what the market demands. They are a business after all and need to continue to make profits. Still, it's lame to see them produce the same blades over and over at higher and higher prices. That's something else I've noticed Spyderco has been doing. All of their knives have gotten a lot more expensive over the years. You could chalk that up to inflation, but honestly, companies like CRKT and Kershaw are producing a lot more affordable knives than Spyderco.
CRKT has had some killer new designs so far this year. The Pilar is one blade I know a lot of people are impressed with. Even thinking about last year, the Jettison was one of the best blades that year. Kershaw is stepping it up with the Launch series. I never thought I'd be a fan of autos, but the Launch 4 turned me into a fan for sure. I personally can't justify buying the same ol' knives from Spyderco when there are more innovative designs out there on the market. I really used to love Spyderco, but I think they've gotten too complacent. It seems like forever since they've made a new knife that's had the popularity of something like the Delica or PM2.
Again, all of this is just my opinion. I'm personally bored of Spyderco and what they're doing. A couple years ago, I really had no choice but to support them, because no other knife company really compared to them. Now though, companies like CRKT and Kershaw are on the rise. You probably won't see too many Spydercos on here or my YouTube channel anymore. My biggest issue with them is their lack of innovation, so I hope everything I said made sense in that regard. I have a whole other pile of issues regarding them as a company, but I'll probably save that for another post. Thanks for looking!
Take a look at their new product page (here) if you want to better understand what I'm talking about. As I looked through their new knives, the majority are either sprint runs (S110V and blue scales), knives they've already made before but shrunk down slightly (I'm looking at you Para 3/Lil' Lum/Lil' Sub-Hilt/Lil' Temperance 3), the knives they've already made with different blade shapes (wharncliffe Delica), or knives they discontinued in the past but recently brought back (Urban and UK penknife). Sure there are some new, "original" designs (Advocate/Polestar/Efficient), but to me, they look exactly like other knives Spyderco has already made in the past. Polestar and Efficient are basically different twists on the Tenacious. Side note, whoever came up with the name Polestar, congrats on the worst possible name for a knife ever. It just sounds so dumb to me.
Spyderco used to do lots of crazy and weird designs, like the Cricket, Balance, or Phoenix. Now it seems they moved away from that and are only producing things the market already has/is used to. Their weird designs didn't sell very well due to high prices, so I guess they're just producing what the market demands. They are a business after all and need to continue to make profits. Still, it's lame to see them produce the same blades over and over at higher and higher prices. That's something else I've noticed Spyderco has been doing. All of their knives have gotten a lot more expensive over the years. You could chalk that up to inflation, but honestly, companies like CRKT and Kershaw are producing a lot more affordable knives than Spyderco.
CRKT has had some killer new designs so far this year. The Pilar is one blade I know a lot of people are impressed with. Even thinking about last year, the Jettison was one of the best blades that year. Kershaw is stepping it up with the Launch series. I never thought I'd be a fan of autos, but the Launch 4 turned me into a fan for sure. I personally can't justify buying the same ol' knives from Spyderco when there are more innovative designs out there on the market. I really used to love Spyderco, but I think they've gotten too complacent. It seems like forever since they've made a new knife that's had the popularity of something like the Delica or PM2.
Again, all of this is just my opinion. I'm personally bored of Spyderco and what they're doing. A couple years ago, I really had no choice but to support them, because no other knife company really compared to them. Now though, companies like CRKT and Kershaw are on the rise. You probably won't see too many Spydercos on here or my YouTube channel anymore. My biggest issue with them is their lack of innovation, so I hope everything I said made sense in that regard. I have a whole other pile of issues regarding them as a company, but I'll probably save that for another post. Thanks for looking!
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Olight i3E Thoughts
I'm very impressed with this Olight i3E for the price. It's crazy that a $10 flashlight could be so great. All the different color options and the simple design are some of my favorite parts about this light. I definitely would recommend you pick one up. It'd be a great light to give to people just getting into EDC or as a keychain/backup light.
The quality of this light is great. It's extremely well made, and I've had no quality issues with mine. The threads are very smooth.
The design of this light is very simple. There is a single mode on this light. I didn't think I'd like that at first, but I like how straight to point it is. There is machining all over the light that helps provide some extra grip. This is a twisty light that is easy to operate one or two-handed. It's got a keychain attachment for easy attachment to your keychain. It comes in tons of different color options too. I love the purple!
The output is pretty good for a single AAA battery. It puts out 90 lumens for an hour. I think that's a pretty good output/runtime for the price. That's obviously not the best on the market, but it's perfectly adequate for basic EDC tasks. The beam has a nice tint to it. It's not a purplish tint like some cheap lights out there.
All in all, I think this is a great light for the money. For $10, you're getting a pretty bright light in a small size. I like all the color options and the simplicity of a single mode. I'd definitely recommend it. It's nice to have this around as a backup light. This is the flashlight I'd give to friends and family trying to get into EDC. If you want a light similar in size/price, also check out the Thrunite T01. The T01 has no color options besides black, but it puts out 125 lumens for 40 minutes. I'll also be posting a review of the T01 soon. Be sure to check out that i3E. Thanks for looking!
The quality of this light is great. It's extremely well made, and I've had no quality issues with mine. The threads are very smooth.
The design of this light is very simple. There is a single mode on this light. I didn't think I'd like that at first, but I like how straight to point it is. There is machining all over the light that helps provide some extra grip. This is a twisty light that is easy to operate one or two-handed. It's got a keychain attachment for easy attachment to your keychain. It comes in tons of different color options too. I love the purple!
The output is pretty good for a single AAA battery. It puts out 90 lumens for an hour. I think that's a pretty good output/runtime for the price. That's obviously not the best on the market, but it's perfectly adequate for basic EDC tasks. The beam has a nice tint to it. It's not a purplish tint like some cheap lights out there.
All in all, I think this is a great light for the money. For $10, you're getting a pretty bright light in a small size. I like all the color options and the simplicity of a single mode. I'd definitely recommend it. It's nice to have this around as a backup light. This is the flashlight I'd give to friends and family trying to get into EDC. If you want a light similar in size/price, also check out the Thrunite T01. The T01 has no color options besides black, but it puts out 125 lumens for 40 minutes. I'll also be posting a review of the T01 soon. Be sure to check out that i3E. Thanks for looking!
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