More from Prometheus
Jason, aka Dark Sucks, over at Prometheus Lights, sent me a, no scratch that, HIS flashlight to review a while ago and the MC-18b was glorious light, scoring a very impressive 19/20. It was a package that rivals any custom maker out there and comes in significantly less expensive than most. His lights are truly dark-obliterating works of art. If you are in the market for an 18560 light and have a few bucks to spend, you will not be disappointed. There is nothing better out there in the 18650 form factor at any price.
But Jason doesn't rest on his laurels. He is always thinking about new ways to make cool stuff and he recently sent me a bundle of things--zip pull/lanyard beads, an aftermarket clip for the G2XPro, and a Ti fob for keys. Each is worth a peek, so I am going to go through them one at a time.
Ti Clip
One thing that I think would take most people by surprise is just how hard it is to design a pocket clip for a light or a blade. Proof of this is the sheer variety of designs. If there was one clearly surprior design, it would have become standard by now. There are a few I really like and they are generally simpler designs, but there is no clearly superior approach. Flashlights are especially hard to design clips for as many lights, especially two cell lights or bigger, are just not practical when paired with a clip.
Jason, apparently, hasn't received this memo yet. Thank god for that. His clip design, which is a washer style (meaning it is a ring that is sandwiched between two screw together components on a light) clip. This means that installation is completely tool free. Masterstroke #1. He includes o-rings which locks the clip in place when all of the parts are screwed together. Masterstroke #2. Finally, this clip fits a ton of different lights (Masterstroke #3), including these:
Surefire
6P
6PX Pro
G2 Nitrolon
G2X Pro
G2X Tactical
Fury
Solarforce
L2
L2T
Elzetta
All 2 & 3 cell lights
Jetbeam
TCR3
III Ti
BC25
Malkoff
Hound Dog
Wildcat
Here is the clip he sent me to test out, installed on a Surefire G2XPro:
I have had the clip installed for about a month. The hurricane sweeping through gave me a chance carry it in a real life emergency and it worked perfectly. The G2XPro is actually quite small for a two cell light so the lack of a clip is a big deal. It is perhaps the best flashlight clip I have ever used. It is, when installed, equal to the vaunted McGizmo clip, but it has the advantage of attaching and detaching without tools.
There are three variations: 1) the plain Ti clip I received for testing; 2) the beautiful flame colored clip that Jason included on my review sample of the MC-18B; and 3) a splash anodized version. The plain version costs $25 and the splash anodized version clocks in around $35. All are excellent.
Lanyard Beads/Zipper Pulls
Also included in the package was a group of three zipper pulls. Here is the ordering page. And here is a shot of the zipper pull with the blue and glow o-rings:
At first I was not exactly sure what to do with them, so I used them as lanyard beads for my smaller knives, the DFII ZDP-189 and the Mini Grip. In that role they worked quite well, well enough, in fact, to show me the utility of having a lanyard and bead set up. Especially with the Mini Grip, having the bead to tug on really popped the knife out of my pocket. Overall, in that role they not only work well, but look less silly than some of the fantastically expensive and weird lanyard beads out there.
I also dropped them on to my L.L. Bean Pathfinder Softshell Hoodie, a jacket that I truly love and a nice budget alternative to a TAD jacket (it is a bargain at $99). Normally they have these rubberized and oddly furry zipper pulls. They really, really work, but they are just kind of weird. I swapped one out for Jason's zipper pull, as configured above, with three alternating o-rings for grip. Then I went on a trip. I flew to Ohio and back, all with a 2 1/2 year old in tow. It took its toll on the zipper pull, slowly, but steadily shedding all of its o-rings. In the end, I ended up with this:
I actually prefer the naked version. The grooves designed for the o-rings, as it turns out, are really finely cut giving you lots of grip but not being finger shredders. I also like the sterile appearance.
The zipper pulls come in packs of three with the o-rings for $25. They are definitely luxuries, but ones that you will use. If I were a lanyard guy, these would be my preferred beads. Also, as a final touch on say, a new TAD Gear Stealth Hoodie LT, they would be perfect. Careful though, as zipper pulls, they are oddly addictive and a full set for your Stealth Hoodie would be $50, bringing the total package to a mind boggling price of $525. Of TAD and Ti pimpiness...please take my wallet now.
Ti Key Fob
The final thing Jason sent me as a Ti Key Fob. I am not a fan of key fobs at all, even Ti ones. Jason's is very clever in that it is also his logo. It also happens to fit directly on top of a G2XPro, which I discovered when playing with my son. The pattern it produced was pretty cool. That said, it is a key fob. They are $15 right now.
Conclusion
All of these items are superbly crafted, the result of a great designer and great machinists. The clip and the zipper pulls are reasonably priced. The key fob is a key fob. I like the pulls. They serve a purpose and look very nice doing so. But the Ti clip is a revelation. This is a stop-the-presses piece, an accessory that greatly improves the original item. If I were Surefire, I would simply contact Jason and buy the design and all his clips outright. It is better than any Surefire clip I have seen or used to date and it is simpler in design (which means it is probably cheaper to make). If you have any of the lights listed above and they don't have a clip or, hell, even if they do, this clip is so much better that it is worth hunting down and scrapping your old clip. Nothing I have seen on a flashlight is better--even McGizmo's clip. I loved the clip on the MC-18b, but for some reason on my G2XPro it seems even nicer (perhaps because the G2XPro didn't have a clip to start out with and I really missed it). For $25 you can't beat it.
But Jason doesn't rest on his laurels. He is always thinking about new ways to make cool stuff and he recently sent me a bundle of things--zip pull/lanyard beads, an aftermarket clip for the G2XPro, and a Ti fob for keys. Each is worth a peek, so I am going to go through them one at a time.
Ti Clip
One thing that I think would take most people by surprise is just how hard it is to design a pocket clip for a light or a blade. Proof of this is the sheer variety of designs. If there was one clearly surprior design, it would have become standard by now. There are a few I really like and they are generally simpler designs, but there is no clearly superior approach. Flashlights are especially hard to design clips for as many lights, especially two cell lights or bigger, are just not practical when paired with a clip.
Jason, apparently, hasn't received this memo yet. Thank god for that. His clip design, which is a washer style (meaning it is a ring that is sandwiched between two screw together components on a light) clip. This means that installation is completely tool free. Masterstroke #1. He includes o-rings which locks the clip in place when all of the parts are screwed together. Masterstroke #2. Finally, this clip fits a ton of different lights (Masterstroke #3), including these:
Surefire
6P
6PX Pro
G2 Nitrolon
G2X Pro
G2X Tactical
Fury
Solarforce
L2
L2T
Elzetta
All 2 & 3 cell lights
Jetbeam
TCR3
III Ti
BC25
Malkoff
Hound Dog
Wildcat
Here is the clip he sent me to test out, installed on a Surefire G2XPro:
I have had the clip installed for about a month. The hurricane sweeping through gave me a chance carry it in a real life emergency and it worked perfectly. The G2XPro is actually quite small for a two cell light so the lack of a clip is a big deal. It is perhaps the best flashlight clip I have ever used. It is, when installed, equal to the vaunted McGizmo clip, but it has the advantage of attaching and detaching without tools.
There are three variations: 1) the plain Ti clip I received for testing; 2) the beautiful flame colored clip that Jason included on my review sample of the MC-18B; and 3) a splash anodized version. The plain version costs $25 and the splash anodized version clocks in around $35. All are excellent.
Lanyard Beads/Zipper Pulls
Also included in the package was a group of three zipper pulls. Here is the ordering page. And here is a shot of the zipper pull with the blue and glow o-rings:
At first I was not exactly sure what to do with them, so I used them as lanyard beads for my smaller knives, the DFII ZDP-189 and the Mini Grip. In that role they worked quite well, well enough, in fact, to show me the utility of having a lanyard and bead set up. Especially with the Mini Grip, having the bead to tug on really popped the knife out of my pocket. Overall, in that role they not only work well, but look less silly than some of the fantastically expensive and weird lanyard beads out there.
I also dropped them on to my L.L. Bean Pathfinder Softshell Hoodie, a jacket that I truly love and a nice budget alternative to a TAD jacket (it is a bargain at $99). Normally they have these rubberized and oddly furry zipper pulls. They really, really work, but they are just kind of weird. I swapped one out for Jason's zipper pull, as configured above, with three alternating o-rings for grip. Then I went on a trip. I flew to Ohio and back, all with a 2 1/2 year old in tow. It took its toll on the zipper pull, slowly, but steadily shedding all of its o-rings. In the end, I ended up with this:
I actually prefer the naked version. The grooves designed for the o-rings, as it turns out, are really finely cut giving you lots of grip but not being finger shredders. I also like the sterile appearance.
The zipper pulls come in packs of three with the o-rings for $25. They are definitely luxuries, but ones that you will use. If I were a lanyard guy, these would be my preferred beads. Also, as a final touch on say, a new TAD Gear Stealth Hoodie LT, they would be perfect. Careful though, as zipper pulls, they are oddly addictive and a full set for your Stealth Hoodie would be $50, bringing the total package to a mind boggling price of $525. Of TAD and Ti pimpiness...please take my wallet now.
Ti Key Fob
The final thing Jason sent me as a Ti Key Fob. I am not a fan of key fobs at all, even Ti ones. Jason's is very clever in that it is also his logo. It also happens to fit directly on top of a G2XPro, which I discovered when playing with my son. The pattern it produced was pretty cool. That said, it is a key fob. They are $15 right now.
Conclusion
All of these items are superbly crafted, the result of a great designer and great machinists. The clip and the zipper pulls are reasonably priced. The key fob is a key fob. I like the pulls. They serve a purpose and look very nice doing so. But the Ti clip is a revelation. This is a stop-the-presses piece, an accessory that greatly improves the original item. If I were Surefire, I would simply contact Jason and buy the design and all his clips outright. It is better than any Surefire clip I have seen or used to date and it is simpler in design (which means it is probably cheaper to make). If you have any of the lights listed above and they don't have a clip or, hell, even if they do, this clip is so much better that it is worth hunting down and scrapping your old clip. Nothing I have seen on a flashlight is better--even McGizmo's clip. I loved the clip on the MC-18b, but for some reason on my G2XPro it seems even nicer (perhaps because the G2XPro didn't have a clip to start out with and I really missed it). For $25 you can't beat it.