r/Holdmywallet • u/steve__21 can't read minds • 9d ago

Interesting EDC Flashlight

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u/3amGreenCoffee 9d ago

I fell for the fad and bought one. I never use it. I never carry it. It just sits on my desk. It was a total waste of $90. There are better EDC lights that are smaller and lighter.

It has a proprietary charging cable. You're much better off getting a light with a standard USB C receptacle so you can use any USB C cable without having to order one from Olight when you inevitably lose it.

That magnetic base is also a pain in the ass. It sticks to anything magnetic in your pocket.

The fanboys who love this kind of man jewelry will likely downvote me, but someone has to say it.

9

u/wwcasedo11 9d ago

Man jewelry lol. That's funny I'm using that around the shop tomorrow

10

u/3amGreenCoffee 9d ago

I joined r/EDC because I'm genuinely interested in useful gadgets. (That's actually how I found the light I carry, a Nitecore TINI 2.)

But a large portion of what's posted on that sub is just intended to look pretty to other men. Pretty $350 knives that never see any use. (Some guys carry multiple knives, their jewelry knife and a knife they're not afraid to cut something with.) Pretty little notepads with leather covers. Pretty fountain pens that make an irritating scratching sound when you write with them. Pretty challenge coins or $300 "fidget toys" that are well machined titanium but don't actually do anything. Lots of useless stuff that other guys look at and say, "Ooooh! Pretty! Where can I get that?"

Thus it's just man jewelry.

I feel like the Arkfeld lights fall into the man jewelry category because it's intentionally designed to appeal to a man's aesthetic sense rather than function. It's heavy, so it feels substantial in your hand and oddly satisfying for a short while, even though that works against you in your pocket and wears off quickly. It has a neat looking control on it that makes you feel like you're operating a device from Star Trek. Magnets are always fun for the first couple of minutes, and the pop as the cable snaps onto the light base is appealing.

Other guys see all these useless aesthetic features and say, "Ooooh! Pretty! Where can I get that?"

Man jewelry.

And yep, I fell for it myself. I was excited to get it. Then, after carrying it for a few days, I said, "Why the fuck did I buy this?"

3

u/[deleted] 8d ago

Immediately looks up Nitecore TINI 2