EDC GEAR AND FLASHLIGHT REVIEWS

 As an avid watch enthusiast with over 40 years of appreciation for horology, I've seen countless trends come and go. Yet, some watches simply transcend fleeting fads and embed themselves into the very fabric of watch collecting. The Seiko SKX009 is undoubtedly one of them. Having owned many Seikos over the decades, including a beloved SKX007 since 2006 and even a first-generation Seiko Monster, I can confidently say the SKX009 holds a special place in the pantheon of iconic affordable dive watches. What makes the SKX009 so venerable? It starts with its robust, ISO-certified diver specifications. Boasting a 42.5mm stainless steel case, 200 meters of water resistance (thanks to its screw-down crown and case back), and Seiko's reliable, albeit non-hacking and non-hand-winding, 7S26 automatic movement, it's a true tool watch. The "Pepsi" bezel, with its vibrant red and blue, paired with a deep blue dial, gives it an undeniable character that sets it apart from its bl...

Picture of my Niteye EYE15 XM-L led, 18650 light.  Photo taken with a Panasonic GF5 and edited with Snapseed.

The new Niteye MS Series has now been released. The MS stands for Military Soldier and from all appearances it looks like it fits that role quite nicely. Thank you to Niteye for supplying me with two models from the series for review. The two are the MSA10 , which runs off of 1xAA and the MSC20 , which runs off of 2xCR123A, 1x18650 or 2x16340 batteries. The other two lights in the series are the MSA20 , which runs off of 2xAA batteries and the MSC10 , which runs off of 1xCR123A battery. For those of you who are into the latest and greatest in led flashlight technology, you probably are already aware of Niteye and their fairly recent appearance onto the flashlight scene.  For those of you who are not aware, they are a company based in China who are the OEM manufacturer for other well established flashlight companies, such as Jetbeam .  Quality and design wise they share many similarities to some of the other higher end brands out there. This new MS Series grabbed my attenti...

Well this is going to be the first part of an ongoing series discussing cheap, yet surprisingly good quality knives coming out of China.  I was recently turned onto some inexpensive brands of Chinese pocket knives through the forums.  The brands that were mentioned are Enlan , which also makes the brand Bee, and a company called Sanrenmu , who apparently make knives for some of the larger American knife companies, such as Spyderco, Buck and Gerber.  Other companies mentioned are Navy and Ganzo. Well curiosity got the better of me and the price point was right($9-18), so I found a bunch of them on a Chinese website called Exduct.com .  I ordered a mix of Sanrenmu, Enlan, Ganzo and Navy knives and the wait was on.  After waiting about two weeks the first one arrived at my door.  It was a Sanrenmu GB8-707 , which apparently is exactly the same as the CRKT Drifter .  It cost about $9 shipped, which is incredible as the CRKT branded one is about double th...

Niteye has kindly provided me with their EYE-40 model for review.  This is definitely a light I've been looking forward to checking out ever since I laid eyes on their EYE-30, and heard that there was an even more powerful light on the horizon.  At first glance, it does look a little ungainly and disproportioned, but after seeing it in person and experiencing the sheer lumens any qualms about it's looks or gimmick factor of adding even more leds was gone. For those who don't know about Niteye, they are apparently related to the Jetbeam company which has been producing quality flashlights for years.  They are based in China and use the latest in led technology in their products.  This particular model uses 4xXM-L leds in four separate reflectors.  It uses a battery carrier to house 4x18650 batteries and produces at maximum setting 3000 lumens.  Operation of the light is done with a stainless steel magnetic rotating ring below the head....

Well the long awaited EYE-30 from Niteye has arrived, courtesy of Viola from Niteye.  This is my first multiple XM-L flashlight and my first multi 18650 light as well.(4x18650)  I was always leery of multiple battery flashlights as I'd heard of accounts of lights exploding.  I've been assured that with decent quality batteries and proper battery management, i.e. keeping batteries at a similar charge state, that it would be safe.  The light was received in a nice quality aluminium case.  Upon opening, the light sits in foam with the included accessories of a carrying handle, car charger, holster, and a spare o-ring.  Right off the bat when handling the light you notice the quality of this light.  The machining and anodising is top notch, with no flaws visible to the naked eye.  There's some nice and functional cooling fins around the head, and not too aggressive knurling on the battery tube. The main feature of this light beside the ...