EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Flashlight maker Olight does a lot of things right.
They make great products, provide some of the best customer service around and their lights are highly collectible with different colorways and variations in their most popular lines.
Let’s focus on that last part – how they have created a collectible vibe with some of their lights.
Recently, I got a package in the mail from one of my EDC buddies and mentors, OFather EDC.
That’s his online moniker for his YouTube channel. It is also a homage to his vast Olight collection.
The package he sent me highlights why Olight is so collectible.
First off, he included two versions of Olight’s i1R 2 Pro, a rechargeable keychain light. This is the upgraded version of the original generation of this light.
What he sent were two lights from the “compass” or directional series that Olight came out with about a year and a half ago.
In that series, they issued five variations for this rechargeable light – north, south, east, west and center – each in a different color.
OFather EDC kindly sent me the south (red) and center (green) versions.
Both feature beautiful etching of a compass on the top end of the light. On the lower end, letters – n, s, e, w – are etched into the body of the light, representing the four directions of the compass, in a rotating pattern.
I have never officially owned an i1R 2 before, but am quite familiar with this light. Let me explain.
I have given a few of them away as gifts to family members.
I also own an iTHX, which is really the same light, but was rebranded as a gift to thank customers for making a Black Friday purchase two years ago.
I carried that one around daily for 13 months, only changing it out on Jan. 1 just to shake up my everyday carry. Absolutely love that light.
So to get a couple of the compass series as a gift was a fantastic surprise, especially since they are not readily available anymore. More on that later.
How these lights work is simple: Twist to turn it on and twist back to turn it off.
They have two modes – 5 lumens and 180 lumens. Again, super simple.
After you turn the light off, if you continue twisting in the “off” direction, the body of the light will “pop” open and you will see a hidden charging port. Nifty construction.
Olight says you get 23 minutes in high and 12 hours in low per charge. I tend to use this light for quick bursts of high power and keep it in low mode most of the time.
Their throw is 48 meters in high and 10 meters in low.
The lights also came with a small charging cable, which I have plenty of from other lights.
Anyway, these are two very capable and functional EDC lights. But what stands out are the craftsmanship and design.
Unfortunately, the compass variations of the i1R 2 Pro are no longer available on the Olight website.
The company currently has the light available in basic black and OD green for about $22. I have no idea about their future plans for any new color variations for this light. But I will keep an eye out. If and when they come out with a new color scheme, I’m jumping on it.
If you are interested in the compass series, I would check eBay. Olight does have a dedicated store on eBay and sometimes you can find lights there that are no longer available on their regular website.
My one issue: These compass lights are so nice I am afraid of ruining them or losing them by using them everyday.
What I am planning to do is break them out on special occasions – like around Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially since the two I have are in red and green, respectively.
OFather EDC also sent me three variations of the collectible and very useful i3E EOS light.
This is an even smaller keychain light.
The new ones I got are as follows: Halloween theme with a purple background with green bats; a red snowflake Christmas theme; and what Olight calls the Auspicious Clouds (red with golden cloud images).
The Halloween and Christmas lights are no longer available at the Olight website. But the Auspicious Clouds motif is.
Again, the i3E is a simple light. Twist on, twist off. It has one mode – 90 lumens, which is pretty bright for a small keychain light.
It is powered by a standard AAA battery and has an estimated battery life of about 45 minutes. Again, you use these types of lights in short bursts.
Its throw is estimated at 44 meters (or about half a football field).
There are currently about a half dozen variations of the i3E EOS available on the Olight website, ranging from $9.95 for basic black to $12.99 for other colors.
One option that’s available is the special 18th anniversary edition, celebrating the company’s founding. I will have more on that one in a later column.
Here is a link to the i3E EOS.
Here is a link to the i1R 2 Pro.
Here are links to some YouTube channels I watch on knives and EDC that I find informative and entertaining.
The Cutting Edge (formerly Last Chance Knives)
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