In civilian clothes there are a few items that I always have with me; my wallet, a Fisher Space pocket pen,
TOPS Calcutta knife and my E1B Backup. I don't know how many times I've been made fun of by friends and coworkers for always having a flashlight (or 3) on me. I also can't count the times other people (often the same ones joking about it) have been glad that light was available. It amazes me how few people carry such a simple yet useful tool.
While I love all my Surefire lights it was only recently that I bought one small enough to conveniently carry in civilian clothes. I researched Surefire's smaller models and found they recently released the E1B. I was sold on it quickly by the newly designed clip (see picture caption to the right), LED runtime and smooth finish.
The switch in the tailcap offers a few settings. It can be used as a momentary on/off switch be pressing it until the light comes on or a constant on/off by pressing the switch farther until it clicks into place. Pressing the switch once using either mode will acivate the light at 80 lumens. If you release the switch and press it again the light will activate at 5 lumens.
Even at 5 lumens the light is useful at close ranges like finding a keyhole. The 80 lumen mode will light up a room nicely. I find this light to be a perfect balance of size and output. It fits nicely in the hand and pocket. Surefire's new smooth finish on this light is much easier on clothing. While you do lose some purchase on the light it is a fair trade-off.
Just a few days ago I bought
Surefire's E1e model, their smallest one. I like this little light as well. You save about 1/2 inch in length over the E1b but it's not worth it for the loss of output. The E1e uses an incandescent lamp with 15 lumens of ouput. I got a good deal on the light or I would not have bought it. I'll use it as a backup in uniform.
The only complaint I can find with the E1B is also one of my favorite features; the clip. I love that it's reversible without removing it from the light. The issue I have, as you can see in the photo, is that the metal on the clip doesn't make contact with the body of the light or the clip itself once it's folded over. This means that if you are wearing pants with a thin material it's only gravity holding the light down. The clip will have no grip on the material. When I where khakis and pull something out of the pocket the light comes out too. While other Surefire lights have clips that are too tight this one is a little to loose in gripping power unless the pants are denim or another heavy material.
I do prefer the color of incandescent light to LED. It feels more natural and renders objects more life-like. However, the LED and E1B are a great setup for a general purpose light that's convenient to have on you always.
You get what you pay for and flashlights are no exception. Surefire lights are expensive but every time I use one I remember this phrase and know I got my money's worth.
This page was last modified on 26 Mar 2009 21:34