The EKO Kickstarter is finally 100% shipped!

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This is a little fixture I laser cut to hold the key blanks for engraving. Ended up making about 750 of these for the campaign. That was A LOT of hand work filing, sanding, and grinding. Not looking forward to the next batch. 

Jason

Follow me on Instagram?

Hey folks,

I'm sure you can tell my blog momentum has fallen to about zero. Sorry about that! I like to post general musings and goings on, but I've been soooo busy I just haven't been able to find the time. Of course I find time to post things like my latest Kickstarter campaign, and then I beat myself up because the blog starts feeling way too commercial. My story is about the journey as much (or more than) what is for sale at the moment. At least that's my hope.

As a result, I've started using Instagram a lot. It's a super easy way to let people know what I'm working on "right now" and that works well for me. So, two things:

1. Please follow me on Instagram: @prometheuslights
2. I'm going to be pushing some of my Instagram content to the blog for those of you that can't/don't want to follow me on Instagram. 

Trying out some new aluminum-specific carbide inserts.

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That's a pretty awesome mirror finish right? I've been wanting to try these polished inserts forever and I finally found a good (great) deal on a box of them on eBay and had to pull the trigger. Turns out they work really well on stainless and titanium too...as long as you don't care about tool life. The sharp edge is really fragile and breaks down quickly under tough cutting conditions.

Jason

Awesome Kickstarter Wallet: Ending Soon (not mine)

Hi all,

Sometimes I like to share cool things from other makers. Jens Anso is a very famous knife maker from Denmark. As expected, his work is clean and elegant. At auction, his knives go for thousands of dollars. If you want to buy one, expect to fork over a lof of money on the secondary market, or wait...and wait (don't forget to wait). He's also designed knives for two of the largest knife manufacturers on earth, Spyderco and Boker. I'm impressed. Like me, Jens likes to dabble in other things as well.

I'd like to introduce you to his new titanium & carbon fiber credit card holder, which is currently live on Kickstarter and ending in 4 days on February 20th. (link to the KS campaign and video)! 

I know Jens from the "makerverse" because we like to make things and there aren't that many of us doing unique work with an obsessive focus on quality. Notice my Alpha pen in the photo above? This cool credit card holder is (of course) made from titanium on the front, carbon fiber on the back, and holds 1-6 credit cards. The colored inserts are made from "G10" which is a reinforced fiberglass composite commonly used to make knife handles. I'd personally use it as a business card holder and impress the pants off anyone I give my card to.

Ah but where is it made? Jens makes most of his knives in his own shop, but this project is being contracted out to the same US company that waterjets all of my pocket clips. See, small world. In case you missed the first link to the Kickstarter campaign, here it is again! Even if you aren't interested yourself, please forward this on to someone that might. Us makers live by word of mouth. if you don't spread the word, we don't eat, so just take a second and click your mouse on one of those share buttons :)

If you want to check out his knife work, here is the link for his website and a photo below to wet your whistle. This is my favorite, and of course a one-off. I like how it arches its back like an angry shark when it's open. Sadly, I don't own it. Probably couldn't afford it either :)

Cheers,

Jason

Six Holiday Special Projects!

Hey Folks,

I've been working like a mad man the last few months to get these special projects out. 5 to be precise. Details and photos further down in this post. Purchase links in the bullet list immediately below.

Please note: the special editions are first come first serve. Previews are available through the links below, but you will not be able to purchase until 5PM Pacific time on Dec 1st. Tomorrow you should "refresh" your browser when you visit the product page, or you might see an old cached version that does not have the "buy now" buttons. 

AVAILABLE NOW!

• The "Epsilon EKO" (Emergency Key Opener) for boxes and bottles  in 6/4 Titanium
• The "Kappa Keychain Quick Release" based on the mechanism for the new Beta QRv2 that I launched  a couple months ago. 
• The Beta QRv2 Pocket Clip! This is NOT backwards compatible with the original Beta QR. 

AVAILABLE MONDAY DECEMBER 1ST @ 5:00PM PACIFIC TIME

• Special Edition Lambda Top: Zirconium (40 pcs) ($175.00)
• Special Edition Lambda Top: Tungsten (15 pcs) ($265.00)
• Special Edition Solid Brass: Alpha Pen (50 pcs) ($275.00)

Further detail and descriptions are available through the links above. I attached photos of each item below, but these can also be found through the links above. 

Cheers and thanks for your support!

Jason

Epsilon EKO

Kappa Keychaan QR

Beta QRv2 Pocket Clip

Zirconium Lambda (40 pcs)

Tungsten Lambda (15 pcs) 

Solid Brass Alpha Pen (50 pcs) 

Temporarily Discontinuing the Blue-Label Program

I'm introducing a customizable version of the Ready-Made in 2015, called simply the "Alpha Custom." It will have the exact same components & options as a Blue-Label, but built into a Ready-Made shell. These will be sold in "runs" just like the Blue-Label lights have been. If you want to get on the wait list please sign up here. This list is NOT the same as the general mailing list. I also haven't had time to change the verbiage on the signup page to reflect the discontinuation of the Blue-Label program...so don't let that confuse you :) 

I'd like to spend more time pushing the envelope and less time doing the same thing over and over. I hope temporarily suspending the Blue Label program will give me more time to work on some special edition lights. I've had a carbon fiber light on deck for about 1.5 years but I've never had time to finalize the design and machining. It's almost here and 30 pcs will be available in early 2015. See, it's working already :)    

Right now there are a LOT people on the BL wait-list, and this is one of the main reasons I'm switching over to the Alpha Custom. My hope is that I'll be able to deliver these on a more consistent basis since I don't have to do the machining or spend the (countless) tedious hours on fancy finishes. I know this is going to make some people upset and others really happy, but this is what we've got to work with :) I'm very aware that some of the appeal with Blue-Label lights is the 100% hands on approach and the fancy finishes, but my current workload just doesn't permit me to make those and get anything else done. My humble apologies to everyone who has been waiting a long time to get their hands on a Blue Label. There is only one of me and I'm doing the best that I can. 

Quality-wise, the Ready Made bodies are every bit as good as the Blue Label. In fact, they might be better. They are machined by a guy who has been making chips longer than I've been alive. As a testament to his skill and talent, the Ready-Made shells are plated exactly in the condition they come off the machine. If I put fancy finishes on top of his perfect machining, it would be tantamount to disrespect.

The only real difference between the Blue Label and Alpha Custom (besides appearance) is the thread fit. I make the Blue Label threads to the tightest tolerance in the industry, which is more about showing off than performance. My personal light (that I carry everyday) is a Ready Made "because it's everything you need and nothing you don't." I stole that line from Nissan. I firmly believe that the Alpha Custom will fully represent my intention to build the best flashlights on earth. These will be serialized as Blue-Label lights, come with an individual report card, and be eligible for the "lifetime upgrade program" where you can upgrade your light to the most current version (if possible) for a reduced cost. 

2015 Ready Made Price Increase

Ready-Made lights will be going up in price in 2015. The current base price is $229 but next year it will be $255...so now is the time to jump on a Ready Made! I like to keep pricing as reasonable as possible while making it worth my time to actually produce. Everything has become more expensive over the last 18 months and it's time to make an adjustment. The machining cost alone has jumped 15% in the last year. If you want to take advantage of the 2014 pricing just follow this link :)