County Comm is an online tactical/survivalist/EDC gear store that sells government contract overrun products. There are four different models of Embassy Pen: the base aluminum, the stainless steel, the limited edition titanium, and the even more limited edition copper.

All of the pens are identical in that their structures are the same; all are completely solid except for the places where they can't be (mainly inside the cap and in the barrel where the pen cartridge goes). Newer aluminum models, and I believe also SS models, feature a slightly revised design that does not necessitate an o-ring.

There are, of course, differences between the weights of the various models.
The aluminum is the lightest, and weighs in at 40 grams (1.41 oz)
The stainless steel weighs in at 108.4 grams (3.83 oz)
The titanium weighs in at 63.9 grams (2.25 oz)
The copper model is the heaviest, and weighs in at 120 grams (4.23 oz)



The pen was delivered in a neat container, which I understand is a two liter bottle preform. Inside the container, the pen was wrapped in brown paper. After removing the paper I discovered the pen was covered in a very thin layer of viscous goo, not unlike cosmoline. It was easy enough to remove with some Dawn detergent.



This pen is incredibly solid. It is, of course, very heavy in the hand. I also have a solid copper flashlight that I got from County Comm, the Maratac AAA Cu. It came hermetically sealed and was hand polished. When I removed it from its sealed foil pouch it was incredibly polished and smooth and had no tarnish whatsoever. The copper Embassy Pen is a different story. Even covered in the cosmoline goo it already had a bit of tarnish on it. Nothing major; certainly not Statue of Liberty levels. Just barely discolored.



The machining is very good. There are three parts to the pen (excluding the ink cartridge): the cap, the top section, and the bottom section. While the cap screws onto the top section without so much of a wiggle, the is a tiny, tiny bit of creep where the top section and bottom sections screw together. It's absolutely not a problem, and considering that you can just re-tighten the two sections a bit tighter to fix it makes it a non issue.









I've read some complaints about how hard it is to write with the stainless steel model, and since the copper version is even heavier, it should be hell to write with, right?

Wrong.

I mean, considering that my nice Parker Sonnet fountain pen with a fresh cartridge weighs way less than just the cap of the copper Embassy Pen, it writes like a dream (with the right cartridge, more on that later). It's a heavy pen, so if you don't like heavy pens you won't like this. But I find it ever so satisfying writing with heavy instruments. And if you embrace the heft I think you will too. The only thing that took getting used to was the pen's high center of gravity when in the writing position. The ink cartridge only goes down so far, and from the point where it ends to the end of the pen is about an inch. So when you write you can definitely feel that chunk of solid copper swinging above your writing hand.

And speaking of copper, this thing WILL tarnish and DOES smell like pennies. I love the smell of pennies, so it's no problem for me. And as far as the tarnish goes, I'm a huge fan of copper—it's my favorite of all the metals, with titanium and the alloy brass in a close race for second—and I expected the tarnish. No, it won't turn Statue-of-Liberty-green. Nothing copper tarnishes that much when handled on a daily basis. But the oil on your hand and the oxygen in the air will turn it a brownish color. Embrace it and call it beautiful. Works for me.

After a few days of pocket wear and oxidation:





The clip is made of hardened steel and is kept in place by two hex screws. I doubt I'll ever have any problems with this thing coming loose. It's feel as sturdy as it could be.



Another note concerning the copper. Copper is a relatively soft metal, especially compared to the titanium pen. I've read a review of the stainless steel version of this pen, which is harder than copper (though not as hard as titanium), and they complained that through repeated screwing and unscrewing of the cap incited by boredom, the base of the cap has flared out a bit. Knowing this is a possibility, and knowing that copper is much softer than SS, I'm careful when screwing the cap back on. I rarely use force to tighten it, and yet I've yet to have a problem with it unscrewing itself in my pocket, which is where it's been since I got it. I've seen numerous other reports of this happening, but it has simply been a non issue with my pen. Perhaps I'm in the minority, or perhaps it's just because most reviews are on either the aluminum and SS and copper seems to be a lot "stickier: than the other two metals.

Now, about those Fisher refills. The refills are pressurized to 35 PSI with nitrogen, so gravity is not needed for the ink to flow. It can write upside down, at altitudes as high as 12,500 feet, and operate just fine in temperatures ranging from -30 to 250 ˚F. Contrary to popular belief NASA didn't spend millions of dollars creating the Space Pen when Russia just used pencils. The Space Pen was created in the private market. Paul Fisher, presumably the founder of Fisher Pens, created it independent of NASA. But Fisher did approach NASA about its potential uses in space. NASA liked it (as did the Russian cosmonauts, who also ended up using Fisher's pens) and ended up using it in the Apollo missions, and have ever since.

Nowadays there are many different colors of Fisher refills, including black, blue, red, brown, burgundy, turquoise, and silver. With the main colors (black, blue, and red) you have three different thicknesses to choose from: fine, medium, and bold.



But there are things to consider with your refill choice.

All Embassy Pens of any model include a black medium point refill. The medium refill is fine, but it can be, in my experience, a bit skippy and globby. I have experience with three medium refills (black, brown, and turquoise), and all three are less pleasant to write with than the bold and fine pointed refills. The bold versions are smooth writers, but can be globby, and tend to skip, but much less frequently than the medium versions. The fine refills are the smoothest, best writing versions. Whereas writing with the bold point can be unwieldy and muddled at times, the fine point is much more precise. But I can recommend both with confidence, especially if you like bold pens as much as me. But stay away from the mediums if you can.

Overall I highly recommend this pen. It's built like a tank, it's reliable, it's American made, it uses a great refill, and it's a collectible (only 500 were made, each individually numbered). Do your notebooks a favor and pick one of these Embassy Pens up, whether it be the affordable and light aluminum, the heavy stainless steel, the flame anodizing customizable titanium, or the beautiful copper, you won't be disappointed.



You'll especially enjoy it if you're a copperphile like me…

4Sevens Mini AA (R5 Version)

I picked up this light as a sort of project. I intended to use 3.0v lithium primaries (not lithium-ion 14500s), which are fine to use and do not void the warranty (the head on the Mini AA and Mini AA² are the same, so it can handle the extra voltage).





What those fantastic cells do is make this little light pump out an estimated almost 200 out the front lumens. But the brightness is entirely adequate on alkaline and NiMH cells. This light can even be powered by a AAA cell in a pinch—I've even heard of people using AAAs as their main battery and keeping the cell wrapped up with some emergency money so it won't rattle around.

The tail end:



The UI is simple, and blinky modes are hidden (a good thing in my opinion). The modes are properly spaced in terms of output. The light has no memory, so it always starts out on low, which I like.

My example came with a bit of what looks to be glue on the LED dome, and while I can see its mark in the beam when I try to see it, I decided to live with it and not to send it back. But I know that had I opted to have it replaced, 4Sevens would handle the matter quickly and without trouble. They've built a name for themselves as always taking care of their customers.





And here's what it looks like when it's turned on:



The knurling on the side of the light could be a bit more severe, but it's very much adequate.



The other thing that made this light a project was that I wanted to create artificial pocket wear on the anodizing, and from that experience I can say that 4Seven's anodizing job is top notch.





One thing about this light to mention is that it's not current regulated, but is rather regulated by PWM. PWM is my ocular archenemy, but the frequency that 4Sevens uses in their PWM lights is so high that you can't detect it unless you wave it around.

All in all this is a fantastic light that I highly recommend, especially if you're able to find a used warm or neutral tinted model.

Blazer PT–4000

I picked this Blazer PT–4000 up on Amazon for $35. It's marketed by Blazer as only being for "professionals", but I can see it being useful around the house too. I personally got it as a toy.



The body is heat resistant plastic and the business end is made of anodized aluminum (type II by the looks of it). The switch engages nicely and it would be really hard to accidently turn it on in your pocket.



It's ignited by pressing a button on the bottom that creates a spark via the torch's piezoelectric ignition system. No batteries required.



It features a stand near the hot end that's convenient.





The flame is advertised as being adjustable between three-quarters and two inches. In reality an inch is stretching it, I think. It still has plenty of reach. It never fails to light unless there's a bunch of wind.



The flame does blow out easily, though I consider that a safety feature. One thing I don't want is a 2,500˚ F flame being dropped onto the carpet.







My only complaint is that it feels cheaper than I thought it would (although not "Chinese cheap"). The body has some flex if you try and He-Man it around.

Other than that I can definitely recommend this torch, even if just as a toy. It fits in your pocket and is efficient with fuel. Don't know if it will run on high for 30 minutes as advertised, but it's certainly a fuel sipper.

For $35 you can't go wrong.

New reviews coming.

Like I said in my first entry, I never meant for this blog to be updated constantly, but rather created it as a sort of archive of reviews of my various hobbies.

New reviews to come as soon as I can get some pictures taken. Expect the Maratac AAA Cu (solid copper flashlight), Mini Maglite (both incandescent and LED), Taiwanese Lightning OTF knife, Blazer PT-4000 butane torch, and a few others.

Black Cat (5000k Version) Review

The Black Cat is a budget flashlight, powered by either a single AAA cell or a rechargeable lithium ion 10440 cell (which I don't use). You can find these at the two major Hong Kong-based budget sites (Deal Extreme and Kai Domain). There are various models of this light, with cool white, neutral white (called the 5000k, which is what I have), an elusive warm white version (which initially was shipped out as the 5000k version, even though it was much warmer), and various solid color versions. Deal Extreme only has the cool white versions, which means this light came from Kai Domain. The cost was approxamatly $8 ($6 after the partial refund which I'll detail later).

(Leftmost light)



The first you notice about this vibrant red aluminum light (type II anodizing) is its place of origin, which is displayed proudly on the front.



There. You see? It's quality, because it's from Germany. Wait, no, yeah, no… Gemany? Well, if you are quick to notice that then you'll have a pretty good idea of the quality of this light.

I'll talk about the LED before I rip into its flaws.

It has an Osram LED, which is tiny and very bright.





It's not particularly efficient, though. On a fresh NiMH cell it ran dry in around thirty minutes. But one thing it has going for it is its tint. I can't say it exactly nails 5000k, but it comes close. It's slightly cooler than my neutral white 4Sevens Quark RGB (with a neutral white MC-E RGBW LED), and has an ever so slight green tinge to it (similar to the Cree XP-G S2's tint, though not anywhere near as severe). It's definitely pleasing to the eye.



Here's the light compared to the neutral Quark RGB:



And compared to some warmer lights (starting on the left: Black Cat, neutral white Quark RGB, warm white Quark 123² Tactical, incandescent Mini Maglite):



And the big comparison (starting on the left: Superbright 3W, Fenix E01, Olight T20-M (Q5), Quark 123² Turbo (S2), Black Cat, neutral white Quark RGB, warm white Quark 123² Tactical, incandescent Mini Maglite):



And a saturation enhanced version of the same picture:



And here is a comparison with what I consider my most "pure" white light (so far as cool white LEDs are concerned), with the Olight T20-M (Q5) on the left and the Black Cat on the right:



Now on to construction. It seems to be constructed well, but it's not. The rear clicky is very good though, I will say that.



The anodizing seems slightly uneven in places. The reflector is indeed aluminum, and the lens is real glass, not plastic. It seems to disperse heat mediocracy. It does get very hot after a few minutes of use, and that's with a rechargeable AAA. I shudder to think how hot it would get with a li-ion cell.

It is, of course, only a one mode light, which is fine by me.

Now for the critiques.

This light has a perpetual flickering problem. There is a poor contact somewhere, but unfortunately I can't even get the head off the body. They must have Lou Ferrigno at the factory tightening those things, because it won't even budge. I contacted Kai Domain seeking a refund, but also knowing that I wasn't really willing to ship it back to Hong Kong, so I settled for a 20% refund, which they transferred promptly.

This light would be a great little one to keep in the car or kitchen drawer if it didn't have the flickering issue. I really want to like it, but between the flickering, comically short runtime, poor heat dissipation (and the fact that it's from Gemany) I just can't justify recommending it.

But, then again, that is the risk you take when you order from these Hong Kong companies. This is the first time I've been burned by bad product. Your mileage may vary.

4Sevens Quark 123² Tactical (Warm White Q5 Version)

Ah, the wonders of LEDs. When they first made their way to flashlights we were amazed at how bright and efficient they were, and how smooth the beam could be. We loved them, though a distinction quickly grew between the newer hotshot LED lights and the older incandescents: the color of the light produced. We realized that, perhaps through years of incandescent conditioning or even eons of seeing color by the light of the sun, LEDs looked like crap.

Cold, sterile crap.

But here we are in 2011, and partners, it's a new day.

This is the 4Sevens Quark 123² Tactical with a warm white Cree XP-G (Q5).



It features an anodized aluminum (type III) body, sapphire and anti-reflective coated glass lens, forward clicky tail switch, and a wonderfully warm tint.





It's compact, light, and easy to carry as an EDC light.

Max output is rated at around 160 lumens (out the front ratings, not emitter—4Sevens doesn't roll that way), and the lowest low (called the "moonlight" mode) is a smooth 0.15 lumen.

There were two different bins of warm LEDs used in this run of these lights. One was a rosy, reddish-tinged yellow and the other was an orangish yellow. This light is the former.

First, a little bit about LED color.

Most white LEDs are actually blue LEDs with a phosphor coating on top that converts a portion of the blue wavelength light into different colors. The converted wavelengths of light and the portion of the blue light that remains blue comes out and our eyes see white light. The more phosphor you apply to the blue LED, the "warmer" the light appears to our eyes. The drawback: the more phosphor on the LED, the less output it will have.

I can demonstrate the phosphor deposited on the LED by exposing it to UV light.

Under normal sunlight:



Exposed to UV light:



Regular "cool white" LEDs also fluoresce when exposed to UV light, but they usually just turn a sort of light pink color. The warm white LED turns a vibrant dark pink.

XP-G S2 cool white on the right (the light pink of the regular LED doesn't show up in the picture):



Back to the light.

It's a 4Sevens, so it oozes quality. The anodizing is perfect and everything is tight. It features squared threads that will be smoother and last longer. The LED is perfectly centered within the reflector. Regulation is great, and the light is very thrifty with batteries. It uses CR123s (see my SureFire 6P review for instructions on getting them on the cheap).

The light features a forward clicky (momentary on, full click for constant light).

The UI is of 4Sevens' tactical variety. There are two settings that you can save at any given time, and you assign the mode to those two settings: head tightened and head loosened.

To program the light you need to turn it on (full click or hold at half-click) and twist the head from tight to loose (or loose to tight, it doesn't matter; this isn't rocket science) and stop on the position you wish to program (tightened or loosened head). The light will flash several times, then go directly to the moonlight mode. To cycle through the modes you need to turn the light off and then back on.

The order of the modes is:

Moonlight > Low > Medium > High > Turbo > S.O.S. > Strobe > Beacon

Stop on the one you want (if you overshoot it you can go back through them) and wait ten seconds. The light will flash again and your mode will be set.

I keep mine set at moonlight (head loosened) and turbo (head tightened).

The beam quality is superb. This light is not a dedicated thrower, but it can still reach out there. The reflector features an orange peel texture.





The tint compared to the XP-G S2:



Some more tint shots:







This light has become my EDC light, replacing my Olight T20-M.

Critiques:

As with all Quark lights, it's supposed to be current regulated in all modes. This means that it should exhibit any PWM (a cheaper, less efficient way to regulate lower levels) flickering at lower levels.

Well, mine does flicker on several modes. In fact, every one of my 4Sevens lights do on at least one level: this light on levels 2 and 3, my Quark 123² Turbo on level 2, and my Quark RGB on moonlight. It's not really detrimental, but it still irks me since they're all supposed to be fully current regulated, and I suppose they technically are. 4Sevens has explained the flickering as "regulation dithering". I've learned to live with it, but I'd still much prefer all the levels be constant (after all, aside form efficiency gains isn't the point of using current regulation over PWM getting away from that damned high-frequency blinking?)

Other than the dithering I have no other critiques. I highly recommend this light. Unfortunately for consumers who are tint and CRI savvy, 4Sevens only ever releases the neutral and warm white tints as limited editions. The community has suggested that they make them regular players in their otherwise perfect line of lights, but so far it hasn't worked. If you can find one of these awesome lights, snatch it up. They're tough, reliable, bright, efficient, stylish, easy to carry, and have a great warranty and a great company backing it.