limited production :: hand crafted :: high performance :: rechargeable :: premium flashlights

This is my blog about creating a startup LED flashlight business. I'm a designer, fabricator, and strategist and I'm passionate about making ideas real. I believe that products are about people, that they should be built to last, deliver real value, and that we need to do a better job than we have in the recent past.

Most of my career has been contract or freelance work and I've crafted products and strategies for both big international companies and startups. I also used to work in the "industry" fabricating special effects for film and TV, along with the occasional hot rod. Bottom line, I love making things.

I'm starting this blog so you can follow along, from day one, and see what it's like to start a business, or fail in the process. Only time will tell, but I hope you find this interesting enough to stay tuned, comment, link, like, tweet, and (most importantly) participate in turning this idea into something tangible and valuable.

For a good place to get started with general info about who, what, why, etc., check out the "Stickies" on the left side of the page. Thanks for stopping by and please don't hesitate to ask questions and get involved!

Please sign up for my email list to get updates and notifications for contests and giveaways!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Kickstarter Collaboration With Scout Leather Co. !

Hi Folks,

I'm super excited to announce my first Kickstarter collaboration!

Joe over at Scout Leather Co. is launching a Kickstarter for his Scout Hook: a Keychain pocket hook and bottle opener.


In conjunction with his project, I'll be offering an exclusive (co-branded) Brass Beta-QR Keychain Flashlight: Nichia 219 High CRI LED, 3 mode driver (1/15/85 lumens) & new improved Quick Release v2. This will be available as its own Kickstarter reward tier or combined as a set with the Scout Hook.

The Scout Hook is live right now (link) !

I've been using one of Joe's hooks for almost six months. In fact, the very first prototypes came out of my shop! He has continued to iterate and refine the design. It's good. It's the kind of good that you get from putting six months into something that is relatively simple. Most of the effort will be 99% invisible to you, and that means the job is well done.


I can say, with a full measure of confidence, that this little piece of brass is indispensable. I never realized how incredibly annoying my keychain was, until I put this on and "annoying" vanished. I literally have less stress in my life.

My normal carry is hooked through a rear belt loop and stuffed in my back pocket to keep them quiet. My keys are now silent, out of the way, and readily accessible. Isn't that the way keys should be? It's totally different than just putting your key in your back pocket. If you do that, you end up with a big lump that jabs you in the butt every time you sit down. The pocket hook keeps the keys from "clumping" and they ride high in the pocket so you don't sit on everything. If I just need a quick hook they can dangle from the side, or even inside your waistband if you find yourself without pockets or belt loops. Day at the beach anyone?

Ladies, this one is for you. Hook your keys on the inside pocket of your purse instead of throwing them in the bottom with everything else. Your wish has been granted. I'm sure I don't need to explain this in detail, right? :)


Here is the tricky part though...it's also a bottle opener...whaaaaaa? I'll guarantee you didn't notice that up front, and that's the pure genius of the concept. You have no idea how hard it was to actually get this working perfectly. We spent hours trying to getting this dialed in, and it's dialed. Okay, it might take a couple of trials to get your feel dialed in because the shape is a little different, but unless you are clumsy like the people on infomercials, you'll be fine.

I don't need a bottle opener very often, but it's a nice thing to have on hand. However, since I don't need it everyday, I want it to disappear when not in use. You know, stealth mode. I think that's clever, elegant, and says "tasteful and prepared professional" rather than "have opener, will party if you got beer." I must be getting old. Speaking of which, why are you still reading this? Click the link above!

Friday, September 5, 2014

Auction: Last hours for anodized Ti pens!

Hey folks,

Just a friendly reminder that only a few hours remain on the titanium Alpha pen auction!

Most of the pens are well under the standard retail price of $240.

Remember, these are all one-of-a-kind! Thanks for your support.

Click here to visit the auction! 

Jason


Monday, September 1, 2014

Alpha Pen Auction List CORRECTION

Apparently this is not my week for error free internet use.

A customer has brought to my attention the fact that the numbered list in my first blog post does not match the numbered list on Ebay. For example, #1 on the blog does not equal #1 on Ebay.

This could cause you to make a mistake if you looked at the blog (or email) and said, "I like #5" and then went to Ebay to bid on #5 without looking closely to see if the photos matched. 

So below you'll find my corrected list that matches the Ebay listings.

Please note, nothing on Ebay has changed, only the order of the photos below. 

Very sorry about the error and the recent number of emails! Hoping for smooth sailing here on out.

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Here is the link to my Ebay store
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Number 1 of 10
Number 2 of 10
Number 3 of 10
Number 4 of 10
Number 5 of 10
Number 6 of 10
Number 7 of 10
Number 8 of 10
Number 9 of 10
Number 10 of 10

Need a Prometheus Logo Shirt + Giveaway Contest?

Every once in a while I have someone ask about a logo shirt. I get mine from Zazzle, so I finally figured out how to set it up so anyone can order a shirt!

Actually, you can have my logo printed on 84 different pieces of clothing. However, I recommend the American Apparel Basic T-Shirt. This will appear as your default option and you can choose from 23 different colors. AA shirts tend to run a size small but are fairly long in the torso, so you won't end up with a belly shirt after washing it a couple of times. I wear an XL and I'm 6 feet and 200 lbs. I really do recommend this over the cheaper Basic T-Shirt option. If you are getting a hoodie or something, you are on your own :)

You'll notice the shirts are expensive...about $25-$30 bucks...and that's because I make a huge amount of money on each sale: $1.50 . One dollar and fifty cents in case you aren't good with numbers :) Bottom line is, it's not cheap to have one (1) shirt custom printed just for you, and that is what Zazzle will do.

Since I'm not (really) making any money on these, please post a photo of yourself (in the shirt duh) on my Facebook page! When Christmas rolls around, the owner of the photo I like "the most" will get a Lambda Top as a Christmas present!