McGizmo Haiku: The Benchmark of Custom Torches (In-Depth Review)
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- The McGizmo Haiku is of grail-like status in the flashlight world and for very good reason. Like most of you, when I first got into custom flashlights I always wanted one, but could never justify plonking down almost $500 for a flashlight. I also looked online at a lot of reviews, but didn't see many video ones, so I thought I'd bring my thoughts to the table on this flashlight.
I have a lot more text-based reviews too. You can find them on my site:
www.precogvision.wordpress.com. I look forward to expanding the channel with more videos in the near future.
So thanks for watching my first video! If you’ve got any questions, reply below and I’ll do my best to get back to you. While you’re at it, if you like what you’re watching, why not subscribe? It really helps the channel out.
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Recorded with an iPhone 6S.
Edited on an iPad Pro 10.5”.
Programs used: Procreate, Affinity Photo, LumaFusion
Great review. I found this very informative. This was my first custom and I agree this is one of the best machined lights. Thinking of getting a Sundrop in the near future
Thanks Dino! Love your pics man. Definitely a worthy purchase ;)
@Precogvision- I completely get what you're saying I relate smart phone price to knives all the time. Whenever I buy a CRK, Hinderer, Strider or anything high end that's made out of durable high end material that's going to outlast me and my kids it's always worth the $ usually. The longest I had a smart phone last me was 5 years and still works to this day but I just wanted to upgrade.
I am about to purchase one, do you still believe this is one of the best in the EDC world? Do you believe it will continue to be a classic and a grail 10 years from now?
Great channel great content, your knowledge is impressive and thank you in advance
I enjoyed your review. Thank you. Some of the comments have been unnecessarily critical in my opinion. As for the Haiku, I'm a full blown flashaholic. I have some very expensive torches, but I just don't understand this one. What I see is a less robust version of a Malkoff MDC wearing a pretty dress. At this price point, there are options that are tougher, which I appreciate, and/or brighter, if you like, while presenting a clean beam without artifacts. Oh, and they look good, too. Heck, you've got a BOSS. Does that not obsolete the Haiku?
Thanks man! I’ve had a couple MDCs as well. They are definitely built like tanks. IMHO the Haiku and MDC are designed for very different things though. Functionally, the BOSS does supersede the Haiku, but it can’t hold a candle (hehe) to the ‘feeling’ I get when using something like the Haiku. There’s something particularly alluring about titanium in tandem with a finely crafted tool.
Nice review.
Are these still available to order?
If you want to order you should check out the McGizmo subforum on Candlepowerforums. A direct email to Don would get one to your mailbox within a week I'm sure.
Can I run a 16340 in mine?
Yes if you have the cr123 body.
do you still use this flashlight?
No, I ended up selling it a while back. Just not as performance-oriented as I’d like these days
I'm not going to be diving 1000m deep or anything close but that didn't stop me from buying a sea dweller. We can't all be owning Olights, Spydercos and Hamiltons. Not that they're bad but everyone and their dog has one. This is something a little bit more special and thats why everyone wants one even when they say they don't. Same goes for Muyshondt.. Enrique knows how to make a great torch.
nothing wrong with everyone owning an olight. I don't know why some people in the flashlight community think they need to put other people down for not owning an expensive custom flashlight. I know many humble hanko and barrel owners who love and appreciate their lower priced lights such as nitecore, surefire, mk, olight etc... Being a flashlight fanatic doesn't mean you have to own an expensive $500 custom flashlight
To iterate, is not my intention to put anyone down. I own a few Olights myself. Being from the UK - Olight and Fenix as well as others have a precense in the UK and I can take easy advantage of their warranties, without incurring extra costs on shipping long distances. They do their job well and are made to the function of the many kinds of individuals who need them. If you're a collector though I think its safe to assume that its not about buying them for their function. The niche of people that need them (law enforcement, search and rescue etc) is much smaller than the people who simply want them (Collectors) - if you're both then I guess my point is invalid. But you'll still be spending a lot of money on flashlights which you may or may not even change the battery - as opposed to just one. You only really need one but alas, theres no fun in that. But if maybe.. you're approaching a special lifetime event like a graduation, engagement or retirement - I think its pretty fair to want to treat yourself to something really special. A McGizmo could be that special something... especially if you're into gear and flashlights. You only have to look at it to see how cool it is. I bought a Rolex for that very reason. If it weren't for importing fees or fear of it getting lost in transit I certainly would get a McGizmo myself. Enough ramble =) Apologies, didn't mean for my comment to come across the way it did.
This didn’t age well on Okluma 💀
*Watched this very closely... &... waited to see the tail of this light, and what type/where the switch was. After **_all of the fondling you did of this light,_** the switch was not even shown until **5:24** !*
*Yes, I heard, it was your first video, OK. Also, you said that you did not know what it is about this light that makes you like it so much. Well, I think that I do... You paid an excessive amount of money for it, and your subconcious mind knows that and it may be attempting to tell your concious mind how "valuable" it is, so -- therefore, you **_simply have to really like it._*
The switch is a McClicky switch proprietary to the designer of the flashlight, Don McLeish. I thought it to be tacit that this is the best forward clicky on the market: It would seem I was wrong. I neglected to mention it until later in the video because I think that the maker history - as well as the history of the flashlight itself (both of which I covered previous to the switch) - lend credence to the switch's prowess.
To edify the latter half of your comment that I don't "know what it is about this light that makes me like it so much", I actually elucidated upon this rather heavily in the second half of the video. But to reiterate, the Haiku is a luxury item, and it's not for everyone. You're not necessarily paying for functionality, but rather top-grade machining and craftsmanship that will last a lifetime. Certainly not everyone will value these characteristics equally, and that's your prerogative.
@@Precogvision
*With the visible, concentric rings in the beam -- the so-called superlative craftmanship seems to be decidedly more **_visible_** on the the lathe-worked titanium appearance of the instrument than the actual performance of it. That performance would not for be for everyone even at one-quarter the price.*
*For the titanium fans, they can have it. And I agree with the other comment about the battery used for this, too. And the lathe-work looks quite nice, yes. But while titanium makes this a much "harder" metal, i. e.-- more durable, it has no actual bearing on performance. But it sure does raise the price. **_That particular_** cost/benefit ratio, at least on this light here -- is not favorable, imo.*
@@BatheHerWellAndBringHerToMe Well, to each their own. I can certainly respect your opinion and see where you're coming from in that the function/price-point ratio doesn't exactly make waves. Most people in this hobby tend to think of custom torches as functional jewelry, emphasis on the latter.
Relatively speaking, this flashlight is actually quite a good price compared to many other flashlights on the custom market (check out Hanko or Barrel if you want a better idea). Some of these flashlights will easily run you several grand. This segment of the market is akin to the custom knife world and higher-end watches. In the end, I really think it's a matter of perspective and I would be lying if I said I haven't shared your viewpoint at some time or another.
Subtle torch flex, perhaps?
Your review is really well scripted but while your words are planned, you clearly don't account for what you do with your hands so you end up fidgeting with the light, close to the camera, and end up covering most of it with your hand. It's incredibly distracting and hurts the video. Please stop doing this.
Yeah, I can’t do much for that, sorry. I’m in my dorm so I’m extremely limited in terms of angle. I’m filming off of a $5 tripod and my iPhone - broke college student life. If it helps, this was my first video, and some of my more recent videos are a wee bit more zoomed out, but not by much. The lens on an iPhone zooms in slightly for video. The editing software edits at a 16:9 ratio, too, so it zooms in even more. Hopefully this clarifies.
I don’t think my fidgeting is atypical for these types of reviews, and your experience is most nearly attributable to the proximity of the camera as you yourself noted.
Thanks for the constructive criticism nonetheless!
Can’t be a hater. I didn’t get a coupon for the torch as well... oh well.