a counteruniformitariansism weblog

12.22.2005

Buck Lumina LED knife
From The Seattle Times: LED technology is simple to apply, but are all the possible applications practical? We looked at the Buck Lumina knife with this question in mind, since at first glance, the Lumina seems like a little more than a marketing gimmick. After all, it's simply a folding knife with an LED light that shines along the blade. Turns out, it's not just marketing. When I had to make an emergency repair to a piece of gear during a hike after dark, I realized how advantageous it is to have a light right on your cutting edge. Trying to do delicate trim work on a small but vital pack component under the gently bobbing light of a headlamp proved tricky. Using the Lumina, though, I was able to keep the light spotted on where I needed it — at the blade edge. The LED beam runs along the 3-inch blade and projects a few inches out in front of the tip, so your entire cutting area is illuminated. As a bonus, when the blade is closed, you have a handy little camp light for limited uses. The Lumina sells for $55 and sports a high-quality carbon-steel locking blade. See www.buckknives.com.
Way cool, eh?

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