Hall of Fame 2024
Well, as we get into the fourth year of Hall of Fame additions, the flow has decidedly slowed down. I am really struggling to think of stuff that is both universally good and proven over time. The options are enormous, but the criteria are punishingly tough. I think the TRM N2 belongs in the Hall of Fame, but it hasn’t been around long enough (I have official implemented a 5 year waiting period between release and admission). But the BOSS 35 has. And of course there are upgrades and alternatives, but the original aluminum bodied version still kills it for me. And so it is in. If this were the Baseball HOF it would be in with like 99.6% of the vote, making it something like Derek Jeter’s very uncontroversial selection (he got in with 99.7% of votes, the highest ever other than Mariano Rivera’s unanimous selection; notably he failed to get ONE vote from some anonymous voter…what an asshole and I say that as a Red Sox fan). The other addition this year is another flashlight—the 47s Mini Turbo Mk. III. Let’s see why they were selected. Notably both are still readily available as of the writing of this post.
Oveready Torch Lab BOSS 35 (Review)
One light to rule them all? Yes. This one. Even the base model, which I have and is now approaching 8 years old, is incredible. A flashlight being the pinnacle of the market for 8 years is like the McLaren F1’s record of being the fastest car—it lasted an unprecedently long time. Tech is not supposed to do, but when you have a perfectly designed body tube and a ton of flexibility in an emitter, you get a rule-breaking great light. You won’t find better unless you spend more than $1,000 and it is not that much better. In a practical sense, this light is small enough to carry easily, but big enough to handle every task. For a rear clicky, only the new CWF Peanut is appreciably smaller.
47s Mini Turbo Mk. III (Review)
Another light? Yeah, this one deserves it too. This is, by a wide margin, my most often carried light. I love the compact size and surprisingly long throw. If Spyderco’s “little big knife” design philosophy was made into a flashlight, it would be this one. Its no longer the brightest light on the market for its size, but its robust built and sterling optic design make it a light that does enough that lumens don’t matter. If I am in jeans, this is likely in my pocket—its that good. If you don’t have one, you really should snag one. I own three—two Turbos (Ti and non Ti; and one non Ti regular Mk. III). The Ti version is currently available and is the best of the three.
This years admissions remind me of the 1938 HOF admissions (Grover Cleveland Alexander, Henry Chadwick, and Alexander Cartwright; only GCA was a player)—very small and very focused. Both non-players were admitted by the Centennial Commission for their work on the rules of early baseball and promotion of the game. Interestingly, in the voting that year Rogers Hornsby was eligible but lost 8% of his vote from 1937. Wonder who he pissed off in the press the year before?
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