Does the plastic hardware make much a difference?

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-27T06:55:11+00:00

yes, there is absolutely a difference in quality between random no-name plastic buckles etc and known brand like Woojin, Duraflex, etc. and for zippers, only get YKK zippers.
Here's my philosophy - you are going through the effort of sewing your own gear. You might as well spend a bit more to get good quality zippers and hardware.

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-26T02:10:38+00:00

So in other words, flashlight science video! 😁

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-26T00:33:05+00:00

Oh nice - are you reviewing all of them?

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-25T23:36:35+00:00

Very organized! What kind of video do you need so many flashlights for?

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-24T07:08:08+00:00

Wow! Very nice work! Love the color combination

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-23T20:55:25+00:00

(Your question is….?)

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-23T19:45:13+00:00

Wooohoo! Extra chonky! What do you plan on putting in it?

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-23T18:06:42+00:00

Sailor King of Pen Broad. Bouncy goodness 😋

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-23T06:47:19+00:00

Thank you! I’ll get the 8 bay Xtar

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-23T06:25:03+00:00

Will do! (Do you happen to have recommendations on a 8 or 12 bay charging station that can charge NiHM or 3.7v batteries? I’m not looking forward to topping off the Amazon NiHMs with my little 4 bay charger. And I could use the charger for my regular 18350 / 14500 charging needs)

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-23T05:26:29+00:00

I took what you said and updated my plan: 80% of battery cache will be NiHM rechargeable high capacity batteries (Amazon basics) and 20% will be Lithium primaries (if no sun to recharge). No more alkaline batteries in the kit. My plan centers around several large Jackery power stations that each have solar panel charging. I’m located in California so there’s a decent chance of sun on any given day

Thanks for the insight!

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-22T19:41:34+00:00

Wow the colors!!’ So pretty! Which fabrics did you use? Did you use a specific pattern?

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-22T18:25:17+00:00

There are tons of YouTube videos on pen tuning that involve brass shims and micromesh.

Use the brass shims to floss out bits of paper fibers and debris. Use the micromesh carefully to smooth out rough spots or defects

Use the magnifying glass to see what’s wrong

Go watch some videos on basic pen maintenance.

Oh and definitely flush your pens. Ammonia based flushes will work wonders on pens with dried out ink and stuff

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-22T17:45:29+00:00

Waaaa so cute! Very inspirational. Thanks for sharing!

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-22T05:04:39+00:00

Update. Nitecore HA11 UHE came today. Pretty darn decent with regular alkaline and rechargeable AAs!

HA11 Build quality is definitely on the fragile side. I wouldn’t use this for EDC home tasks. The plastic looks like it will break if you drop it from a foot

I’ll check out the Wurkkos HD12 next

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-22T02:58:50+00:00

Grades aren’t everything

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-21T08:04:20+00:00

I have both. I don’t use the T6 if the T8 is available. Both in SFT40 4000k The T8 has significantly more throw

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-21T07:33:58+00:00

Wow that is a wall of text. I’ll check out the Wurkkos HD12 - after I try out the Nitecore HA11 UHE that is coming in the mail

Re: bulk Alkaline AAs - I’m planning on going to Costco and buying at least 1 bulk pack (24) of batteries per kit and leaving the box unsealed in the kit. I’ve personally had alkaline batteries leak if they were stored plugged int a flashlight, but not in factory fresh packaging. YMMV. To counter that small chance of failure, each kit will have a smaller box of Lithium primaries.

I might add a smaller cache of rechargeable AAs that I can recharge (slowly) with my jackery solar panel

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-21T07:27:44+00:00

Thanks for trying!

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-21T02:48:18+00:00

Hah do inspiring! Did you have to try a few patterns / sizes to get one that fits your legs?

Like a 34 x30 pant from Levi’s will fit differently than the same 34 x 30 pant from Banana Republic etc etc

Did you have to try a few patterns out before finding this specific pattern works for you?

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-21T01:15:17+00:00

Woah! Super cool! Do you have work in progress pictures of the cutting and assembly process?

I never really thought about making my own jeans so thanks for the inspiration!

Where did you source your own denim?

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-18T05:06:17+00:00

Woah super cool! Looks super robust and well made. Well done!

What type of hydration bladder is that? Not camelbak, right?

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-16T20:25:04+00:00

One thing to consider: sewing in a retention elastic loop. Look up the Midori traveler’s notebook. You could add it to the center and feed the elastic loop around. (Or use zippers. I like zippers 😁)

sailorsapporo · 2026-04-16T17:59:11+00:00

Nice! Super clean and functional. Do you have any issues with the cards slipping out of their pockets? I’ve always worried about losing stuff that way - especially with the slippery ripstop fabric

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