🔬 Muyshondt Flieger

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Austin-based Muyshondt is a high-end artisanal flashlight manufacturer with a bit of a bad boy reputation in the flashlight scene... Yes, there is a flashlight scene spread across a handful of forums and sub-reddits. Originally making a splash with extremely high-end custom design circuit boards and beautiful, premium housings for their flashlights, they have, in recent years, started to take some flack amidst allegations that they are not making everything locally as claimed and instead using cheaper Chinese parts and labor for their manufacturing. While the Made-in-America purists cast aspersions at Muyshondt, their defenders point to the impeccable build quality and excellent quality of light put out by the "electric torches" that Muyshondt offers.

I have to admit to having something of a flashlight problem. Once or twice a year, usually as the days get shorter, I find myself going down the rabbit holes for the latest and greatest flashlight to add to my collection for our evening star walks. Years back, I became obsessed with the Muyshondt Flieger and pined for it for ages before picking one up on the second hand market two to three years ago. I must say it is one of the most beautiful objects I own. But is it worth the nearly $700 price tag for a new one? And is the quality really as unmatched as their marketing would suggest? Let's step into the lab and find out.

The Flieger

Although extremely pocketable and svelte, The Flieger is the largest and most powerful flashlight in the Muyshondt lineup. It features what they describe as a "monocoque" form cut from a solid chunk of titanium or aluminum bronze, depending on the model you order. There is no pocket clip, switch or button on the side, just a satisfying click button on the bottom. It's effectively a long, seamless tube of titanium that sprays out a whole bunch of focused light… like a bauhaus version of a lightsaber. It's gorgeous and I love it.

Muyshondt is weirdly secretive about the specs on the Flieger, which can be seen either as part of the brand's mystique, or evasiveness, depending on who you ask. That said, we do know it takes big boy, button-topped rechargeable 18650 lithium ion cell batteries— Muyshondt sells their own branded ones, naturally. We also know that it has gold-plated internal circuitry, and double o-ring seals to help minimize corrosion. In addition, Iit has a sapphire crystal lens, making it very, very difficult to scratch or break. The button/switch on the bottom of the light is made of titanium and is a reverse-clicky type, letting you easily soft tap through 5 different output levels.

It's the output where we start to get into the mysteries. Muyshondt does not publish neither what emitter they are using, nor what output you can expect to get from it. Independent testing by others—who are way more into flashlights than I—have found that the five output levels seem to be: <1 lumen, 35 lumens, 150 lumens, 675 lumens, and 850 lumens, which is a fantastic range. The <1 lumen is perfect for looking for something in a tent at night without disturbing others' sleep, while the top output will let you easily spotlight an owl in a tree across an open field. Not only is the amount of light excellent, it is very high quality—the nerds have measured it to be consistently 90+ CRI, a measure of how accurately it replicates the colors you would see in direct sunlight.

OK, so it's beautiful, kicks out a ton of really nice light, and can easily be passed down for multiple generations. What's the catch?

The Catch

The price tag. At present, they are only selling the Titanium model which costs an eye-watering $695. I am a huge flashlight nerd and still find this to be an absurd amount. I managed to pick up a second hand aluminum bronze model a few years back for about $350, which is still a ton of money. Are there other flashlights that cost more? Yes. Are there other flashlights that shine brighter and with higher CRI than the Flieger for way less money? Absolutely yes.

So, what are we buying here? A case can certainly be made that you are buying an heirloom piece. It's nearly indestructible, looks like a piece of art, and performs incredibly well. You're investing in something that just makes you feel happy when you see it on the shelf, and maybe inspires you to go out on adventures to justify owning it.

On the other hand, there are many who say what you are buying is marketing. Muyshondt have done an excellent job positioning themselves as a premium brand, but their evasiveness on what emitter they're using, where it is sourced from, and so on, has led many to suggest they are using the exact same components you can find in other flashlights for a fraction of the price.

I, for one, love mine and am thrilled to have reached the Summer Solstice, knowing that the impending shorter days and longer nights will bring plenty of opportunities to put it to use on our Fall and Winter star walks. I have major reservations about recommending anyone spend the money on one unless they're really into flashlights and can find one second hand, but I have no reservations about letting this device out of the lab. It's a joy—pure and simple.