Flashlights and utility knives belong on the same page of the camping adventure playbook. And the folks over at NITECORE must have looked at the two and thought, “Why not combine them?” Not only did the flashlight maker combine a flashlight with a utility knife, but it also imbued the resulting gadget with three more functions, making it a true survival tool. Folks, meet the NITECORE UTL19 5-in-1 Utility Tool and Light.
The first product in the all-new UTL (Utility Tool & Light) series, it boasts five functions: cutting, lighting, detection, pointing, and emergency use.
At its heart is a replaceable utility blade, accompanied by three light sources: white light, UV light, and a green laser. The white light uses NITECORE’s M515S LED and offers three beam patterns: spotlight, floodlight, and mixed light. Depending on what you’re doing, you can switch between illuminating a distant object and lighting up a wider area.
And this isn’t some feeble little flashlight, either. It pumps out up to 1,800 lumens with a maximum throw of 220 m (722 feet).
The UV light, meanwhile, delivers up to 1,350 mW for tasks such as detecting leaks, checking documents, and inspecting surfaces. There’s also a green laser with three power levels for pointing out objects or locations.
For emergencies, the UTL19 features a stainless steel strike bezel fitted with high-hardness silicon nitride ceramic tips designed for breaking glass. The utility blade has its own slider and locking mechanism, separate from the lighting controls.
Power comes from a built-in 1,500 mAh lithium-ion battery, promising up to 270 hours of runtime. Mind you, that’s at the lowest 1-lumen setting. At the maximum 1,800 lumens, you’re looking at a rated 1 hour and 15 minutes. Charging is handled through USB-C, with a full recharge taking approximately 75 minutes.
Despite packing all that functionality, the UTL19 measures just 129 × 39 × 27 mm (5.08 × 1.54 × 1.06 inches) and weighs 148 g (5.22 oz). Its aerospace-grade aluminum alloy and stainless steel construction also comes with an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating and 1 m (3.3 feet) impact resistance. Oh, yes, like the EDC27, it has an unusual, slim, flat, rectangular form factor for a flashlight with an elongated, utilitarian design.
Other thoughtful touches include a stainless steel pocket clip, battery-level indicators, and glow locators that make the tool easier to find in the dark.
The NITECORE UTL19 certainly makes a compelling case for carrying fewer individual tools. Whether you’re camping, working on equipment, or simply opening yet another package that arrived in the mail, it’s nice having a blade and several lighting options in one pocket-sized gadget.
NITECORE has listed the UTL19 on its official website, but pricing and availability have yet to be announced.
Images: NITECORE.
