I am sometimes asked “what’s the difference between the versions of the Ray Gun Bead?” There are currently three different models or design variants and two materials.
Variants:
- Mk.I – Smooth muzzle crown with a dimpled base
- Mk.II – Smooth muzzle crown with a fluted/finned base
- Mk.III – Fluted muzzle with a fluted/finned base
Folks tend to see the Mk.I as the most “vintage” or retro style. I think I tend to agree. It’s the first one I designed and it says Buck Rogers to me all the way. The Mk.II seems to have the broadest appeal. I have more people say they love the Mk.II than any other variant. The Mk.III is the most modern of the designs and many people love the additional detail of the fluted muzzle.
Materials:
The Ray Gun is currently available in Titanium and Copper. Both are favorites of the EDC community. The Ti version is quite lightweight due both to the design and the material itself. It looks good plain, polished and many are quite fond of the blasted. It’s a natural fit with most tactical knives and other gear. As you can see below, the titanium can be anodized and there are lots of possibilities. Copper is soft and will get beat up and dinged as you carry it but that’s part of the charm of copper for sure. It will also take a nice patina over time. The blasted version patinas most quickly since more surface area is exposed when the material is blasted. They look really nice with both natural patina and forced patina.
The Ray Gun is currently available in Titanium and Copper. Both are favorites of the EDC community. The Ti version is quite lightweight due both to the design and the material itself. It looks good plain, polished and many are quite fond of the blasted. It’s a natural fit with most tactical knives and other gear. As you can see below, the titanium can be anodized and there are lots of possibilities. Copper is soft and will get beat up and dinged as you carry it but that’s part of the charm of copper for sure. It will also take a nice patina over time. The blasted version patinas most quickly since more surface area is exposed when the material is blasted. They look really nice with both natural patina and forced patina.
Hope that helps explain the differences. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and while I’m not sure I hit that number with this post, the picture will help tell the rest of the story.
