Blackjack Edge2 task lamp features thin profile using a rectangular LED light engine
Blackjack Lighting, founded by noted designer Stephen Blackman, has announced the Edge2 task or desk lamp that Blackman designed using a planar LED light engine that enables a sleek look. The name Edge2 refers to the fact that the lamp can be placed on the edge of a work surface adjacent to a wall, because the mechanical design does not use the traditional counterweight to balance the position after an adjustment, relying instead on a friction stop.
The stylish lamp seeks to solve the common problem of not enough space on a desk or work surface. The base measures 8×4.5 inches and can be located anywhere on the work surface, including directly adjacent to a wall. The friction stop allows a user to adjust the height of the lamp head with a gentle touch yet the lamp head remains in the desired spot without a counterbalance.
The lamp pivots and the angle and height of the head rely on mechanical movements at the top and bottom of the lamp neck that can keep the thin head parallel to the work surface. Blackjack plans to sell the lamps for $225, initially through Illuminating Experiences.
Blackman said that the lamp uses chip-on-board (COB) LED technology, although that term is a bit ambiguous. Some LED manufacturers use the term COB to refer to component packages that integrate a number of individual LED chips in a circular emitting area, all of which are covered in a phosphor slurry.
The Edge2 lamp uses a rectangular light engine with a light emitting surface that measures 8.5×99 mm but that likely uses individual phosphor-converted white LEDs mounted on a thermally-efficient circuit board. Blackman said that the optical design combines the light engine and a perimeter reflector that implements a 66° shielding angle that prevents discomfort glare — the reflector prevents light from being directly shone into a user's eyes.
The lamp delivers 630 lm at full brightness. The dimmable design includes a three-position switch that has high, low, and off states. The color temperature is 4000K with a CRI of 85, and the lamp features an efficacy of 75 lm/W.
The Edge2 is one of several recent products that Blackman has announced with the launch of Blackjack. In May the company showed an innovative OLED table lamp that will be priced near $6000; of course that price is driven by the cost of the relatively immature OLED sources.
