hi there fish~! welkam2~!
Before other sifus out there give their suggestion, given your budget of 1k ( i hope its RM/MYR because if its USD it would be better for you

), please see my noob suggestion

to your questions. May you be enlightened
1- Good brand
- Surefire is the best. For RM1k, you can get two of their lights which you can use as primary and backup lights. Trust me, you'd need back up.
Fore more choices, visit
Surefire website. Their lights can be purchased in Ace hardware stores. (albeit over priced according to flashaholics here. Its true

)
- Fenix, made in China but never mistaken its quality for its origin. I have one of their lights the TK-11 and its really bright. Do search in Candle Power Forums or just Google it.
2. Quite bright
- Get LED flashlights. You'll never go wrong with LED because its really damn bright. Unless you have specific requirement for using incandesecent (good ol bulb), LED is the way to go.
3. Seems price not an issue because only recently that Surefire announced their flagship Incivtus and Optimus and these can come close to RM1,500 when they release. Other brands - Inova, Fenix, Nitecore and many others, you can get 2 or 3 lights with that budget. Do more research on pricing. And again, Google.
4. TOday's flashlights are generally can be carried in pocket or comes with holster or body clip (like pen). Carrying is not an issue as they also look nice and flashy too
5. Durability, this depends on manufacturer and type of lights. Tactical flashlights normally have certain waterproofing standard. Just to give you a picture, I've submerged my Fenix Tk-11 in a bucket with water one feet deep and switch it on. It works. Google review for Fenix Tk10. There's few good one in Candle Power Forums.
6. Good battery life. This will depend on the product offered by manufacturer. Refer to their tech stat before deciding.
There are two type of lights that used the common type of batteries consumed today, They are:
Lithium CR123 - these are bit expensive but they have shelf life of ten years without leaking. Harder to find in shops. So you might want to carry spares in your bags.
AA - our good old battery for walkman. These comes in alkaline normally and tend to leak. But the plus side, its easy to find in shops and cheaper too.
However, modern flashlight have circuits inside that regulates power of the battery how it really works, well, do your homework. I dont really understand but all i know, no need to take out the battery because the circuit will regulate the power and it wont discharge.
7. Please see answer number 2.
I may not answer your question to choose what flashlight to get but hope can help you narrow down choices that suits your needs.
Reason being of lots of brands out there is to suit different needs of users in the market so you'll have fun choosing the brand and model.
As of getting them, except Surefires which need to be purchased from local distributor, most brands can be purchased online. Do search in LYN threads for flashlight for sale. We have few people selling good stuffs around here.
May the force of lithium and LED be with you my fellow Padawan

Added on July 15, 2008, 11:26 pmTHe nitecore extreme part is interchangeable with surefire e-series?
Intresting. Must do more research

Thanks!
yeah, the Fenix T is not a real thrower but It'll serve well for the price paid.
Those real throwers you mentioned

, well, its gonna burn a big hole in my wallet

. I might get the Lumapower MVP later just for fun.
I'm waiting for the invictus to come out and see how it performs. Pocketable/body clip-able with 400L on max, my, i just cant imagine having one.
I wonder how flashlight technology gonna be in next 5 years. We might have real light sabers.