I just had a fascinating phone conversation with a sales rep from Battery Junction (batteryjunction.com), and I wanted to tell you everything he and I discussed. By the way, this young man is a former battery specialist for the US military, and he clearly knows everything there is to know about batteries.
The Olight ORB-186S35 18650 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery 3500 mAh 3.6v 12.6Wh 10A battery that can power the Lyma Laser is still in production. Battery Junction now has 78 of these batteries in stock and they have definitely not been discontinued. These batteries are used to power high drain flashlights, and they're very popular.
The shelf life of the battery (measured from the manufacture date, and assuming that the battery has never been used) is approximately ten years. Once you start using the battery, the shelf life starts to drop.
Because lithium batteries are combustible, they cannot be shipped by air and must travel by ground transportation. The only exception would be if you were ordering thousands of batteries and they would have to be specially packed. Otherwise, it is be illegal to transport lithium ion batteries using anything other than ground transportation.
If you order these batteries, you can store them unopened in their package. But if you use the battery you must fully charge it before you store it, otherwise you will shorten the expected life and performance of the battery. This applies to both the replacement batteries and to the original battery that came with the Lyma Laser device.
Lithium batteries can be stored in their charger, but the charge must be unplugged from the electrical socket. Never subject your lithium battery to temperature extremes because doing so can start a fire.
If you think the users of the Lyma Laser are over a barrel when it comes to batteries for our device, consider the poor owners of Elon Musk's Tesla cars. These cars are powered by a set of fourteen hundred 18650 batteries -- not the identical batteries used in the Lyma Laser, but very close. The lowest price Tesla is $35,000. But if something goes wrong with the set of batteries, Tesla won't sell you a new one. You'll have to scrounge around for a new set of 1,400 batteries, and that will cost far more than the $35,000 you paid for the car.
If you live in the US, Mexico, or Canada, I encourage you to order your replacement 18650 batteries from Battery Junction. But everyone can and should take a look at the website's Guide to Battery Care and Upkeep.
www.batteryjunction.com/battery-guide.html