What is your favorite ThorFire VG10S(need comment and suggestion)?

My biggest problem with the vg10 is the pocket clip should be redesigned so the the flashlight is head down instead of head up. Like the vg15. It needs to be able to tailstand. NW led options. And now reason the driver can’t run at 3.5 amps for turbo. Other lights do it. Eagle eye x6.

It can be changed out. But led options would be nice. Xpl v5-v6, xpl hi, or xml2 in NW. Most people prefer NW LEDs and not cw

Constant current driver without PWM (or at least very high frequency)
Mode order Moon-Low-Med-High
Ability to easily modify - screw in driver retaining ring, not glued LED (many may wish to use light as a host or modify it later)
Also, I really like a very deep knurling, gives a good grip and feel to it

The VG10 is a great light. Especially the one with the Red driver. I would like to see the following changes:

  • Extension tube so 2S 18650 cells can be used.
  • Reverse clickie switch
  • Lit tailcap
  • Tail Standing ability
  • Usable pocket clip. The current clip isn't user friendly.
  • Hidden strobe mode that is available from any mode (including off).

No glue or threadlock anywhere.
No visible PWM on low modes.
No disco modes (or keep them out of the way of the other modes)
Forward clicky.
Low mode around 1-2 Lumen.
Lock out tailcap.
Last mode memory.
Bypass all springs, (only if turbo is high current)

Others will dispute this but my preference for mode spacing:
LO = ~1L
MED = ~60L
HI = ~350L
TURBO = ~1000L

I am really flexible with tint. Just avoid the angry blue and barf green. I can go with the flow… if the consensus is neutral white or pale white I am OK with either. CRI is a non-factor for me. Its nice but if it comes at the expense of Lumens/watt efficiency I will skip it.

Mine tail stands when turned on. Will not tail stand when off.

Dear Thorfire, first and foremost, thank you for reaching out to your customers and to BLF as a whole in asking for what would help your flashlight line sell better and make more repeat customers as well as increasing your customer base at the same time. It is refreshing to have contact with a manufacturer/vendor without it always being about price. Price while very important, is only one facet of building a quality line.

One other theme that seems to be continuous with improvements in the past is Thorfire does not change their manuals and lists them with the old model description on Amazon thus creating mass confusion as to what the customer is going to receive when they place the order. Reading reviews about the old model does nothing for the new customer looking at your improved model. Separate the SKU’s for everyone’s sanity. You will have less returns/complaints this way.

Here’s how to upgrade the VG-10 by simply using parts that Thorfire already produced in making this sister brand Volador.

The scallops on the head are different and the tail cap is better with a switch cover that does not protrude thereby making for excellent tail standing. Also has nice knurling on tail cap and on ring of head.

Internals are the same. I have 2 of these and know a few other members have them and like them as well.

Adding a warmer tint selection is the single biggest improvement you can make to the entire Thorfire brand. Once you make that change, the only thing you will say is “Why didn’t we listen to BLF and do this sooner?”

Personally I would prefer a reverse clicky as it is a pain to change modes once the light is on, maybe include a forward clicky switch with the flashlight as an accessory so the customer can decide which way they want it. Then everyone is happy about that.

Anyway, thanks again and keep on improving!

Keith

My observations are already mentioned above.

Most important to me:

O-ring between lens and bezel (waterproof funtional issue)

Knurled tailcap

NW option

Xp-l or xp-l hi led (or xm-l2 cheaper option)

I would like too a knurled tailcap

A very low (moonlight low) mode

And slso… preferred emitter would be XPL or XPL HI in the brightest flux, pale / neutral white tints around 5000K.

AFAIK, VG10 is marketed as “tactical flashlight” so provided forward clicky is reasonable.

Would be great if Thorfire also sells flashlight parts, everybody will be happier.

Use this version of the VG-10 body Gunmetal VG-10

I have 2 VG-10’s. First one you guys warrantied because it wouldn’t turn on (great customer service! Got it in 3 days from a West coast warehouse) the replacement you supplied I gave away to my bro. Naturally I moded the broken unit, it’s nice with the integrated shelf but the driver doesn’t even sit on the shelf. There is a aluminum spacer that covers about 50% of the driver between the shelf and driver with a glob of paste. I’m not a modding master but would like the driver to make better contact with body for heat transfer.

I heat treated my clip and bezel and it looks much better. Make a black clip with that color above, some contrast would be nice. We see black ano lights with silver clips all day! Please something different.

+1 for gunmetal grey, looks stunning.

To make this great flashlight even better (starting with highest preference first):

  1. NW tint (because there is demand for higher CRI).
  2. XP-L HI or XP-L2 emitter (better throw, brighter than XM-L or XM-L2).
  3. Tailstanding (should be easy to implement, and very useful).
  4. No PWM in lower modes.
  5. Moonlight mode (<= 1 lumen, to preserve night vision).
  6. Mod-friendly (Mostly is already, but don’t glue anything, except maybe the bezel).
  7. UI could be better, but this feature is difficult to satisfy everyone, and not always cheap to implement (and therefore near bottom of list). However, if mod-friendly, user can swap in their own driver with their own preferred UI. Same philosophy can apply to forward/reverse clicky switch.
  8. Reversible pocket clip, so it can point up or down.

Please do NOT change:
Affordability
Quality materials
Removable pocket clip
Removeable tactical ring
Crenelated bezel
Overall shape

Thank you for wanting user input. Always good to see the desire to improve!

+2 for gunmetal… that would be very hard to resist.

XPL HI NW tint

Different pocket clip configuration.

Tint options and that gunmetal is very nice. I have one vg10 and it gets a lot of use bordering on abuse. It’s a robust design and is worthy of further improvements. Great job Thorfire!

Thanks for asking!

4000K to 5000K Neutral White emitter, Hi CRI is better.

No glue! Please!

And I think many BLF members would like to be able to purchase the VG10 as a host.

Agree with Caleb, I’ve bought four of these and only end up using the shell and sometimes the reflector/lens. The VG10 makes a great host for triples, quads, or fully driven single emitters so a host only version would be great.

Regulated driver

5 modes of brightness without blind modes

by passed springs

Personally, I think it’s almost perfect as-is. :slight_smile:

(And anyone who knows me and my incessant bitching about this light or that will tell you that’s quite a high compliment!)

Only thing I’d want is a NW emitter. I’m not at all a fan of CW, but can tolerate it. 4500K would be about perfect, 5000K almost as good. A Nichia option would be Really Nice, too, but I’m fine with a higher-output NW emitter.

Despite what others say/want, I like the protruding boot from the tailswitch. It’s a true tactical switch, and can easily be activated even with thick gloves, vs having to dig your finger into a hole to get at a recessed switch. So I’d propose a “dual-boot” option (ha! get it?). A rounder “protrudier” boot for an easy-access tac-switch, and lower-profile flat boot to allow tailstanding. This way both camps are happy.

Absolutely keep the mode order low→high, ie, F/L/M/H. And NO blinkies, not even “hidden”. Now that I’m hip-deep in lights, I can easily not buy a light that has that annoyance. Ditto for lights that have mode-order high→low.

Mode spacing is just about perfect. Keep it as-is.

Switch appearance and feel is about perfect. Keep it.

Clip? I never use a clip, certainly not for a big-head light. A tubelight, maybe, but not with a big-head light.

Tactical ring? I took it off immediately, but those who like a “cigar grip” and use it for that, sure, keep it optional.

Front bezel? If actual steel to keep the aluminum head from being damaged, absolutely, keep it. It’s a nice touch. Maybe offer it in black for those who don’t like shiny.

Forward-clicky is a must! At least for a tactical light. For a common-as-dirt light, sure, reverse-clickies are all the rage, but if you need a flash’n’dash light, a FC switch is a must!

Point being, you can make the VG10 synonymous with “tactical light” with important features available only on tac-lights, or it can be a “meeeee tooooo!” light just like everything else (and no compelling reason to choose a VG10 over other lights).