ThorFire VG-10S
Disclaimer: I was kindly provided this light at a discount for review by ThorFire. That said, all remarks are my own and I’ve done my best to try and be unbiased.
Introduction: the ThorFire VG-10S is an update on the VG-10, using a single 18650 and XP-L2 with a single switch (tailcap, reverse clicky). The styling is smooth and rugged, featuring a few crenelations on the stainless steel bezel. It lacks knurling, which makes it less grippy, but a bit more sleek looking than many flashlights. It seems solid and is a nice size - pretty close to a Convoy M1. You likely won’t be slipping this into your pants pocket, but it will easily fit into a jacket pocket.
LED Tint: I’m not great in saying exactly where a LED falls in the tint range, but I’d say this one is on the cool side of neutral, perhaps around 5700K. The hotspot has a hint of blue. But I must say, for being an XP-L2, the tint shift is very minimal - especially compared to similar lights. Overall, I’m pretty please with the tint, especially considering that this is an XP-L2.
Beam Pattern: if you’ve had a light in this size range, you know what to expect: a moderate sized hotspot surrounded by big spill. This would be fitting for scanning the backyard, walking the dog, etc. It’s a nice in-between kinda size.
Modes: the VG-10S has four modes plus a hidden strobe mode. According to ThorFire, they are 1 > 50 > 300 > 1100 lumens. I haven’t taken any measurements in order to make lumen estimates, but those numbers seems about right. When I turned the flashlight on for the first time, I thought something was wrong because I didn’t see any light initially. Nope, no problems… it’s just that the moonlight mode is definitely in moonlight range. I think it might be the lowest ML on any of my lights. If you’re looking for a really low mode, this thing has it! Oh yeah, and it has mode memory in case you were wondering.
Build Quality: the VG-10S feels very nice and solid. in hand. The anodizing is good and similar to what you’d find on other recent ThorFire flashlights. It is able to tailstand without any problems. The stainless bezel and and smooth battery tube & tailcap lend toward an understated appearance. The reflector is smooth and without blemish.
Comparison: I’ll be honest, when I saw the VG-10S, I thought it would be a near-twin of the Sofirn SF36, which I already own. Nope. The dimensions are roughly the same, and the LED is also an XP-L2, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. The driver is definitely different: the ThorFire has a much lower moonlight mode, though slightly lower high mode. Body styling is different, and the ThorFire has many more fins for better heatsinking. While the LED in the VG-10S is slightly cooler, it’s beam in my sample has much less tint shift and is much less “ringy” than the SF36.
Conclusion: this is a great light. If I were in the market for a light this size, the VG-10S would easily be one of my top-recommended lights for this size and price range. While I didn’t pay full retail, I wouldn’t be disappointed at all had I paid full price.
Extra Credit - Modding!: the ThorFire VG-10S appears to be very mod-friendly. The driver is held in by a reverse-threaded retaining ring without any glue. I measured the stock driver to be around 18.5mm. I think a 17mm driver might barely fit, as the shelf measured around 16.3mm. There’s room for a bigger driver if you can machine out the driver seat. The bezel was also easy to remove, no glue there either. With all of those deep fins, this body is begging for MORE POWER!
Measurements:
As I said… while I haven’t measured lumens (yet), I did grab amp draws from this and a couple comparable lights using a jumper wire at the tail along with my clamp meter. Batteries were Sanyo GA’s. They measured as follows:
table(table#posts).
||ML|Low|Med|High|
|ThorFire TK15S|0.005|0.076|1.005|2.45|
|ThorFire VG-10S|0.003|0.206|1.116|3.57|
|Sofirn SF36|0.032|0.217|1.155|4.06|
Images:
Click for larger images
Left to right: TF TK05, Convoy S2, TF TK15, TF TK15S, TF VG-10S, Sofirn SF36, Convoy C8
ThorFire VG-10S vs Sofirn SF36… check out all those fins!
“Moonlight” comparison: ThorFire VG-10S (left) vs Sofirn SF36 (right)
High comparison: ThorFire VG-10S (left) vs Sofirn SF36 (right). The picture doesn’t do justice… in real life, the SF36 has a more drastic tint shift and is definitely more “ringy” (confirmed by SWMBO)
Thanks for tuning in!