New flashlight addict !

Introduce Yourself
1

Hi there, I’m Renato, From Brazil I’ve been reading BLF for a month or so and learning a lot from you guys but haven’t had much to contribute yet since I don’t have enough experience in different flashlights.
I have a suggestion that maybe can change that a little, what about a thread that presented the history of a brand by telling how it started and the evolution of it’s flashlights, I bought some Convoy flashlight from Simon and he’s been great so I tough of starting with asking him a few questions about how Convoy started. Anyone more experienced care to help writing ?

Perhaps we could choose some of the best manufacturers and make some kind of register of the models and their evolution, I think it would be fascinating to read this in the coming years.

Suggestions?

2

That sounds interesting.

3

I thought about making something like a guide so we could have a pattern for easier understanding and finding info. Any corrections to my english and/or phrasing would be well received, hope you all have fun !

  1. ABOUT THE BRAND (how they work and their history)

1.1 When was it started?

1.2 Where did it start and is it still in the same place?

1.3 Why did the brand choose the NAME OF THE BRAND and what does it mean

1.4 How many people were in the beginning?
How was the manufacturing/assembly of the flashlights in the beginning and did it change much since the beginning? Is it all manufactured inhouse or is it outsourced?

1.5 Now in 2021 how is your company, do you have employees or help from friends and family, how big is your team?

1.6 What makes this brand unique in the flashlight community and what makes your products be recognized as being a part of the brand (design/ customization/ high performance / budget friendly…)

1.7 Where/how do you currently sell your lights? Is there an official store? AliExpress? Amazon?

1.8 Is there a customer support team ? How are the problems solved?

  1. ABOUT THE FLASHLIGHTS (and development)

2.1 Where did it start, what was the first model produced? How did it evolve from there?

2.2 What is the logic behind the different models? Are they divided by their proposed use or budget or by the country or region they sell…

2.3 How is defined the characteristics, the design and development of the products ? Is it one person, a team? And how is the process? Is the community or anyone outside the company able to contribute with suggestions?

2.4 Can you tell us how many models you currently have in the portfolio? And say a little about each (price range, what it is for, EDC? SOME SPECIAL WORK? THROWER? FLOOD?)

2.5 Which model was your biggest hit

2.6 Which was the worst seller

2.7 Are you working in a new model? Could you tell us about it?

4

Thanks
I sent some questions to Simon, hope to hear back from him soon

5

I wish you luck in your endeavor. I think it would make for a fun read.

6

I asked Sofirn some of the questions and they replied fast!

I started a topic about Sofirn using this info, here’s the link

Here’s what Barry from Sofirn sent me

“Before the brand name “”sofirn“” was born. The company founder Qidong Yang pondered a name easy to remember, meaningful and above all to reflect his love and passion for his fledgling company.
He chose SOFIRN to match the name of his dear wife.
Yang loves SOFIRN as deeply as he loves his wife and two children. Yang made it his mission to make SOFIRN a worldwide, well-known brand name.

First and foremost we are passionate about, and value our customers. We have made it our goal to service those customers in the best possible way. Our philosophy is;

  1. Provide flashlights suitable for all users with a wide variety of design and applications,
    2.Utilise industry leading and unrivalled design coupled with non compromising quality.
  2. Implement efficiency within our company structure enabling cost effective manufacture.
  3. Providing value for money was, is and will always be a primary consideration for us. At the start of our journey back in 2016-2017 we listened to our customers along with our friends at the ‘Budget Light Forum’, enabling the release of, amongst, others the SF14, SP32, and SP31.

Since then SOFIRN has expanded and added some the best known and talented engineers within the Flashlight industry to our family. Subsequently we went on to release new models including the: SF14 V2.0, SP32A V2.0, SP31 V2.0, SP36 series, C8F, C8G, SP70, SP33 V3, IF25 and LT1.
Additionally we indulged our passion and made custom units for our aforementioned fans and friends at the ‘Budget Light Forum’, which proved to be very popular.

We believe we can and will continue to grow. We will strive to improve our designs, inventory, shipping services, quality control and marketing along with all the other aspects needed to realize our dream.
To realise that dream will not be easy, but we promise our best.
Our dream? Bring light to the world and make SOFIRN a well-known and a trusted brand offering a complete range of premium quality designs at affordable prices.

Trust SOFIRN, we will stay with you, as we hope you will with us, our collective future will be brighter!

Barry Lee

Here is the link to our official website ‘About us’: https://sofirnlight.com/pages/our-company-38(link is external)
Hope this informations helps for you! Thanks!”

7

Welcome to BLF!

8

Welcome to BLF Renato,

It sounds like a great idea to know all the known brands in the Flashlight spectrum.

I could help you to write it down if you wish. It is very interesting what Simon said about the origin of the brand name Sofirn.

9

Hi Web de Linternas
Mucho gusto (not much Spanish in my vocabulary lo siento)
It would be a great help and much fun to get to write with you

Actually It was Brad who replied from Sofirn.

Simon mao is the head of Convoy, he’s been talking to me for a few weeks when I asked about his flashlights and I bought a few Convoys, Simon was the reason I started thinking about this topic and then things grew from there, I read about the Sofirn brand to and curiosity kept growing, I think when we buy a new flashlight it’s not just a tool, if it was that way we wouldn’t be here in a forum discussing it with people from all over the world, for me personally it’s about the research, the people we get to know in the process, the history behind that flashlight, getting it to be affordable, using it in the real world and sharing the experience.

10

Hi Renato,

sorry for the confusion.
Very good idea to get in touch with Simon (Convoy) and Brad (Sofirn). Maybe we can get a serie of posts out of these.

11

It would be great!
What other manufacturers should we contact?

12

Welcome! The addiction runs deep! Might as well drink the kool-aid!

13

Great idea Renato. This will make very interesting reading. :+1:

Welcome to BLF!!! :white_check_mark:

14

It's a pleasure to have you onboard, Renato Azevedo!

15

Thank you Racoon City !