Vital Gear - Out of business?

[Beastmaster]

Is Vital Gear out of business? Just wondering, since the only place that seems to sell their stuff any more is SupremeCo out of Hong Kong....and I'm thinking they have leftover inventory or are selling the last of them up.

Or - is SupremeCo = Vital Gear?

TIA,
Steve

 

[thermal guy]

Good question beastmaster. I have been looking for info on them as i just bought a fb2. do you know if the new malkoff Q5 will fit it?

 

[Beastmaster]

Well, I know that Lighthound isn't selling their stuff any more. And - not knowing their back history, I can only look up stuff that's on the here and now.

Now, after doing a WHOIS search, SupremeCo owns the domain "Vital-Gear.com".

So - I'm curious as to whether or not VG is a subsidary of SupremeCo, or if SupremeCo bought out Vital Gear, or if VG was a totally separate company and went bankrupt, and SupremeCo did a equivalent of a Chapter 7 inventory buyout.

I was able to locate some VG1 bodies via SupremeCo, but queries to SupremeCo about VG's past seems to go on deaf ears.

-Steve

 

[DUQ]

I heard from a good source that VG is no longer in business (hear say) My first an only VG FB2 was purchased from SupremeCo.

 

[Beastmaster]

The more I tool around on the industrial resource sites, I'm thinking Vital Gear is SupremeCo.

Check this out.

http://www.busytrade.com/products/48989/Info/Vital_Gear_F2_BK_Flashlight.html

Note the entry date of 3/2007. And that Supreme's the vendor.

Interesting. I wonder if they created a shell corporation originally and then SupremeCo's the production/fab company.

-Steve

 

[thermal guy]

So you think malkoff new stuff will fit?

 

[Beastmaster]

Dunno. I know that the Wolf Eyes drop in LED replacement works with the F2 flashlight from Vital Gear.

It should - but the only way to tell is to put one in. And I only have coming in the 1x123 E-Series bodies coming in, nothing else.

-Steve

 

[thermal guy]

thanks.

 

[Bob K]

Is there still a safe place to buy Vital Gear flashlight bodies? SupremeCo?

 

[Beastmaster]

I have three VG 1x123 bodies coming in. It's been shipped and it's hitting my door on Thursday per the tracking number estimate, so it's still being sold.

-Steve

 

[houtex]

3 bodies huh? ,sounds like a good number.

 

[Beastmaster]

Well, they just hit my door. The bodies are *small*. A lot smaller than I thought they would be.

-Steve

 

[houtex]

Are they natural or black in color? I have an fb2 in beautiful black and 3 fb1's in a med/dark natural. What type of heads are you planning on using? Please keep us updated and post pics when you can.

 

[Beastmaster]

I just posted the review of the bodies on the review forum. The natural HA is a bit darker and shinier than the SF colors.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=185075

Pictures are there too.

I'm intending on using it with the KL1 or KX1 heads. I've debated about making one of them into a TW4 clone, using a KL4 head.

However, I am a bit concerned about durability. The Sandwich Shoppe 1x123 body is built as tough as SF's bodies are. The VG bodies are a bit lighter and thinner.

-Steve

 

[houtex]

Thanks. Nice pics.The KX1 head is not cutting it for me.It's not that bright and ringy.I was trying to stay away from rechargeables but that may not happen. I have an Aleph A19 cree head on my FB2 and I LOVE IT. I might get another A19 1x123 head in natural for one of my fb1's but kinda strapped right now after Xmas.

 

[Beastmaster]

Well, I'm using the final gen KL1 heads with 16340's or AW's 123's, so I'm getting really good light out of it. Actually, the throw is better than the KX1 when using the higher voltage rechargeables.

I'm debating about taking the money that didn't get spent on a Novatac (thanks to that stupid vendor canceling my order) and getting another SS 1x123 body and an Aleph Head.

The 5 hours I got on low with the SS body and KL1 head should be great. I wonder how long a KX1 would do on low (other than strobe for a short while)

-Steve

 

[Bob K]

Steve,

I just placed an order for 2 FB1s and 2 FB2 with SupremeCo. They tacked $7 on AFTER my order went through for airmail shipping. You implied no shipping charges on your order ("under $30 including shipping" and the site lists the FB1s at $29.50). Did SupremeCo tack shipping charges onto your order?

 

[Beastmaster]

No. But that's not all I ordered either. They also carry a 5.11 Tactical Pant that I and some friends wanted that you can't get here in the States other than Brigade Quartermasters, and BQ are out of stock on a bunch of sizes. So - if you end up doing a mass order for 20 pairs of pants, they cut you some slack on other stuff.

-Steve

 

[Bob K]

My SupremeCO order came in: 2 Vital Gear 1 cell bodies and 2 Vital Gear 2 cell bodies. I love them!

SupremeCO appears to be a safe place to purchase Vital Gear bodies while they last.

 

[AvroArrow]

When I ordered one FB1 & one FB2 back in Oct. 07 I was charged $5 for registered airmail, so I think the shipping charge is normal for smaller orders. And yeah, that FB1 is really small. FB1+KL4=same length as PD-S.