I think the best original mods are the ones you find that people have made themselves for themselves.
For example, a guy on the other forum has fastened a 510 onto a cheap 26650 torcg for when he's dog walking, keeps a small dripper on the side, two buttons, one for the 510, one for the torch.
Words cannot describe how awesome I think that is, the tin mods in the potv diy corner, I'd far sooner have something a forum friend has made than an original vela, there's just something special about it.
I have torches that wrre either gifts from friends across the globe, or bought from fellow modders or built alongside fellow modders, those are the ones that are invaluable to me, simply because of the personal attachment.
As an example. One torch I built. I bouggt the host from a US forum member, it was shipped to another US forum member who machined a mount for the driver and emitter board he sold to me, he then shipped it over to the US member who talked me into going for it....hevwas holidaying for easter in the uk with his English wife so he carried it over and posted it when he landed.
A full on international effort and priceless to me for that experience.
After we lost our baby girl just before Christmas, the guy from the forum stepped in again
Those arrived two days later.
After that the extent of their friendship was revealed. They had a collection, and approached a manufacturer to supply a headlight with a specific spec. The manufacturer donated the light but could not meet the spec, they ok'd one of the members to modify the light with the exact emitter I use for my own work lights, a trye one of a kind. Its never left my person since.
Now mods like these, those are the mods I hanker for, the red rod springs to mind as one, those are the mods that should not, but in this vein cannot, be cloned. A batch run off on a cnc? Well, I dont see the same attachment mysrlf.