About Oakley sunglasses

[DigMe]

I know Oakley tends to be kind of like Surefire in that discounts are few and far between but I was just wondering if anyone DOES know of any place that has Oakleys at a discount?

Another question...I've heard that Oakley's have a greater shatter resistance in their lenses than most of their competitors. Do you know if this is true? Also do you know of any other brands of sunglasses that offer an equivalent level of impact resistance in their lenses? I'm not stuck on Oakleys so I'm curious to know if anyone else makes something that can compare...possibly for a cheaper price. Surefire has plenty of quality competition out there so I was thinking surely Oakley does too...(I think it's a good comparison) or are they just hands down, no arguments the best? Try to be objective here.

I probably can't afford Oakleys anyway but there's always the future.

brad cook

 

[SamlautRanger]

US Army Special Forces did not get the nickname "Oakley Boys" for no reason.

I have been wearing Oakleys for years. Usually go through about 1-2 pairs a year. I have had great results with them all around the world, in combat, and firing a mulitude of weapons.

Sometimes you can find discontinued models at discoutn prices. Also, if you have a old pari or broken pair of Oakleys, you can send them to Oakley and they will give you $50 off a new pair.

They also make great laptop computer cases and desert boots!!

 

[444]

In all honesty, Surefire has no competition and neither does Oakley.

Really.

There is no free lunch.

 

[LiquidTension]

Wow, I never knew about the $50 off. I have the folding M Frames and I need new lenses due to FAL rear sight impact (stupid me). I might as well just send them the old ones and get new ones since lenses cost $50 and the whole deal is only $95 new.

 

[mikeb3185]

military discount

if i remember correctly if you are military you get a decent discount

mike

 

[DigMe]

In all honesty, Surefire has no competition

One man's opinion.

brad cook

 

[444]

Yes, it is one man's opinion, but think about it for a minute.
People on this board tend to pick out one flashlight that is at the bottom end of the product line and say: Hey, I got something just as good as that at Wal-Mart. Ok, I don't think so, but you might have a valid argument. But, that is where the argument stops. Can you buy an infared filter on the end of yours ? What if you want to use your basic light and with the aid of a few screw on parts, make it into a completely different model ? What if you want to use a different type switch, can yours be changed to fit your needs ?
That of course is just the tip of the iceberg, name the companies that you know who make dedicated weaponslights. Not some jury rigged lash up, but a dedicated weaponslight.
Hell, there is a thread going on this board right now about a flashlight made by Surefire that puts out 2000 lumens and costs $2900. They also make a flashlight that spec ops teams use to signal satelites from the ground (might be that same light). The same company makes a single cell flashlight that gets lost in your pocket and will blind you if you shine it in your eyes. And, if you want to take that single cell flashlight and convert it to LED, they make the head to do it and all it takes is unscrewing and screwing the head. They make both those lights and everything in between. Heck, even the finish on these flashlights is terrific. I have one of those single cell flashlights that I converted to LED and have been carrying it loose in my pocket for over a year and the finish is still intact. This is in the same pocket with change, P38 can opener, keys, cell phone, knives...................... They certainly make a light to compete with flashlights at the low end of the price scale. I use a G2 Nitrolon at work everyday. It cost $29 at full retail price from the Surefire website.
Then we can get into rifle rail systems. They even make a suppressor and a line of knives.
Still think they have competition ?
Surefire has the highest tech illumination equipment out there. They have the highest tech stuff because they are doing the research. The other stuff is a knockoff.

Oakley is similar. They combine the whole package into their products: optical quality, protective lenses and style. Other glasses may have one or two of those things, but not all of them. And, you can get the same lenses with a perscription. It is important to note that this doesn't mean you buy Oakley frames and your eye doctors lab puts his regular lenses in your Oakley frames. This means that you send your perscription to Oakley and you get Oakley optical quality, protection, and style.

I am not trying to be a jerk here, but there are products that are the cream of the crop. A lot of people like to bash them because they don't own them or they can't afford them. That doesn't take anything away from the fact that they are obviously superior. I have driven expensive Europeon cars on occasion and I could see the obvious difference in quality from my Ford pickup. I have shot highly customized guns that cost five grand. I could tell an obvious difference between those guns and mine. I have owned many flashlights and many pairs of glasses and there is no comparison. Other stuff may be nice for the price, but in a head to head comparison, considering all the factors, the quality is obvious. You may not need that level of quality. You may not be able to afford that level of quality. But don't assume that means the quality isn't there. It is.
Don't hate them because they are beautiful.

 

[TarpleyG]

If you have a friend that is a cop try getting the LE discount. I paid $90 for a pair of SI boots that sell for $225 everywhere else. A friend bought them for me. I am not sure why Oakley has such a substantial markup on their stuff. Name I guess. These boots ARE worth $90 but they sure as hell aren't worth $225. And I say that while agreeing 100% with what 444 wrote. That just tells me that their stuff is overpriced and so is Surefire's. It's good stuff, no doubt. Just overpriced.

Greg

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

I've been demo'ing some Wileys and some Rudy Projects that are coming close to Oakley. The Rudy Projects come closest in terms of optical quality and impact resistance. Weird styling, though. The Wileys are a little disappointing on optical quality.

But when it matters, I'll stick with Oakleys. I do wish they fit better under helmets, though.

 

[DigMe]

I've thought about it many times for well over a minute.

Let me start by correcting some false assumptions that you seem to have made:

I'm not a Surefire hater. I own a Surefire and hope to own more Surefires in the future. They make an excellent product. In some aspects I agree with you and in some I don't. I just don't think one can accurately make the blanket statement of "Surefire has no competition."

Sure, they have no competition when it comes to $3000, 2000 lumen flashlights. You're right about that! However, the majority of their models do have direct, quality competition (including their weaponlights). That competition comes from the likes of Streamlight, EDS, Pentagon and others. For example, look at Surefire's sub-40 dollar offering, the G2. Compare it to Streamlight's sub-$40 tactical light, the Scorpion. The Scorpion is a brighter, better-made flashlight. Again, I'm not a Surefire basher but if you look at it objectively you can see that thousands of LEOs and emergency responders carry Streamlight flashlights. If it was not a competitor to Surefire then they would all be carrying surefires. There are plenty of other examples I could give you.

Hey, I got something just as good as that at Wal-Mart.

I never claimed that any Wal-Mart flashlights were as good as Surefire. Although the Maxfire LX is a good value and you can drop in the surefire 120 lumen bulb if you want. I'd probably choose the surefire every time though.

name the companies that you know who make dedicated weaponslights.

Streamlight has a full line, I've seen others whose names I cannot recall.

The same company makes a single cell flashlight that gets lost in your pocket and will blind you if you shine it in your eyes.

So does Nuwai and EDS and both of them are brighter than the E1E and the Nuwai is cheaper.

I use a G2 Nitrolon at work everyday. It cost $29 at full retail price from the Surefire website.

The Digilight 1000xb is $27, anodized aluminum, 70 lumens, spot-to-flood focusable and double O-ring sealed (Surefire has finally decided to change the buttcap on the G2 to be waterproof, which is a plus).

Still think they have competition ?

Absolutely.

Oops! My students are arriving, I've gotta go. I'll review this later and see if there's anything else I wanted to add.

brad cook

 

[FlyinGN]

I LOVE my Oakley half jackets. I really can see clearer with the polorized lens too. Its very pronounced.. I bought a half jacket knock off to compare.. There really is no comparison.. Oakley is at their top of the heap..

 

[usp_fan]

For discounted Oakley's try sierratradingpost.com. They usually have closeouts and discontinued models. When I used to sell Oakleys in the Bike shop, we had a demo lense that had been shot with a 12 gauge. It didn't penetrate or shatter the lense. Of couse your face would take a beating, but your eyes would be fine.

usp_fan

 

[DigMe]

When I used to sell Oakleys in the Bike shop, we had a demo lense that had been shot with a 12 gauge. It didn't penetrate or shatter the lense. Of couse your face would take a beating, but your eyes would be fine.

That's basically what I'm looking for in sunglasses...aside from optical clarity. I want something that I can use shooting or hunting with full confidence that it is going to have equal or better impact resistance as a pair of good shooting glasses.

I've never noticed Oakleys at STP before but I only browse there occasionally.

I LOVE my Oakley halk jackets. I really can see clearer with the polorized lens too.

I know what you man about the good lenses. I used to have a pair of glasses...can't remember what brand..maybe Optic Nerve?? Either way the lenses in them were incredible...maybe i just got lucky on that pair but I felt like things were actually sharper through the glasses. I have no idea what kind of impact/shatter resistance they had though. I expect that the clarity of Oakleys would be as good or better just from what I've heard.

brad cook

 

[DigMe]

Why are the Oakley Fives 2.0 so much cheaper than the others? Can I expect equal quality and toughness?

brad cook

 

[David]

One of my LEO friends really likes a brand of glasses called: ESS

Here is a link to their website: http://www.essgoggles.com/

Next time I need a new pair of shooting glasses or sunglasses, I think I might try one of the ESS models!



The ESS glasses appear to be reasonably priced, as well.

 

[No_Brakes23]

You can get a pair of Half-Jackets for $20 if you buy the 12/05 Special Edition SIG P226

http://www.sigarms.com/products/classicfullsize-models.asp?product_id=249

You don't mind buying a $960 pistol just to get an $80 discount on sunglasses, do you?

BTW I used to really like Oakleys, but I haven't found a pair in years that didn't give me a splitting headache within minutes of trying them on. They don't seem to want to sell to big haid people.

 

[BerettaNut92]

My titanium Juliets hurt for a few days now they wear great. They sure do have some heft to them.

 

[Delmar]

I'm not much on endorsements, but I got a good one from my son in Samara, Iraq. They had just set up their Bradley for another day of patrol, and before the grunts deployed a full 360 from the vehicle, a VIED hit the side of the Bradley and detonated a 155mm shell. He was standing in one of the hatches, apparently.

His oakley's were torn from his face, but he believes that if it weren't for him wearing them, he might have lost sight in his right eye.

As it was, he suffered flash burns to the right side of his face, although he said its not real serious and is back on patrol. He is also very mad they damaged his Oakleys! (Kids-priorities ) This only happened this past Monday.

I'm going shopping for a set this weekend, after decades of Ray Ban amber-matics.....

 

[DigMe]

They had just set up their Bradley for another day of patrol, and before the grunts deployed a full 360 from the vehicle, a VIED hit the side of the Bradley and detonated a 155mm shell.

Hey, my name is "bradley."

It must be a sign!

brad cook

 

[Chris Rhines]

I was recently shopping for a set of high-end shooting glasses. After trying several different styles of Oakleys, I could not find one that fit well and provided the coverage I wanted. I ended up paying over $400 for a set of Rudy Project glasses, and I couldn't be happier.

Just like anything else - you've got to pick what works for you.

- Chris

 

[DigMe]

Wow! That's a lotta jack! I most definitely cannot afford $400 now or any time in the near future. I'm guessing they're pretty kickass though, they better be!

brad cook

 

[seed]

I used to work for a sunglasses chain about 10 years ago, so my knowledge may be a little dated. There are many good points about Oakley. For one, their lenses are made out of polycarbonite (although Oakley called it Plutonite). Lenses made out of this material are allegedly 50 times stronger than glass and won't shatter. We used to have a sample lens behind the counter that was allegedly shot with a .22 (I cannot confirm that, however it was shot with something). It was dented noticeably, but was not broken into pieces, nor did it have a hole.

Another plus was that they supposedly designed their blade style glasses to be optically true in all directions (at that time, they had just upgraded from being true to eight points, as opposed to six on their older models).

Another good point about Oakley was their styles. In my opinion, they had the best selection of good-looking shades of any company.

Finally, they conformed to most peoples' faces, better than any other glasses I ever sold. In addition, they were very light weight, had models with optional titanium frames (expensive as hell, though), and some models were easy to fix when they broke.

Negatives...

They were way overpriced compared to much higher quality shades from other companies. They actually had it written in their contracts with sellers to only sell their products at the prices they set. If you tried to have a sale on them, without Oakley's permission, they would allegedly send a rep to buy up all your stock and then Oakley would never sell to you again.

The mirror finish on the lenses (which Oakley called Iridium) was actually applied on the outer surface and it scratched really easily...and when they did, it wasn't like some sort of minor, unnoticeable scratch on a pair of glasses you can only see if you look at them in the sun from a small distance...No. Instead, you would see a line which changed the amount of light coming through the lens where the scratch was made, which was quite noticeable even when looking through them.

The frames were extremely prone towards breaking. They would break and break and break. I don't remember how nice Oakley was about fixing or replacing glasses, although I know they weren't as good in this department as was Gargoyle and what was to become Luxoticca (which owns Ray Ban, Revo, Serengetti, etc.). These two I know are absolutely fantastic in my experience, even though Ray Ban (actually Bausch and Lomb) didn't used to be before they got bought up.

There are all kinds of companies that sell polycarbonate lens-having glasses and they are just as tough, if not tougher than Oakley. The only problem is that they don't look as good as Oakley and don't usually conform to one's face as well as Oakleys. But right off the bat with many other companies, you usually get stronger frames, internalized mirror finishes which won't scratch off, and cheaper prices. Right now, I have some extremely light-weight, non-blade polycarbonate lens Ray Bans I got for $50. I like them a lot.

 

[DigMe]

Thanks, seed. I was kind of hoping someone who was in the sunglasses business would chime in.

One thing though...I've got to wonder about the statement that all polycarbonate lenses have equal impact protection. I say that because I used to have a pair of Nike sunglasses. I liked them a lot but they flew off my head while I was riding a waverunner (ok, while I was flying off a waverunner) and are now in a lake. However, I'm pretty sure that the impact rating as written on the documentation that came with them said that they were in compliance with ANSI Z87.2. Whereas the Oakley's are ANSI Z87.1 compliant. From what I understand ANSI Z87.1 is the standard for safety glasses. Do you know anything more about that? I don't know a lot about ANSI ratings aside from what I stated above but it would seem if one pair of polycarb lenses are .2 and the other pair are rated .1 that the .1's would have a greater impact resistance but maybe I just don't understand the ANSI ratings.

brad cook

 

[Jay Kominek]

As far as I can tell, there isn't a Z87.2. The number doesn't have anything at all to do with the rating, but rather refers to a particular standards document. Sort of like the way a Library of Congress number refers to a particular book. QA291.1 isn't a better book than QA291.2.

The standard implies certain minimum levels of protection. You could make a pair of eye glasses which could protect your eyes from a nuclear blast, and they'd still be Z87.1, because they meet the necessary minimum requirements. So in theory, there could be a lot of difference between safety glasses. How much there is in practice, I don't know.

 

[DigMe]

Jay,

Yeah right but Z87.1 means that the glasses do meet at least a certain minimum level of impact resistance. It seems that most sunglasses are NOT certified to at least that minimum level, or at least if they are they don't advertise it and it seems like they'd want to advertise it. So I'd rather have some that clearly do meet that standard than some that don't.

brad cook