Sunglasses

[bykfixer]

Got me some throw back shades from Foster Grant called of all things "the Grant".

Polarized polycarbonates with lightweight metal frames and adjustable nose thingy's. Spring temples too. The lens is a smoke gray that's fairly light but still dark enough to make a really bright day not so harsh. Yet fine for a cloudy day too.

Gives an idea how they look in bright light.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Got me some throw back shades from Foster Grant called of all things "the Grant".
View attachment 52587
Polarized polycarbonates with lightweight metal frames and adjustable nose thingy's. Spring temples too. The lens is a smoke gray that's fairly light but still dark enough to make a really bright day not so harsh. Yet fine for a cloudy day too.

View attachment 52588
Gives an idea how they look in bright light.

Meh...they look great from the front, but IMO should be darker when looked through. But, sunglasses are so personal, everyone has their own likes and dislikes, and no pair is going to suit every occasion.

 

[bykfixer]

The other day I drove east with the morning sun in my face and west with the afternoon sun in my face and had no issues. Yet I could see just fine wearing them indoors too.

The blue mirror makes them appear like they'd be darker than they really are. It's a nice combo.

 

[bykfixer]

I've been wearing the Grant's the most recently. Only the Grants actually. They're so comfy. I put them on for driving and often forget that I'm wearing sunglasses. I wondered about that since it seems easy to remember when I go to meet people or end up wearing them indoors, why do I forget I'm wearing these but not other styles?

It turns out there's a reason for that. The tear drop shape. Back in 1929 an Air Force colonel was looking to replace the fir lined goggles that kept fogging up. Baush & Lomb was hired to develop a lens that could replace the full view goggles, reduce glare and make the bright sky not seem so bright. By the early 1930's American Optical was producing a gray/green lens but the Bausch & Lomb lens was green. Both used cable operated temples (forebarer to spring temples) and the over sized tear drop shape was curved to provide even coverage.

The Grant's are a throwback shape to that era. Simply put, after wearing them for a few minutes your eyes adjust to the tint and since the lens shape covers a large area the wearer does not notice the frame that surrounds them.

They were called pilot's glasses at first. But after WW2 the term aviator was coined for the commercial market. The Bausch & Lomb version were called Ray Ban for the commercial market. They also made gradient lenses so a pilot looking forward would have a shade over his eyes but the bottom was clear to see the instruments better.

Eventually in the jet age a more square version was built by American Optical with bayonet arms to fit under the jet pilot's helmet. Those were called pilot's glasses too. Then later aviators. So when the term aviators is used it could be either shape.

At one point Bausch & Lomb had an entire line of Ray Ban's based off the original shape of the pilot's glasses. Sportsman and Shooters came along and the name really took off. Sportsman and Shoooters also pioneered various proprietary lenses like orange, yellow and brown. The Shooter had a thick bar in the center to catch sweat from the brow and at one point had a cigarette holder in between the lenses.

The original concept of the pilot glasses was taken from Victorian era cyclist eye covers.

Photo attaching works again.

 

[bykfixer]

Added these today. Just like the Grants without the mirror covering. Again, I forgot I was wearing these too.
The Prelude.

 

[bykfixer]

Driving home from work lately at a time when the sun is at an angle where it's not straight in my face but between the rear view mirror and passenger side sun shield. About 15 miles like that. Go past an evergreen forest and it's blocked fairly well. Go past a non evergreen forest and it's like getting strobed by the sun itself. Ugh. Cleared areas, it's straight on zap your right eye bright. Yet sunglasses are no match. Well the kind where you can still see forward aren't. Dark ones, yes but then you can't see at places where the afternoon sun isn't torturing my right pupil. Eh, first world problems right?

First world solution was found.

The Foster Grant Sunday Drive.

I'm in no way affiliated with Foster Grant, I just like the value they provide and hope others can benefit.

The Sunday Drive do what the Grant's and Prelude's don't quite do in the condition mentioned above. Very comfortable forget you're wearing them type with spring temples and adjustable nose pieces. Non mirrored smoke gray polycarbonate lenses with anti reflective coating on the eyeball side. Curved enough for some side vision protection without being distorted. The lenses are big enough for full view without looking like you're wearing a giant housefly eye sized covering.

Now they probably won't withstand being sat on very well. They are afterall lightweight metal so there's that but it adds to the forget you're wearing them aspect.

And best of all I could see straight ahead well while the sun tried to torture my right pupil today.

 

[bykfixer]

CR-39:
It began as a Columbia Resin project in 1940 for use on military aircraft. In WW 2 it was used to reinforce fuel tanks of B17 bombers allowing more payload. In that case more payload was bombs. CR-39 was recipe #39. It is a type of polycarbonate but not the polycarbonate we think of for safety glasses these days.

In 1947 California's own Armorlite developed a lens for glasses. Original CR-39 is opaque to ultraviolet rays. Armorlite developed a lens version. Half the weight of glass, nearly as clear as glass, better scratch and chemical resistant and even better than glass at withstanding small sparks from welding. And like glass virtually no chromatic aberations. It's good stuff.

I say all of that to introduce some wooden sunglasses the postman dropped off today. From Portland Oregon a small outfit called "Shwood" makes a few different styles and every so often have clearances sales. This years end of year sale included African zebrawood Camby frames. (Think wayfraer) at 50% off and a coupon for 20% off any purchase over $75.

Polarized gray CR-39 lens with anti-reflecct coating

13 layer, carbon fiber reinforced wood with spring temples

What you see from behind the lens.

When I opened the box and saw some really cool looking shades I was impressed. Slid 'em on and was even more impressed. An hour later they were not binding of uncomfy at all.

Shwood sells Camp brand, Pendleton brand and their own acetates along with metal frames too. The Camp and Pendleton are made in that country sworn to rule the world someday but the rest are made in Portland Oregon. The Pendleton's are made of recycled water bottles. The Camp's commemorate US National parks. Nice shades at a decent price. But man, those wooden sunglasses are the bees knees. Any purchase from Shwood comes with a 20% off coupon on your next purchase.

 

[bykfixer]

If you have a crooked head don't buy wood sunglasses.

The good Lord built me with a right ear top about 3mm higher up my skull than the left one. So nearly every pair of glasses or sunglasses sit on my face a little lower over the left eye than the right.

Most wouldn't notice but I do and it drives me nuts until I adjust the temple. With plastic you can heat it. With metal you can bend it. With wood.... what you get is what you get. I tried adjusting my new Shwood shades and "snap" the temple broke at the ear.

Time for a little McGeyver action. Old credit card, E6000 glue, electrical tape and sharpie markers later....

Actually the cushion from the electrical tape wrap causes the right temple to be a bit more comfy than the left one that I'll sand to be a bit rounder at the edges.

I glued the broken parts together, glued a cut to match section of credit card on each side as a cast and wrapped the cast with electrical tape. I heated the electrical tape to shrink it like shrink wrap. Let cure over night and oh yeah, adjusted the temple at the cast as needed to fit my head correctly.

No more crooked sunglasses.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

If you have a crooked head don't buy wood sunglasses.

The good Lord built me with a right ear top about 3mm higher up my skull than the left one. So nearly every pair of glasses or sunglasses sit on my face a little lower over the left eye than the right.

Most wouldn't notice but I do and it drives me nuts until I adjust the temple. With plastic you can heat it. With metal you can bend it. With wood.... what you get is what you get. I tried adjusting my new Shwood shades and "snap" the temple broke at the ear.

Time for a little McGeyver action. Old credit card, E6000 glue, electrical tape and sharpie markers later....

View attachment 55937

View attachment 55938

Actually the cushion from the electrical tape wrap causes the right temple to be a bit more comfy than the left one that I'll sand to be a bit rounder at the edges.

I glued the broken parts together, glued a cut to match section of credit card on each side as a cast and wrapped the cast with electrical tape. I heated the electrical tape to shrink it like shrink wrap. Let cure over night and oh yeah, adjusted the temple at the cast as needed to fit my head correctly.

View attachment 55939
No more crooked sunglasses.

...might have been easier to just move an ear...

 

[bykfixer]

My head was probably correct when I was born but all those Evel Kneivel stunts, skateboard crashes, and just living the dream of a crash test dummy for a few decades may be why one is higher than the other.

 

[Voider of Warranties]

All of you, my fellow "old guy" brethren, are making me miss the days when my eyes were good enough to be able to wear sunglasses and still see in focus! Seems the only time I wear them now is when I'm returning from the eye doctor after having been dilated!
- Inserted for irony.

 

[bykfixer]

If I'm going somewhere I need to see well like for unfamiliar road signs or buildings I wear my Rx lens wayfarers or my regular glasses. But for general daily commutes and going to familiar places regular lenses are ok if.... they let in enough light. The darker kind I don't wear unless it's sunny and everything is covered with snow (or at the beach).

I plan on having some Rx lenses added to some shades this year.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

If I'm going somewhere I need to see well like for unfamiliar road signs or buildings I wear my Rx lens wayfarers or my regular glasses. But for general daily commutes and going to familiar places regular lenses are ok if.... they let in enough light. The darker kind I don't wear unless it's sunny and everything is covered with snow (or at the beach).

I plan on having some Rx lenses added to some shades this year.

I hope you don't have to be a witness for anything, or get into an accident yourself. I have this in mind, enjoy!



...or maybe this!

 

[bykfixer]

Didn't make the "no more sunglasses" resolution through January. Almost did but I saw some "Woodies" sunglasses on sale. They fall into the low end price range at $35-40. Now the Shwood's I mentioned are a lot nicer with carbon fiber between layers of wood and premium CR-39 lenses coated on both sides, but they retail for $200! I didn't even pay half that for them though.

Anyway, the Woodies are a zebra wood fastened to a layer of acetate with spring hinges and have polycarbonate lenses. They're nice and light. They fit well too. I seriously doubt they'd be any good after you sit on them but not many sunglasses are anyway. No hint where they're made but I seriously doubt they're domestic made.

They look like 80's 55mm Ray Ban wayfarers.

They come in a wood box with a micro-fiber sack, a micro-fiber cleaning cloth, a business card and a wood guitar pick.

The wood box.

Not real dark so a cloudy day shouldn't be an issue

Shows the wood/acetate lamination

Overall, not bad.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Didn't make the "no more sunglasses" resolution through January. Almost did but I saw some "Woodies" sunglasses on sale. They fall into the low end price range at $35-40. Now the Shwood's I mentioned are a lot nicer with carbon fiber between layers of wood and premium CR-39 lenses coated on both sides, but they retail for $200! I didn't even pay half that for them though.

Anyway, the Woodies are a zebra wood fastened to a layer of acetate with spring hinges and have polycarbonate lenses. They're nice and light. They fit well too. I seriously doubt they'd be any good after you sit on them but not many sunglasses are anyway. No hint where they're made but I seriously doubt they're domestic made.

View attachment 56495
They look like 80's 55mm Ray Ban wayfarers.

View attachment 56496
They come in a wood box with a micro-fiber sack, a micro-fiber cleaning cloth, a business card and a wood guitar pick.

View attachment 56497
The wood box.

View attachment 56498
Not real dark so a cloudy day shouldn't be an issue

View attachment 56499
Shows the wood/acetate lamination

Overall, not bad.

I can just imagine the pickup lines... "Want to see my Woodie?"

 

[bykfixer]