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Ask me about Eyewear!

CityConnection

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There are tons of threads about eyewear, sunglasses and contact lenses. It is hard to sort through them to find answers and they are usually questions that need a 1 sentance answer. I figure eyewear is what I know best so if you have a quick question, post it here and I can respond. If you want the opinion of SF, make another thread. Let the questions begin... If someone else knows the answer, feel free to post too! *please understand that I am not a super guru and sometimes I might not know the answer*

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FAQ
I formulated a FAQ section for all the questions that are asked over and over again.

1. What's the difference between Photochromatic and Tansitions?
-Photochromatic is the type of lens, Transition is a brand of lens. A simple comparison would be Kleenex. Kleenex is a brand, facial tissue is what it is.

2. Why don't you like polycarbonate?
The optics are terrible with an abbe value of 30 (CR39 having the best optics with the abbe value of 59). The material scratches very easily compared to other materials. The lens flex quite a bit making it warp easily. The only good thing is that it durable and won't break easily, but Trivex is just as break resistant.

3. What is Trivex?
-Trivex is a material that is superior to polycarbonate. It's index is 1.53 so it is quite thick but the optics out of the lens is superior to poly. As well, it is much more scratch resistant than poly. Poly has an abbe value of 44

4. What is the color crystal?
-Clear. We call it crystal as opposed to clear.

5. What are some frames that have a good bang for the buck?
-As of Jan 2012, I feel that Kio Yamato, O&X, Urband, Cheap Monday, MODO, Spectacle Eyeworks, Prodesign and Lightec are all brands that provide good bang for the buck.

6. What is a good brand of frames for under $200 retail?

7. You're a terrible writer.
-I don't write to entertain, I write inform.

8. Who are Luxottica and Safilo. What is their quality like?
LUX and SAF are probably the 2 biggest frame manufacture/distributor/retailers in the optical industry. Together they have licenses to Gucci, Armani, Versace, Persol, Rayban, Boss, Chanel, Prada, Bvlgary, Tommy Hilfiger, Brooks Brothers and the list goes on. In terms of quality, they are the average frame. The quality is fair and some of their lines have great styles BUT you are basically paying for the name. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on them, just giving an honest opinion.

9. How are frames from Prada, Boss, Gucci...?
-Most large name brands are produced by 3 large companies (Luxottica, Safilo, Marchon). The quality is pretty standard. The frames are made in Italy and China. The quality is fair and what I mean by that is that most are not sturdy, but they will last you a long time with good care.

10. What is B&M? How do I pick a good B&M store?

11. What website is legit to buy glasses from?

12. What company makes good asian fit plastic frames with nose pads?
-Adidas and Nike (but they look hideous), Prodesign, Danish Design, O&X and MODO and Kio Yamato (no nose pads but they fit well), Gucci for women and Bvlgari for women. I'm sure there are many more but those are just the ones off the top of my head.
 
Last edited:

robin

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I've been reading up more on optics lately - do all lenses in luxicotta brands suck or is it just a few to watch out for?
 

Baby Pink

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Please tell me about the Tart Optical, history, quality etc. I have developed a fascination for this lost brand, especially the FDR model. I have purchased two pairs on the web. They are pretty pricey. Is this brand really as rare as people make it out to be? Well at least I can find only a limited supply on the web.
 

CityConnection

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Originally Posted by robin
I've been reading up more on optics lately - do all lenses in luxicotta brands suck or is it just a few to watch out for?

http://www.luxottica.com/english/index.html

The only ones that will have a chance at having a decent lens are Oakley, Revo, Persol and Rayban. Are they the best in the industry, no. Then why are they so popular? Marketing! People perceive them to be good, but like any large company they will cut corners. They are not manufactured like they used to be. That said, you are paying mostly for their frame/brand, and no so much the lenses.

My suggestion, if you are looking for good lenses, look for another brand.
 

eckblk

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CityConnection:

What's the word on Dita's quality, I'm thinking about purchasing two pair at full retail. Let me know what you think.
 

CityConnection

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Originally Posted by Baby Pink
Please tell me about the Tart Optical, history, quality etc. I have developed a fascination for this lost brand, especially the FDR model. I have purchased two pairs on the web. They are pretty pricey. Is this brand really as rare as people make it out to be? Well at least I can find only a limited supply on the web.

http://tartoptical.com/

I have never heard of this brand.

From what I can gather:
It is not a real brand but a private label. A store has manufactured glasses in huge numbers and jsut sells them. I used to do this also under the name "Kimo", but we only did metal frames. Judging by the pictures that I found, seems like they are well made. Probably better than most large labels right now. Strong hinges and relatively good finish. I cant find much on the companies profile and they dont have much on their site.

I can only find information on the Amel frame. But seems like it has a large bridge. It wont fit a lot of people...

Hope this helps!
 

CityConnection

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Originally Posted by eckblk
CityConnection: What's the word on Dita's quality, I'm thinking about purchasing two pair at full retail. Let me know what you think.
http://www.dita.com/ Dita Eyewear makes unique and edgy eyewear tht focus on quality and craftsmanship. The styles have distinct features that most companies wont want to produce. An example would be the nose arms and pads. Most companies will make a universal fitting one so that the parts in interchangeable, but Dita seems to make different designs and styles. Check my blog by the end of the day and I will have a profile on them for you. Would I suggest you buy it? If it looks good! But in terms of the brand, if you can afford it and it looks good, go for it.
 

Robert

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Please tell me everything you know about Anglo American.
 

CityConnection

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Originally Posted by Robert
Please tell me everything you know about Anglo American.

I dont know much about them, but I did some digging and found out a bit about them. Check my blog for a profile.

But, I have not had any of them in my hands so I cannot vouch for their quality. But they are made of the best italian acetate. They are also handmade and by a company from the 1880s. My guess would be that they are well made. I dont know what their pricing is like though...
 

Frodo

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I have a question. What is the current opinion of Ray Ban's various classic aviator style sunglasses? Similar to this:

Are they completely out of style? I never see them worn much anymore, but to me they're timeless. I think most sunglasses I see these days look too reptilian and uber-cool. Just curious what you thought.
 

naaaaate

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Hey, can you recommend me some options for browline glasses a la rayban clubmasters? I have a round and sort of wide face so I kind of like the height of the glasses to be more shallow, do you have any suggestions? Preferably not super expensive. I want something old styley / classic but all the browlines i can find now with a shallow height are very modern feeling. Weird question sorry haha... Maybe I'll just find some old B&L clubmasters on ebay, I recently tried shurons but they were garbage.
 

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