Vintage Ray Ban Expert

[astroboy]

Never seen a shooter with such "flat" lenses before.

 

[Charlesmax88]

Hello, I'm new to the forum. I was looking for some info and help regarding this vintage pair of Ray Ban Shooters. These were my Grandfathers, and I've had them since his passing in '96. I'm mostly trying to date these. In my research, I've found that there were two brown leather cases that came with these. The common version seems to be a textured brown leather case with a black Ray Ban logo. The difficult one, like this one, has a smooth textured leather case with a different gold stamping logo and info. There was also another version where the lenses were the more traditional aviator style lenses.
If I were to guess, these were maybe from the 70's possibly before? But it seems odd that they would make shooters out of glass lenses rather than polycarbonate that was introduced in the 70's. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Hello, I'm new to the forum. I was looking for some info and help regarding this vintage pair of Ray Ban Shooters. These were my Grandfathers, and I've had them since his passing in '96. I'm mostly trying to date these. In my research, I've found that there were two brown leather cases that came with these. The common version seems to be a textured brown leather case with a black Ray Ban logo. The difficult one, like this one, has a smooth textured leather case with a different gold stamping logo and info. There was also another version where the lenses were the more traditional aviator style lenses.
If I were to guess, these were maybe from the 70's possibly before? But it seems odd that they would make shooters out of glass lenses rather than polycarbonate that was introduced in the 70's. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Hi !
This is a Decot bullet shooter Ambermatic. Are you sure that your lenses are in polycarbonate? One advice : never sell them. Besides I’ve never seen a so old and beautiful sticker as you have on the case. Very rare ! Case + glasses + sticker.

 

[Charlesmax88]

Surely end of 50’s / beginning of 60’s

 

[dwhite]

Hi !
This is a Decot bullet shooter Ambermatic. Are you sure that your lenses are in polycarbonate? One advice : never sell them. Besides I’ve never seen a so old and beautiful sticker as you have on the case. Very rare ! Case + glasses + sticker.

Hi, thanks for the reply and info! The lenses are indeed original mineral glass for sure. I had just mentioned polycarbonate as I assumed these were from the 70's and was wondering why they were glass instead of poly for shooting glasses. But yes, original glass lenses for sure. The lenses don't have a mark on them either. Not a single scratch. Optical clarity is excellent.
All I really knew about them was they were the Decot Shooters. Not much else. Is the "Ambermatic" in reference to the yellow lenses?
Late 50's to early 60's? Wow, much older than I thought. Was that determined by the leather case? As I mentioned in the prior post, from what I could find with info online was that most cases with similar glasses were in a textured case with the black colored stamp. This was one of the only smooth leather cases with gold stamp that I could find.
I'm assuming that the round sticker inside was regularly worn or peeled off with use?

Yeah, I have no plan to sell these as they were my Grandfathers and he loved shooting, I was just looking for more info.

Were the ear stem covers originally a clear that turned opaque over time, or were they that color when new?

Thanks again for your help! Much appreciated!

 

[dwhite]

Never seen a shooter with such "flat" lenses before.

Do you mean the lens shape at the bottom how it's more squared off? Or the curvature of the lens? Just curious, thanks! I'm learning more and more about these.

 

[astroboy]

Do you mean the lens shape at the bottom how it's more squared off?

Exactly.

 

[dwhite]

Exactly.

Got it, thanks. In my research, it looks like they had two styles. One like mine, and the other being a more traditional aviator style. The aviator style seems to be much more common for shooters.

 

[jlmr26]

Hey guys. Can you tell, from these pictures, if these are legit ??

 

[Andycarter]

I am a self proclaimed expert on Bausch and Lomb aka Vintage Ray Bans. I have a degree in Vintage Ray Ban Eyewear, if you need help or have a question this is the place to get answers. I also buy them if you have a pair or more you want to sell. Cheers.

Hey can you help me? Looking for the model number or style for the 80’s I think they were club masters. Silver with gold trim and engraving.

 

[astroboy]

Hey folks,

today I am searching for a vintage Ray Ban model, too:
I've saw a guy on the street, wearing a silver vintage Ray-Ban. Asked him which model it is but he doesn't know.
It was definitely an original Ray Ban; looked always like an old Inertia (e.g. it had the frame-lock-screws on the outside from the glasses, about 1cm under the temples) but without the big-metal-plates for inertia-nosepads like on Inertia's from the mid 1990s. It was curved (I guess curve-base 9) like the Inertia or the Olympian I DeLuxe.
The one I am searching for has got normal wire-based nosepads.

Does anyone has got an idea which model I am searching for? I didn't found it in my 1996-catalogue (or newer), so I guess it's older than 1996.

EDIT:
Found it, try picture-search for RB3153 on Google. But: is that a genuine Ray-Ban model? If yes: from what year?

 

[krayzie]

I know this is not really vintage B&L Ray-Ban info but I spent a long time digging through the web with Google Translate for this info and thought it might be interesting / useful...

So I've stumbled upon this thread trying to find more information about this Luxottica Ray-Ban RB8028K Made in Japan Outdoorsman Ultra after I've managed to get my hands on a NOS pair recently, to replace my worn out Made in Italy RB8029K Aviator Ultra.

It is correct that the RB8028K and RB8029K were both from late 2007 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Ray-Ban. The Outdoorsman lens is etched "Ray-Ban P3", and the Aviator lens is etched "Ray-Ban P3 Plus". Back then nobody at my local Sunglass Hut knew what I was talking about. I could only find them some years later on eBay.

Turns out if you Google "Ray-Ban RB8028" (without the K), it was originally reprinted in 2005 by the Japanese branch of Luxottica as the "Ray-Ban Custom Japan Shop Premium Metal" limited edition. Basically it's a remake of the B&L Ray-Ban Outdoorsman Ultra Bravura W1218 that was sold a decade prior (imported only in small quantities to Japan).

They made the reissue frame variations in gold, silver, black chrome finish, with lenses in brown, green, and silver gradient respectively. The difference to the 2007 export model is that the right side brown lens is etched Ray-Ban P, the green lens is etched Ray-Ban with the Diamond Hard logo, the silver gradient just etched Ray-Ban, all with RB etching on the left lens. I find the fit and finish to be superior than the previous B&L Arista frame. The fit is also a little tighter compare to B&L USA or Lux Italy models at the same spec of 58mm as it was apparently re-engineered to fit Asian / Japanese faces. It also came in this big faux leather box but the tan leather case is the same as the 70th Anniversary model. Also the plating on the titanium frame could either be 22K or 24K gold depending on which website you read, with the right temple not serial numbered and does not read "Made in Japan" like the anniversary model.

As for the glass polarized lens, some site claims 10% light transmission while another site claims 14%, with the diamond hard coating replicated to produce a 11 times stronger lens, and also being photochromic (this I have not really noticed, then again I don't really notice it changing either on the B&L RB-50 lens from my old Wayfarer W0673 back in the day). The backside anti-reflective coating seems to have a pinkish color like Nikon ICE of the same era, and imo superior in performance to the colorless AR coating on the RB-50 (note that Barberini glass polarized lenses on modern Lux Ray-Bans come with a blue color AR coating and polarized film from Triapex in Korea, also B&L used Schott glass from 1986 onward after closing their Rochester glass plant, the same German Schott glass that Barberini bought up exclusively in 2010 to replace Corning glass).

I'm still trying to figure out exactly which manfacturer in Sabae, Fukui that made this. I'm sure it's not the same manfacturer as the one that made the Titanium Made in Japan edition last year (Fukui Megane after being bought out by Lux), as the finishing is much higher for this Custom Japan Shop model.

Here are some links for reference:
http://chibamegane-tb.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2011/05/post-22fe.html
http://chibamegane-tb.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2010/10/post-1a3e.html
https://www.maharo.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=1872
https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/raybankorea/548271.html
http://papa.pipi.ne.jp/shop/eyes_abe/item/070/PR002/detail.html
https://kure-aeon.ocnk.net/product/266
https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/auc-life-sendai/item/9a09055hh0038ow41/
https://www.biccamera.com/bc/item/1645112/
http://kaigandou.shop-pro.jp/?pid=6188922
https://nihonmegane.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-393.html

What a difference two years makes as most of the links I found no longer exists.

So I have since been able to acquire the 2005 version of this "Ray-Ban Custom Japan Shop Premium Metal" reprint from Japan (RB8028 040K) in the same 58-14-135 gold Outdoorsman titanium frame as the Ray-Ran 70th anniversary (RB8028K 040K/55) but these came with a different set of lenses. These ones with the diamond hard logo are non-polarized and have a G-15 like green-gray base, with a blue color AR coating. The mirror coating appears to be gold (the 70th Anniversary one is polarized with a B-15 like brown base, red color AR coating and mirror appears to be silver).

The pair at the top is the 2007 Lux Ray-Ban 70th Anniversary Outdoorsman Ultra, the pair at the bottom is the 2005 Ray-Ban Custom Japan Shop Premium Metal. Both being past products of Luxottica Japan.

One day I want to buy a pair of B&L Ray-Ban Outdoorsman Ultra from 1996 to compare but the prices are 4 digits on eBay. I wore B&L Ray-Bans G-15 since the 90's (Wayfarer Max, Clubmaster, Predator) and remember how clear they were but the frames weren't that durable (bought a NOS Wayfarer II with B&L B-15 TGM a while ago to collect to avoid bridge crack issue like with the Wayfarer Max). But these Japanese Lux reprints are right up there (even better made than the newer Made in Japan ones from Lux Fukui Megane as I have the 2021 Titanium Round).

 

[krayzie]

BTW a picture of my B&L Ray-Ban Wayfarer II B-15 TGM from 1992 I believe (W0758 WTAS on the left temple end). These being the later ones would have Schott glass as B&L sold them the formula. However, the glass construction would have been different which may have altered the base color ever so slightly compare to the ones from before 1986 when B&L made it themselves in Rochester with Corning glass.

Funny how Lux's lens supplier Barberini would in 2010 end up buying Schott's glass melting factory in Germany, and then Barberini being bought up by Lux a few years after. But I digress.

 

[krayzie]

What a difference two years makes as most of the links I found no longer exists.

So I have since been able to acquire the 2005 version of this "Ray-Ban Custom Japan Shop Premium Metal" reprint from Japan (RB8028 040K) in the same 58-14-135 gold Outdoorsman titanium frame as the Ray-Ran 70th anniversary (RB8028K 040K/55) but these came with a different set of lenses. These ones with the diamond hard logo are non-polarized and have a G-15 like green-gray base, with a blue color AR coating. The mirror coating appears to be gold (the 70th Anniversary one is polarized with a B-15 like brown base, red color AR coating and mirror appears to be silver).

The pair at the top is the 2007 Lux Ray-Ban 70th Anniversary Outdoorsman Ultra, the pair at the bottom is the 2005 Ray-Ban Custom Japan Shop Premium Metal. Both being past products of Luxottica Japan.

View attachment 1803643

One day I want to buy a pair of B&L Ray-Ban Outdoorsman Ultra from 1996 to compare but the prices are 4 digits on eBay. I wore B&L Ray-Bans G-15 since the 90's (Wayfarer Max, Clubmaster, Predator) and remember how clear they were but the frames weren't that durable (bought a NOS Wayfarer II with B&L B-15 TGM a while ago to collect to avoid bridge crack issue like with the Wayfarer Max). But these Japanese Lux reprints are right up there (even better made than the newer Made in Japan ones from Lux Fukui Megane as I have the 2021 Titanium Round).

More info I found concerning the 2005 Ray-Ban Custom Japan Premium Metals as follows:

They are the JDM predecessors of the 70th Anniversary Ray-Ban Outdoorsman and Aviator export models.

Comes in only one size with 58mm mineral glass lenses (heavy) that has backside AR coating, titanium frame construction with titanium beta temples, basically a remake of the old Large Metal II from Bausch and Lomb, made in Japan for Luxottica Japan Domestic Market only (Custom Japan was a limited run line only sold in the Ray-Ban Osaka shop and some local boutiques in Japan). The nose pads are rubber dimpled and they protrude out more to the face for Asian fit.

These have the following model number codes (no K at the end like the 70th anniversary export models):
RB8028 - Outdoorsman
RB8029 - Aviator

and frame variant codes:
001K - 24K yellow gold plated with polarized chromatic mineral glass lenses (branded Ray-Ban P)
040K - 22K light gold plated with non-polarized amorphous diamond coated mineral glass lenses (diamond hard logo)
003P - 22K palladium plated with non-polarized amorphous diamond coated mineral glass lenses (diamond hard logo)
052/053 - Black finish with light tint chromatic lenses (not too sure about this as I haven't got one yet)

So I've managed to import from Japan a 001K version of the aviator with the 24K yellow gold plating. When I received it the frame seems more weighty and sturdy than the 22K ones, and the gold is really really yellow.

At first I thought these P lenses on the 001K must be the same as the 70th Anniversary P3 lenses, but seems these P lenses can get a tad lighter as they are photochromatic (i.e. they can go darker or lighter depending on conditions).

Now I wonder with these solid gold versions out there past (B&L) and present (Lux) if they are really just 24K gold plated frames with either nickel or titanium as the base metal. Nevertheless I gotta say these frames and lenses are very similar to vintage Cartier aviators from the 80's. This is a good alternative if you don't want to pay thru the roof prices on eBay, as these are available on Yahoo! Japan or Mercari from time to time for usually less than 50,000 yen, but only in 58-14-135 no extra large sizing (for 62 or 64 you will have to stick with vintage B&L). The positive side is that the titanium frame and gold plating are really high quality and shouldn't rust like those 12K gold plating trash I see often from well used Dita.

If Lux has been using the same Japanese manufacturer for Ray-Ban all this time, the maker is called Fukui Megane Industry Co., Ltd. in Sabae, Fukui Prefecture, Japan (side note: Even though Oliver Peoples is now Lux thru acquiring Oakley, their original manufacturer / 2010 vintage line remake was Yamamoto Bojin Megane Co., Ltd. / Optec which is the modern day Eyevan, Lux switched manufacturing to and subsequently bought Fukui Megane in 2018).

 

[Gsvs5]

Olympian IX info requested.
RB 6519

These are from the RB Optical range and apparently have been discontinued.
Were they ever released before? If so,when?
They have been a bit of a Holy Grail for me.
I had an almost identical pair of cheap street vendor sunglasses circa 1993,but have never seen their equal since.

 

[krayzie]

Olympian IX info requested.
RB 6519 View attachment 1819500
These are from the RB Optical range and apparently have been discontinued.
Were they ever released before? If so,when?
They have been a bit of a Holy Grail for me.
I had an almost identical pair of cheap street vendor sunglasses circa 1993,but have never seen their equal since.

Type B&L Ray-Ban W1307 or W1308 on eBay I think that's probably as close as it'll get.

It's called Olympian II DLX. I remember back in the day each model would have "I" (standard size original design) or "II" (larger size with some minor variations), and "DLX" is an all metal deluxe version of its acetate original.