Vintage Ray Ban Expert

[Josephniall]

Hi there I have these Bausch and Lomb Ray bans I was for from my nana i was wondering if I could get some info on? Any help is appreciated. They have a tortoise shell frame so you can just see the ray ban writing on the inside now and there is some sort of serial number which I will show on pictures. I have what I believe is the original case which is leather and you can just make out the ray ban stamp on it. Any help is appreciated Thanks Joseph

 

[Ryno66nmu]

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.

I have a pair of Diamond Hard Aviator sunglasses from the 90's that have never been worn, and are in mint condition. the case is a little worn, but it still has the original paperwork inside the case as well. I can send pictures if it helps. I am thinking about selling them and am trying to figure out how I can determine their worth. if you can point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it. I have looked on ebay and they seem to vary greatly in the price people are asking for them.

Thanks

 

[krayzie]

 I also own these, and agreed they are fantastic, well I actually have 2 pairs. Weirdly enough though Ray Ban don't admit to making them! The RB8028k model, the Japanese made pair, they don't admit was theirs. They will tell you that they have never made a pair of sunglasses in Japan. I know because this pair has caused me SO many problems on eBay. Lovely pair, but never try to sell them on eBay! So, if anyone wants a pair, slightly worn... Let me know!! Enough about luxottica anyway...

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

Anyway pretty crazy for the Japanese to replicate stuff like this, reminds me of New Balance Japan doing the same thing with the NB1300JP running shoes every 5 years since 1995 with their American manufacturing counterparts.

Now back to your original B&L Ray-Ban programming...

 

[RB 5022]

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.

Hi Musehead

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.

Hi Musehead,
I got hit a vintage pair of 5022’s. They are in great condition however, the right side arm is missing one of its 2 small pins that go into the hinge, then into the arm. Any chance you know where to get these little pins?

 

[Casslcro]

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 there! I'm new to this forum. I have a couple questions about a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses I have. I've had them for a few years now but never really wore them they've just been sitting around. I actually got them for free at a yard sale years ago. I'm just wondering what year they may be from. They come in their original case and inside the case it says PATENT PENDING 5. Can't find any info about that. They have dark green lens and gold plated? They have the BL etched on both lenses and also the Ray Ban logo on one.
The top bridge is engraved B&L Ray Ban USA and the bottom nose is engraved B&L Ray Ban 58[]14.
They are wrap around sunglasses as well. I'll post some pics...maybe you or someone can tell me something more about these.
Thanks!

Cassie

 

[neurotik]

Hi musehead. Love the thread and thanks for starting it and contributing so much knowledge. I saw these vintage wayfarers for sale and wanted to check w you to see if they are real. Also, if you could let me if they are in good enough condition for everyday wear in your opinion based on the pics would be much appreciated. If I buy them I would plan on making them prescription eyeglasses, do you think that's possible

 

[neurotik]

And if it's not too much trouble here is another vintage pair I'm looking at buying for the purpose of making them into everyday eyeglasses. If you could let me know whether you think they are real or not, and if they are, any background info on them. Lastly if you could compare this one with the one I posted above and let me know which you think is a better buy (if real ).Thanks in advance.

 

[EdT]

And if it's not too much trouble here is another vintage pair I'm looking at buying for the purpose of making them into everyday eyeglasses. If you could let me know whether you think they are real or not, and if they are, any background info on them. Lastly if you could compare this one with the one I posted above and let me know which you think is a better buy (if real ).Thanks in advance.

Yup these look genuine from mid 80's to mid 90's. The ribbed soft case is also genuine for the Wayfarer, but the hard case is not for the Wayfarer rather for the Aviator/Outdoorsman. I owned about about half dozen pair of the ebony and tortoise shell Wafarers before I need prescription ones. The engraving had white paint in them, you can just use some flat latex paint to fill them in again. RayBan has similar frames if you want prescription glasses. If was going to get Rx glasses today I would just get Shuron Sidewinders instead they are even more true to the essence than the RayBan Wayfarers,still genuine direct from the factory made in USA for very little money ! Shuron and RayBan were the two contractors the US government contracted to make the aviators for the US Airforce. RayBan's Wayfarer and Clubmasters is supposly a copy of Shuron's Sidewinders and Ronsir.

Shuron Ltd. / Shuron.com

We sell eyeglasses of all types for the public. We have a wide variety of lenses as well.

www.shuron.com

 

[neurotik]

Yup these look genuine from mid 80's to mid 90's. The ribbed soft case is also genuine for the Wayfarer, but the hard case is not for the Wayfarer rather for the Aviator/Outdoorsman. I owned about about half dozen pair of the ebony and tortoise shell Wafarers before I need prescription ones. The engraving had white paint in them, you can just use some flat latex paint to fill them in again. RayBan has similar frames if you want prescription glasses. If was going to get Rx glasses today I would just get Shuron Sidewinders instead they are even more true to the essence than the RayBan Wayfarers,still genuine direct from the factory made in USA for very little money ! Shuron and RayBan were the two contractors the US government contracted to make the aviators for the US Airforce. RayBan's Wayfarer and Clubmasters is supposly a copy of Shuron's Sidewinders and Ronsir.

Shuron Ltd. / Shuron.com

We sell eyeglasses of all types for the public. We have a wide variety of lenses as well.

www.shuron.com

Thanks for the help

 

[ProbablyBobably]

Found these clubmasters at a flea market.

I guess first question is are they authentic, and secondly what year they are from if that's something you can discern?

The imprint on the end arm reads "W0365 WVAS"

The bridge reads, "B&L RAY BAN U.S.A."

Most importantly though, what lenses can I buy to replace the prescription ones that were put into them?

 

[EdT]

Found these clubmasters at a flea market.

I guess first question is are they authentic, and secondly what year they are from if that's something you can discern?

The imprint on the end arm reads "W0365 WVAS"

The bridge reads, "B&L RAY BAN U.S.A."

Most importantly though, what lenses can I buy to replace the prescription ones that were put into them?

If it has the "B&L" stamp it has to be prior to 1999 before RayBan was sold to Luxottica. The Clubmaster normally had the G-15 lens tint.

 

[ProbablyBobably]

If it has the "B&L" stamp it has to be prior to 1999 before RayBan was sold to Luxottica. The Clubmaster normally had the G-15 lens tint.

Thanks! What size lens? I can't find a number anywhere on the pair.

 

[EdT]

Thanks! What size lens? I can't find a number anywhere on the pair.

The new models come in 49mm or 51mm

Search: 3 results found for "Clubmaster"

shadesdaddy.com

 

[ProbablyBobably]

The new models come in 49mm or 51mm

Search: 3 results found for "Clubmaster"

shadesdaddy.com

Got it, thanks again for your expertise

 

[Balter]

Having trouble identifying these. Frames say B&L Ray-Ban USA and GR 349