Eye protection is very important, even more so now that I have to protect my laser enhanced $4K eyeballs. There are a lot of factors when selecting the right eye pro for you; fit, comfort, lens ballistic rating, and are the fucking cool?!
Oakley...how long have they been the standard? M Frames have been around for a long time, and I still get issued new sets every year. I'm definitely not going to complain, but are they the standard? I think by and large, they are the measuring stick for eye pro/sunglasses issued in the military. What exactly makes them the standard? They're made in the U.S.A., their lens's offer impact resistance, offer prescription options, along with all the polarization and tint options we've come to expect. Now take into account how many leading eye wear manufacturers have made their own M Frame versions; Wiley X, ESS, and Revision comes to mind right off the top of my head.
My Oakley M Frame's
My Oakley Fives Squared
My Oakley (4+1)2
My Oakley GasCan
So, in my quest for the perfect pair of shades...and the eternal struggle to never become any ones fan-boy....I have spent the last year or so looking elsewhere. Please take into account that what you see below are only models/frames I have spent time wearing. I have been issued 3 sets of the ESS ICE eye pro since 2006, 1 set of some Wiley X things, and have recently been issued 1 set of the Revision Sawfly. Because I have spent zero minutes with these things on my face, they are not in the review. They were tried on one time and the mirror told me - "you look like a mongoloid!" The first two photos will show exactly why I have been running off and on since the fall of 2006.
My first reach-out was based on a recommendation by my good friend TK. He let me know that he had been doing a lot of research on their products, and talking to some folks who really know about the company. So I called Liquid and got to their President, Ken Wilson. I explained to him who we were, what we do, and that my inquiry was purely for personal us and not business related. Regardless, Ken is a good dude and he gave them to me at the pro deal. Because of that, I ordered a few extra sets for my team.
We ordered the "Gasket" and the "Player" models. You will see the Gasket model in the photos, but know that the Player model is the same design, but a little more narrow. These models are a 100% aluminum frame and do not have hinged arms. While I think this lends itself to being closer to your face while worn, it also allows for great peripheral vision while worn...probably the best I've experienced. This is also the reason I hate these sunglasses and they are a "truck worn only" pair of sunglasses. I dig the concept but when the rubber meets the road, there is no good way to stow them. Additionally, we had a frame break on us unexpectedly...not real sure why that happened. To their credit, when I contacted Ken about the cracked frame, he told me to send them back and they would replace them right away.
After the Liquid shades became the "in the visor, worn in the truck only" shades, I began my search anew. This time I went to Revision based on a recommendation by my buddy who works at A7 at National Guard Bureau. He explained to me that they were working with Revision in a number of areas. So I started doing homework on them and ended up at one of their sales managers...Nick V...something. Long story short, I fell into a free...you won the contest pair of Revision Hellfly's over on
www.lightfighter.net. I asked if they could send them with the photochromatic lenses...any they said they would. 4 days later they show up and I put them on to go mow my lawn. Mind you, I had recently had LASIK surgery, so my eyes were very sensitive to light. These transition lenses are not good on cloudy days, in a vehicle...basically anywhere UV rays can be filtered. I absolutely cannot wear them when driving as my vehicle glass (which is standard factory) filters out too much UV, not causing the lenses to transition. That said, when you are in a position for them to work, they transition well and quickly. The next thing I want to convey about these is that they are hands down the most comfortable sunglasses I've ever owned. The are adjustable for the bridge of your nose; the arms are rubberized on the interior of the arms; they are lightweight...just all around comfy!
Eye Pro. It is an important piece of your PPE. It is important to take the ratings serious and not go to war with your cheap ass Wal Mart rack sunglasses. There are pro's and con's to everything that I have talked about previous. Pound for pound, especially if you can buy through US Standard Issue, Oakley is still the standard. Revision is close behind with the Hellfly...but its their only real option for those who don't buy Oakley. Your results may vary.
