I need a pair of tough, quality sunglasses...
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 6:54 am
I need a pair of tough, quality sunglasses that won't self destruct 3 months after I buy them because they're made for some semi-sedentary lifestyle that doesn't include all the abuse that I regularly dish out to my glasses. Any suggestions?
I've been using various multiple pairs of old style ray ban wayfarers for the last 2 decades and they have held up remarkably well, but the company was bought out by an Italian firm a few years back and now they have changed the way the glasses are made and they just don't hold up. The critical area that always breaks is in the hinge connection between the frame and the arms. The old style wayfarer that was made in America had a small steel plate that was riveted in two spots to both the arm and the frame. It also had a hinge design that was basically just like a door hinge with multiple interleaved flanges holding the arm and face together. When the glasses would age or get bruised up, it would usually involve the either the hinge pin or the rivets being broken. I was able to extend the life of these glasses merely by inserting a paper clip into whatever orifice was damaged and bending it around until it locked off. This way I was able to save an otherwise usable pair of glasses for many months or even years before they would finally die...
Now that the Italian company has taken over the ray ban brand they make a similar looking wayfarer model, but the hinge they have put on it is just totally weak, worthless, and unrepairable. I have used two different pairs of the newer wayfarers and have broken them both within 6 month, whereas old style wayfarers I could keep going for years by fixing them when necessary as they aged. So, I quit buying the newer models and have for the past few years been buying vintage wayfarers on ebay when I need a pair. The only problem is that they are getting not only scarcer, but way more expensive, so I am now looking for sunglasses that are both currently produced, quality, and tougher than hell.
Any ideas?
I've been using various multiple pairs of old style ray ban wayfarers for the last 2 decades and they have held up remarkably well, but the company was bought out by an Italian firm a few years back and now they have changed the way the glasses are made and they just don't hold up. The critical area that always breaks is in the hinge connection between the frame and the arms. The old style wayfarer that was made in America had a small steel plate that was riveted in two spots to both the arm and the frame. It also had a hinge design that was basically just like a door hinge with multiple interleaved flanges holding the arm and face together. When the glasses would age or get bruised up, it would usually involve the either the hinge pin or the rivets being broken. I was able to extend the life of these glasses merely by inserting a paper clip into whatever orifice was damaged and bending it around until it locked off. This way I was able to save an otherwise usable pair of glasses for many months or even years before they would finally die...
Now that the Italian company has taken over the ray ban brand they make a similar looking wayfarer model, but the hinge they have put on it is just totally weak, worthless, and unrepairable. I have used two different pairs of the newer wayfarers and have broken them both within 6 month, whereas old style wayfarers I could keep going for years by fixing them when necessary as they aged. So, I quit buying the newer models and have for the past few years been buying vintage wayfarers on ebay when I need a pair. The only problem is that they are getting not only scarcer, but way more expensive, so I am now looking for sunglasses that are both currently produced, quality, and tougher than hell.
Any ideas?