For a long time, I hated having glasses and especially sunglasses on my face. It wasn’t that glasses are uncomfortable; rather it was having something clouding my vision. Having something limiting my sight irked me, even if they were designed to overcome nearsightedness. This started to change when I got my first pair of Oakley Prizm sunglasses. Having a pair of sunglasses that improved the contrast of the light coming in, as opposed to limiting it was a revelation. Oakley Prizm lenses are designed to filter specific spectrums of light and enhance the wearers’ vision during specific activities. Fishing, shooting, golfing, sports, driving and so on. Since I purchased them, I’ve used them for competition shooting, range time, driving, floating the Puget Sound and broad sweep of other outdoor activities. Retail they are $183 a pair of glasses.
After I lost a pair while on deployment I immediately ordered another pair, that’s how much I liked them. They got blown away when, on a whim, I ordered a pair of sunglasses from Savage Optics. They don’t offer a large selection, but they have the greatest clarity of lenses I’ve had the pleasure of seeing through. My interest was sparked as most things are these days, with a barrage of recommendations on social media. I follow several veteran run companies on Instagram for their content, to support veteran entrepreneurs and to stay on top of new products. After seeing these sunglasses on several of the more reliable companies that I follow, I thought, what the hell, I’ll take a look.
Two of the founders of the company are veterans that have blast injuries from their service in the GWOT (Global War On Terror). Because of these injuries, these two vets had extremely sensitive eyes and traditional sunglasses don’t fulfill their needs. They spent a significant amount of time researching different lenses and how they interact with incoming light. Because of their injuries none of the sunglasses they tried worked out. When the founders spoke at length of their troubles, their friends told them, that with their knowledge they should start their own sunglasses company.
I was skeptical of any company whose motto is to “see the world through savage eyes.” I felt it was a little portentous and if I’m totally honest a little “cool guy” tasteless. I didn’t mind this little bit of promotiveness when I thought it was simply their motto. When my sunglasses arrived, and I discovered “see the world through savage eyes” printed on the frame, I was leery. All the reservations I had, died once I put the glasses on. Coming in at $135, Savage Optics flagship glasses, the S.O. 81’s, are $48 cheaper than the Holbrok Steel Sunglasses I own. I highly recommend these sunglasses if you are in the market for a pair.
Author – John Gobby is a member of 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment. He has served with them for eight years and seven combat deployments. He has experience with both tactical direct action, tactical reconnaissance and covert operations. Recently he has started participating in competition pistol shoots and has a passion for long range shooting.