eyewear

Gatorz Magnum | Reviewed

When it comes to sunglasses there is quite a smattering of products used among Special Operations groups. However you seem to see two main brands used. Oakley and Gatorz. Up until yesterday I had no experience using Gatorz though I had on many occasions seen my coworkers or other Operators utilizing them. My experience lay primarily with Oakley sunglasses which I am a huge fan of. However when I opened the package for the Gatorz Magnum sunglasses to review, I was immediately impressed. The frame is constructed of 7075 Billet Aircraft Aluminum and it feels solid, and unlike any other sport / tactical sunglass pair I’ve worn up until now. The fit is what really sells it for me however.

The frame can be custom fit by slowly bending the heat-treated metal to contour to your face perfectly. Gone are the days of having sunglasses that are never really all that comfortable and cause hotspots. The frame is also very thin compared to its plastic framed brethren. This is very advantageous when wearing them under hearing protection / peltors. The thin frame allows the hearing protection to seal around the ear better, which protects your hearing more efficiently. The thin frame also alleviates the headache you can get from having a thick plastic frame pressed into your temples for hours on end. Further the styling on the Gatorz is spot on. I’m one of those guys who always looks bad in sunglasses and spends an hour finding the right pair – right out of the box this is the right pair.

I’m encouraged by the metal frame – I’ve broken many sunglasses in my job via parachuting and generally doing ops in the field. I believe that the metal frame will withstand the forces of austere environments much better than a plastic frame will. The hinge between the frame and the arms is reinforced by 5 barrel hinges, two per arm riveted in place. In comparison to the many different sunglasses that I’ve used which feature a single plastic hinge which is easily broken.

The optical quality is superb and was one thing I immediately noticed when walking outside. Everything looks sharp. My sunglasses are the grey polarized lenses and they seem well constructed utilizing TruRay optics. TruRay optics boasts impact and scratch resistance. I talked with one of the Pararescuemen that I’ve worked with in the past and he showed me his pair that he’d had for 3 years and the lenses seems to have held up very well through multiple deployments and freefall jumps. Despite all of the abuse that they have sustained they seem quite scratch free and he commented favorably upon using them for the past 3 years of his career.

Time will only tell how they hold up. I’ll be doing multiple jumps with them in the coming days and then they’ll be out to a field op for a week in the mountains for survival instructing. Stand by for a full review once I’ve had some more hands on time with the Gatorz Magnums!

Emerson Commander and Desert Roadhouse eyewear

Emerson Eyewear: The Commander and Desert Roadhouse

Until recently I had no clue that Emerson Knives, the company known for making high quality knives, made eyewear, but they do and they’re pretty good at it. I got my hands on a pair of the Commander and also a pair of their Desert Roadhouse eyewear. Both pairs share many similarities but have different styles.

Both the Commander and Desert Roadhouse feature TR 90 high impact frames that make a solid but lightweight pair of sunglasses. They also feature impact resistant ballistic shatterproof lenses that have the ANSI Z87.1-2010 rating, which makes them great for a day on the range, real world tactical work or any other activity which requires high performance safety glasses. The lenses are also polarized which neutralizes glare and enhances clarity.

The lenses on both pairs are also coated in a special anti-scratch coating to help protect the lenses against the abuse of being thrown in a bag or and other action which could scratch the lenses. Both pair of glasses come with a soft bag for storage that also doubles as a lens cloth.

I thought that both pairs are very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time and did not make my eyes feel fatigued for any reason. However, I personally liked the Desert Roadhouse pair over the Commander. The Commander features a more curved temple pieces that make it difficult to put on the top of your head when your sunglasses are not needed. Also, when I received my shipment of glasses one of the temple pieces was loose and moved freely and the other was tight. Even after attempting to tighten the screw I was unable to fix the problem, which I found annoying considering the price of the glasses.

Overall, Both pairs are high quality and do an excellent job of protecting your eyes.

You can see the full line of Emerson eyewear on their website

Author – Cameron Paidousis is a former Police Officer and is a current member in the Air National Guard where he serves in Security Forces. For his civilian job he works as security contractor for the U.S. Government. When not working he enjoys spending time with his family along with kayaking, hiking, and traveling.

Oakley Standard Issue Prizm Maritime Review

Disclaimer: Huge Oakley fan so I’m biased towards these awesome lenses.

I first discovered Oakley Stand Issue’s (SI) Prizm technology back at the 2015 SHOT show in Vegas. I’ve had a chance to use Oakley’s glasses on the range and was instantly impressed with how much of an advantage they create in clarity over other shades.

In simple terms, Oakley SI Prizm tech takes your planned environment (shooting range, ocean, etc.) and customizes the lens to be most optimal in a particular environment.

I had a chance to use the glasses on a trip to Puerto Rico where I was in and out of the water and the Prizm Maritime is just bad ass. My girlfriend was laughing at how obsessed I was with the glasses until she swapped her’s for mine and saw how the surface of the ocean just opened up with color and shade from the reef below. Ironically they’re her glasses now.

Side note: I also use the glasses flying, and as a pilot I find it much easier to pick out traffic in congested class Bravo airspace with Prizm technology.

Go get a pair, they’re worth it.

Head over to Oakley Standard Issue to get your pair of Prizm Maritime.

Revision Hellfly Ballistic Sunglasses With Photochromic Lenses

Revision Military recently released a new model of the popular Hellfly ballistic sunglasses. The difference with this model is they have photochromic lenses. As most of you know these lenses darken as the amount of UV rays increases and become almost clear as the UV rays decrease.

This type of lense has been available in prescription glasses for many years. With this new model they are offered without a prescription lense as a base option. If needed they can be ordered with an appropriate prescription lenses. Of course the big plus is they meet the military requirement for ballistic eyewear.

I’ve worn these for several weeks now and I like them. The nose piece is easily adjusted, they weigh very little and don’t have that annoying tendency to slide down your nose. That can be especially irritating when you’re on the range! I found they do work as advertised. If you’ve never used glasses with photochromic lenses you need to be aware that the lenses don’t immediately change quickly or become as dark as they will be after some use. After a few hours in the sun the lenses react better and become darker faster. This is just the nature of the lens when first used and exposed to the sun.

Oakley SI Launches New PRIZM Maritime for Everyday Wear

Not all sunglasses are created equal and not all sunglasses are great for every occasion. If you’re going to wear a pair of M Frames around your local watering hole, you might as well strap on an ACU CamelBak as well and mark yourself the sore thumb in the room. You want great eyewear that will blend in with your environment, but that doesn’t mean you need to wear of pair of hipster neon green knockoff Ray-Bans either.

Oakley SI heard your cry for a “all-rounder” and is taking their new line of PRIZM lenses and expanding them throughout their range of eyewear. Just launched is Oakley’s new PRIZM Maritime line of eyewear. Oakley SI are calling these their “Go anywhere, do anything” eyewear. These are definitely a more lifestyle oriented line from Oakley SI, but still have some of the same hard wearing and comfort components found in their ballistic/shooting line of glasses for the everyday operator.

The Oakley SI PRIZM Maritime come in three different models: SI VALVE, SI CHAINLINK, and SI FIVES SQUARED. All models come with new PRIZM polarized lenses and give the user options for which style they prefer. From sight casting on your favorite river, running a PSD, to grabbing a brew at your local brew house, the PRIZM Maritime look to fill a hole in the Oakley SI collection.

Oakley Launches New PRIZM Maritime for Everyday Wear — Oakley SI VALVE

Get your new Oakley PRIZM Maritime eyewear here.

Features (as listed by Oakley SI):

Prizm™ Maritime: Prizm™ Maritime Polarized reduces glare, increases contrast and clarity allowing the user to better navigate and see through the water.
Plutonite® Lens: One of the most optically pure materials used in eyewear today, it maximizes clarity and impact resistance while filtering out 100% of all UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light up to 400nm. Not a coating, the UV protection is from the lens material itself.
High Definition Optics®: High Definition Optics® (HDO®) is a collection of patented technologies that allow Oakley eyewear to meet or exceed the testing standards of the American National Standards Institute for optical clarity, visual fidelity, and impact resistance.
Impact Protection: Backed by decades of innovation, Oakley performance eyewear offers uncompromising protection against high-velocity and high-mass impact. The protection is a benefit of the premium materials and unique architectures of Oakley lens/frame combinations.
UV Protection: Eye damage attributed to ultraviolet light includes cataracts, pterygium and macular degeneration. Our Plutonite® lens material filters out 100% of all UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light up to 400nm. The protection is from the lens material itself.
Three-Point Fit: A patented innovation that ensures the frame makes contact only at the bridge of the nose and the sides of the head. It holds lenses in precise optical alignment with a secure fit that eliminates the pressure points common with frames that hook the ears.
O-Matter™: A stress-resistant frame material that withstands environmental extremes, it is lightweight yet highly durable. Controlled flexibility enhances impact resistance while contributing to the all-day comfort of frames made with this innovative synthetic.
Iridium®: Designed to balance light transmission and reduce glare, this premium lens coating is made with superheated metal oxides. It is available in a spectrum of colors for optimizing vision in virtually any light condition.
Unobtainium®: A soft hydrophilic synthetic, it increases adhesion when wet to grip better when you perspire. This makes it ideal for earsocks and nose pads in performance eyewear.
Oakley HDPolarized®: Improving safety, comfort and performance, Oakley HDPolarized lenses filter out 99% of reflected glare without the haze and optical distortion that can come with polarized lenses made with conventional manufacturing techniques.

(Images Courtesy of Oakley SI)