Ray Ban Aviator reloaded

[robrinay]

Perhaps slightly off the specific topic but certainly closely related - apologies, but I came across a pair of aviator sunglasses in an antique shop on Sunday. They were labelled Algha brand RAF sunglasses 1960’s. They looked like a robust hybrid ‘copy’ of Bausch and Lomb styles. I’ve found others on eBay for quite low prices. Does anyone know if the the RAF issued this brand?

 

[Grant]

I ordered a pair of just the hook temples and retro fitted them to my old Ray Ban's. They really work great.

 

[Greg Gale]

Alright, I gave them a very decent try: I wore them for days by the lake, I took them flying today. The cable temples are pure agony after more than 30 minutes, maybe it's my head/ ear shape... I tried to stretch them, to no avail. So I swapped the temples with my "normal" aviator's, and now it's so much better. Now I understand why the whole eyewear industry steered well clear of the hooks after WWII.

 

[robrinay]

Those hooks don’t look very flexible, maybe that’s the problem - are they made up of segments like the original hooked arms? If they are segmented then they’ll probably loosen up with wear.

 

[Greg Gale]

No ,they are too flexible. You can straighten them with no effort and they will pop right back.

 

[Grant]

Hey Greg,
Sorry the hooked temples didn't work out. The replacement temples came in two different size lengths so I went with the smaller size (165mm) which worked well for my gourd. Maybe a larger size would be better?

Here's another pair of wartime frames with hooked temples I also wear quite a bit.

 

[Silver Surfer]

actually, you can still find original ans aos in excelent condition, ie: unscratched lenses, unbent , and uncracked plastic parts for under $200. the modern versions do not get the light green tint quite right.