WWII Aviation Sunglasses

[Striker]

Could anyone recommend a company that sells good quality replicas of the type of sunglasses worn by pilots during WWII?

Thanks,

Striker

 

[rich]

Could anyone recommend a company that sells good quality replicas of the type of sunglasses worn by pilots during WWII?

Thanks,

Striker

I've got RAF sunglasses from WW2 Striker, and it looks like the current issue is exactly the same as back then. Don't know if you wanted US issue though, but here's a link to the RAF ones.

http://www.silvermans.co.uk/ProductDeta ... fault.aspx

 

[greyhound52]

Interesting how the RAF sunglasses have not changed much since WW2. Pictured below is a pair I have from WW2 in near mint condition with the original box and the issue paper to the flight officer. Enjoy.

 

[rich]

They look superb, in such beautiful condition. Mine don't have the leather cups so now I'm wondering how they attach to the frame? I guess they must have felt the design couldn't be improved, I like the fact they never slip off.

 

[Chandler]

Was there a standard issue for U.S. pilots in WW2? I've seen a lot of different styles in pictures.

I think it's funny how the Ray Ban Aviator has become "in" fashion again -- suddenly I'm hip... and have been for over 20 years!

Chandler

 

[Curahee]

Also try the wayfarer wayyyyy cooler

 

[ace1967]

Sorry to kind of hijack your thread but here's mine. I believe it to be a vintage one with pink bakelite parts on it.

 

[Chandler]

Also try the wayfarer wayyyyy cooler

Got those too, 80s vintage, though I wouldn't call them way cooler, just cool in a different way -- more Getz than Yager.

Chandler

 

[kevlarg]

Also try the wayfarer wayyyyy cooler

Got those too, 80s vintage, though I wouldn't call them way cooler, just cool in a different way -- more Getz than Yager.

Chandler

Or Kennedy style. He looks like a J. Crew add in this photo sporting his wayfarers.

 

[Chandler]

He looks like a J. Crew add in this photo sporting his wayfarers.

I think you might have the comparisons reversed...

Chandler

 

[kevlarg]

He looks like a J. Crew add in this photo sporting his wayfarers.

I think you might have the comparisons reversed...

Chandler

Yes you are correct.

 

[jeroen]

If you're looking for a pair of ww2 shades dont look for replica; the real ones are'nt that expensive and easy to get. Look for sunglasses in militaria and there's bound to be some pairs there. They are also the best made glasses you'll ever buy as the craftmanship on them is just superb. I own a pair of American Opticals and a pair of Bausch and Lomb ray bans from ww11. Both pairs where about $100 on the bay. Beware of 'private purchase' ones. They are almost always from a later date and not the same quality. The real ones seem mostly to have been made by BL and A/O. They come with light green lenses (early war). Later in the war they found that these light lenses where not doing the job well enough so they turned to darker ones and even experimented with grey, brown and yellow lenses. A lot of these glasses wont be marked in any way. You just have to go for some tell tale construction signs. I'll send you a couple of pics if you want to.
Another type of sunglasses i wear a lot are the American Opticals from the Vietnam era ( or to be more precise; they started making em then and they are still in use).
Same applies for those; they are real cool glasses and very well made. If you buy a pair of those on the bay make shure you get proper hgu-45p spec. ones. They also make real crappy aftermarket ones.

 

[rich]

Jeroen, any idea if the UV filters are still effective in old sunglasses? Or if they were ever there at all? I read that tinted glass alone causes the pupil to expand, so as to allow more light in and this is extra damaging to the eye because there's no filtering going on.I wear WW2 sunglasses but on occasion this thought has gone through my mind.

 

[Chandler]

Or if they were ever there at all?

That would be my question -- I thought UV filtering was a relatively recent invention.

Chandler

 

[jeroen]

You guys are probably absolutely right. In a time when it was considered perfectly safe to just wear sunglasses to watch an atomic bomb go off, people where probably totally oblivious to the effect of uv rays. To my best knowledge the whole uv thing appeared not that long ago, which off-course poses the question of why didnt all those bomber crews flying high altitude missions go blind? At those altitudes where the sun is even stronger and uv even less filtered by the atmosphere you'd expect the harmfull effects to be even worse...

 

[rich]

You guys are probably absolutely right. In a time when it was considered perfectly safe to just wear sunglasses to watch an atomic bomb go off, people where probably totally oblivious to the effect of uv rays. To my best knowledge the whole uv thing appeared not that long ago, which off-course poses the question of why didnt all those bomber crews flying high altitude missions go blind? At those altitudes where the sun is even stronger and uv even less filtered by the atmosphere you'd expect the harmfull effects to be even worse...

You make good points Jeroen, and I honestly have no idea about the possibility of UV damage. I guess an optician could test them? Richard Feynman reckoned to have watched the Trinity test in New Mexico through the windscreen of a truck, something to do with this kind of blast not having sufficient harmful u/v - who'd want to risk that though? If I can find out anything, I'll let you know, these old glasses are great but probably not worth cataracts............................. wish I hadn't started this now, sorry

 

[rich]

Jeroen, I had a trawl online and found you can buy this gadget for $20 and find out if your glasses are blocking UV. Maybe it's a crock, but at $20 it might be worth a punt?
http://www.simerec.com/SaviourEyes.html

There's also this, but what his credentials are is anyone's guess........
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/in ... 942AAnhK5W