How many Oakley X-Metals were produced?

[joecool862]

So many made and you never friggin see them in the wild............

Well, as you have frequently said, they are in drawers some where. Forgotten... Floppy... Sad... lol

 

[THE X-MAN]

75% of the tuneups Ive accomplished came from a drawer or a basement that people stopped wearing years ago because they became too loose to wear anymore.this testimonial comes from the emails of all the people who have sent them in to me. I'm wondering how many got just thrown out.But what Ive noticed is when i repair these frames it gets these people interested in the x-metals again and they usually end up buying more.

 

[Ex_Oakley_employee]

The original run of X-metals was before my time at the company. I came in when the likes of JJ were saying their goodbyes. I was brought in on the Lux train, but am and always remain a loyal supporter of the 'O' brand.

What I will say is pertinent to another topic being discussed, is that move away from making frames in the US is also a reason you likely won't see many X-metals in the future. These require a lot of different machinery and technology compared to the relatively cheaper and easier O-matter frames to produce and a move to China where quality remains high but mass production is at an all time high really doesn't suit the X-metal range in the long term, as everyone quickly found out. The profit margins just aren't there compared to O-matter.

Oakley likely won't have a clue how many are made, records were relatively well kept before the merger, but since it's really not been great. Sadly, the community is probably a better source of knowledge than anyone left at the company, that's part of the reason I joined here almost just as a fan really, but it is also a sad reflection of the times. But such is business and such is change.

As for the actual answer? Wow, very difficult to put a number on it. There is someone I might know still around who might give a ballpark figure, I will hit him up this week and see what comes back.

 

[Carrera1963]

75% of the tuneups Ive accomplished came from a drawer or a basement that people stopped wearing years ago because they became too loose to wear anymore.

Is most of your business from outside the forum then Mark?

 

[THE X-MAN]

most is from the website now....lots of newbies.

 

[Ex_Oakley_employee]

EX EMPLOYEE....HERE IS A QUESTION WE ALL WANT ANSWERED

IS THE X-METAL FINISH A COATING OR IS IT A SANDBLASTED FINISH

The current gen are sandblasted. IMO the new X-metal frames stand up better than the older stuff, to sweat, moisture etc. But in honesty, I am not a massive X-metal expert, there are probably those enthusiasts here who know as much if not more than me! X-metal, especially since I was working for the company, is more of a side project, certainly not the future or a big drive towards where Lux wants the company to head.

If X-metal makes a big comeback, you will see more and more O-matter and X-Metal sandblasted mixes. It's probably the only road they can go down to keep costs reasonable and deliver the kind of mass produced models that keeps the profits high.

 

[Lexkempo]

The current gen are sandblasted. IMO the new X-metal frames stand up better than the older stuff, to sweat, moisture etc. But in honesty, I am not a massive X-metal expert, there are probably those enthusiasts here who know as much if not more than me! X-metal, especially since I was working for the company, is more of a side project, certainly not the future or a big drive towards where Lux wants the company to head.

If X-metal makes a big comeback, you will see more and more O-matter and X-Metal sandblasted mixes. It's probably the only road they can go down to keep costs reasonable and deliver the kind of mass produced models that keeps the profits high.

If cost is always a factor, the new Badman/Madman line might also be made in China?

 

[Linegear Japan]

Very interesting discussion, impressive video beyond reason and the Juliet finish.

 

[Ex_Oakley_employee]

If cost is always a factor, the new Badman/Madman line might also be made in China?

Personally, I can't see it not being made in China. With Lux, quality is still high but costs they want to be kept down. As I said, the way X-metal was produced in generations (in the glasses sense) past, meant it's not a range they are going to be in love with. It's something more of a craft producing X-metal, there are very few even within the company that know many of the secrets X-metal still holds, I am sure that is part of the attraction to the fans of X-Metal? If there is a way of combining X-metal and O-matter cheaply, efficiently and it selling, then maybe, just maybe the line will make a big comeback in the eyes of Lux. How much that will sit with the fans as 'true' X-metal as a range, remains to be seen.

I don't know the exact politics with the company over the last 6 months or so, but I really don't see a turnaround in the policy of moving as much to China as possible. Mass production of lenses there will be next, without a doubt.

 

[joecool862]

Personally, I can't see it not being made in China. With Lux, quality is still high but costs they want to be kept down. As I said, the way X-metal was produced in generations (in the glasses sense) past, meant it's not a range they are going to be in love with. It's something more of a craft producing X-metal, there are very few even within the company that know many of the secrets X-metal still holds, I am sure that is part of the attraction to the fans of X-Metal? If there is a way of combining X-metal and O-matter cheaply, efficiently and it selling, then maybe, just maybe the line will make a big comeback in the eyes of Lux. How much that will sit with the fans as 'true' X-metal as a range, remains to be seen.

I don't know the exact politics with the company over the last 6 months or so, but I really don't see a turnaround in the policy of moving as much to China as possible. Mass production of lenses there will be next, without a doubt.

China is cheaper. Period. Cheaper production costs allow for a higher profit margin as long as the glasses are still selling at a premium price. Sounds to me from everything I've read over the last several months that that x-metal line was simply too expensive to maintain. If the margin is higher on glasses easier to produce and there is more demand for the frames which are easier to produce, why wouldn't a large corporation like Lux want to maximize their profits? The current Madman and Badman releases I think are an attempt to fuse something that bears a similarity to the X-metal line to appeal to that fanbase but combines with their existing infrastructure to produce frames as cost effectively as possible.