Some Misconceptions Cleared Up On Oakleys From China.

[Rustpot]

FWIW, Lexan is a DuPont trade name for polycarbonate. Same as Kevlar is their name for aramid fibers. Kind of like "Kleenex" being used to refer to facial tissues.

If you have a bucket of nothing but long strands of carbonate, you have pure polycarbonate. Whether Plutonite is pure polycarb or has some additives I don't know... and that's exactly what Oakley wants.

 

[702baby]

interesting reads so far

 

[Sunglass Shack]

And to also clarify, Becky described the plutonite as the most optically PURE lexan possible, not as polycarbonate. She was/is (I am not sure anymore) the head of RX Manufacturing at the time in '09 of the Co-Pilot event.

plutonite is still polycarbonate, no matter what name they make up for it. Polycarbonate goes by the trademarked name of Lexan (among a few others). Essentially it's the exact same thing. (EDIT: Ahh I see Rustpot beat me to it!)

Now, as far as the making lenses across the street goes, if that were the case, it must have been in the last year if at all.

This is referring to when Oakley was first beginning, probably going 30 years back. My rep had pictures in a slideshow he showed me a long time ago. It was just a neat story that I always remembered. =)

That makes absolutely ZERO sense. Polycarbonate mean "many carbonate". "Poly" is synonymous with plastic since plastics are long, repeating molecular chains, so their chemical name almost always begins with "poly-". Whether or not there's goop in the vat, there's no raw Carbon involved.

I'm going off remember this from years back as explained to me by a couple reps. I am actually skimming through an old e-mail I saved on this subject. "The process of purifying the production of our polycarbonate lens is possible through the filtering out of diphenyl carbonate", which was where the carbon reference came from. I take it it must be possible to create polycarbonate by using diphenyl carbonate (whatever that is). I'm no scientist, I just sell sunglasses. This process has been explained to me by a few reps from different brands. Whether or not it is a HUGE selling scheme or has something to do with using diphenyl carbonate to make lenses, I don't know. I just was trying to be helpful and pass along information I deemed to be true by sunglass reps in the business for 30+ years.

 

[Rustpot]

diphenyl carbonate (whatever that is)

It's used with BPA to make "quick" polycarbonate. Hence the big controversy over BPA being in things like polycarb eating/drinking/food storage stuff, especially for small children.

Making BPA-free polycarbonate involves several more steps and makes several more byproducts.

But transesterification (using phenol, bleach, etc) still makes BPA out of polycarbonate, no matter the process to get there. Which is funny when something polycarb is claimed BPA-free.

 

[dr.chop]

plutonite is still polycarbonate, no matter what name they make up for it. Polycarbonate goes by the trademarked name of Lexan (among a few others). Essentially it's the exact same thing. (EDIT: Ahh I see Rustpot beat me to it!)


This is referring to when Oakley was first beginning, probably going 30 years back. My rep had pictures in a slideshow he showed me a long time ago. It was just a neat story that I always remembered. =)


I'm going off remember this from years back as explained to me by a couple reps. I am actually skimming through an old e-mail I saved on this subject. "The process of purifying the production of our polycarbonate lens is possible through the filtering out of diphenyl carbonate", which was where the carbon reference came from. I take it it must be possible to create polycarbonate by using diphenyl carbonate (whatever that is). I'm no scientist, I just sell sunglasses. This process has been explained to me by a few reps from different brands. Whether or not it is a HUGE selling scheme or has something to do with using diphenyl carbonate to make lenses, I don't know. I just was trying to be helpful and pass along information I deemed to be true by sunglass reps in the business for 30+ years.

Well, 30 years ago is far from today, and far far far from yesterday. Technology has changed, Oakley has changed, and the market has changed. I am sure that when they were started in Pasadena, it was one thing, then in Irvine, another. I have been to the Irvine location actually, and it was a far cry from anything like now. It was very bland and typical of a commercial building in OC. To compare what and how they did things in '84 is kind of pointless, especially when interjecting it in a today situation. Um, in 1984, I listened to cassette tapes on a Sony Walk Man, attended elementary school, and wore a pair of razor blades. Well, maybe 1985. Today, if I touched a 1984/85 pair of razors, they would probably crack at the hinge, I can't even find anything to play a cassette tape, let alone find one to put in a player, and I have kids that aren't even in elementary school. So ya, the misconceptions, well, doubtful that much of it not being done in China is the misconception.

And as for TM names and such of materials, well, that too is really irrelevant because the use what they use and won't give out the formula. The basis still is what it is. X Metal is a proprietary blend of 9 metals (as told in the Co-Pilot event as well), of which no truck carried multiple components at the same time, and nobody but the people making them knew what it really consisted of. But hey, it's titanium, right? Ya. Enough for me. I got some shades to tend to lol. Good luck in finding that pot of gold with the lil Leprechaun guardin it too there.

 

[Sunglass Shack]

I love lamp.

I can tell that you really have scrutinized what was meant to be a little fun tid-bit of information. At one point in Oakley's history they trucked lenses across the road from one plant over to their assembly/frame plant. It was merely meant to be a fun reference to Oakleys history. It's a true statement that I did not make up and simply thought there were many people here that would read it and say "oh, that's kinda cool." Like I did, when I saw the slideshow and learned it for myself the first time. I am sorry you hate slideshows and also sorry that you also hate the 1980's as well as factual information seen in slideshows from the 1980's. I think perhaps I put a comma in a spot where a comma didn't belong. If you like we could go back and talk for a couple pages on correct grammar and punctuation. My thread is not by any means me saying "hey everybody! Look at me try to throw out some facts to you fellas!" I merely have seen many Oakley "newbies" posting here talking about Oakleys lenses being made in China and simply wanted the non-gurus to know the facts as well as some fun side information (that just may be irrelevant to my main point) was just meant to be a little bit of fun. I am also sorry that you hate fun.

X Metal is a proprietary blend of 9 metals (as told in the Co-Pilot event as well), of which no truck carried multiple components at the same time, and nobody but the people making them knew what it really consisted of. But hey, it's titanium, right? Ya.

I agree with you on this but this no longer made material is relevant to frames being produced in China how? I just don't understand the point you are trying to make.

If trying to educate the Oakley NON-gurus on here about Oakley not making their lenses in China is me somehow trying to find a pot of gold and leprechauns, well ... all I can say to that is "I love lamp." Because I don't have a clue what you are talking about.

I forgot just how fun forums can be.

 

[Sunglass Shack]

 

[Sunglass Shack]

I also have some other fun facts for the non-guru Oakley members here:

- Oakley got its name from a shipping vessel from the 1400's that shipped rocks from China to Russia.

- Oakley was originally founded in 1932 by Sir Ian McKellam of Nottingshire but was closed only 4 years into production from a warehouse fire. The patents were later bought out by Jim and the compny was reopened.

- Oakley also has 16 fast foods franchise locations in Sweden. When you purchase any of their combo meals you get a scratch card with up to 30% off your sunglass purchase (only can be used on Oakley.com and not in any of their Vault stores).

 

[qtrain23]

I also have some other fun facts for the non-guru Oakley members here:

- Oakley got its name from a shipping vessel from the 1400's that shipped rocks from China to Russia.

- Oakley was originally founded in 1932 by Sir Ian McKellam of Nottingshire but was closed only 4 years into production from a warehouse fire. The patents were later bought out by Jim and the compny was reopened.

- Oakley also has 16 fast foods franchise locations in Sweden. When you purchase any of their combo meals you get a scratch card with up to 30% off your sunglass purchase (only can be used on Oakley.com and not in any of their Vault stores).

So false.

 

[Rustpot]

For the record, I liked your post. Not that I clicked the contrived "like" button, but that I enjoyed the message and content.

I just felt the need to correct a grossly misinformed error. If there's one thing people do; it's parrot information they read or heard and repeat it like Gospel. My intent is the pursuit of truth. Scientific truth, historical truth, personal truth, whatever.

No, I'm not going to jump on your for grammar mistakes. *Unless you're trying to teach grammar.*

That bold and italic statement encircled in asterisks being the key statement. Once you stray from opinions and conjecture into fact and teaching... well you better have a firm grasp on what it is you're talking about, or be ready for people who know more about the subject to correct you.

I also have a penchant to ramble on about completely unrelated topics. Which is why I typed a few hundred words in this reply and deleted 85% of it.

Edit: And why I just edited this post to remove "3/4" and replace it with 85%, which I believe better represents the amount I redacted before posting.

I'm an engineer, if you're wondering. Overly specific to the point of social awkwardness.