Penny - Conflicted; To Buy, Or Not To Buy?!

[PWG]

I LOVE X-Metals! I've been wearing a Titanium Juliet for about 6 years as my daily wears, and also have XSs that I plan on converting to Rx lenses. Started thinking it would be nice to have more XMs since they're so awesome. I like the look of the Penny. I've got a deal on the table to get a Ti pair for $365. The guy says he got them in 2003, tried them on and never wore them.

For people who fit Julet's well, do the Penny's fit similarly? Mine fit great, with some slight room on the sides (i.e. I can fit my fingers thru), so thinking the Penny's may not be too small. My concern is maybe they're too old, and I would need to then think about getting spare parts and maintaining them. And maybe lenses that old will start delaminating once I start wearing and cleaning them, and I'll have to get those replaced. And maybe they're just not different enough from the Juliet to be worthwhile. OR, maybe I should make them into Rx instead of the XS.

As a sneaker lover, I have WAY too many shoes, so I'm trying to control myself by not over-collecting Ms. Maybe the real question is whether they're awesome and diff enough to Juliets to be worth having, and whether their age should be concerning, as I wouldn't want to have to spend money refurbishing them.

I'm sure the hardcore collectors among you think this is a pathetic question...heh! And of course no one else can really tell someone how to spend their money, or manage their priorities, but would like to hear people's thoughts about Penny's vs. Juliets in terms of uniqueness, and maintenance nonetheless. Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts.

 

[Lupetto]

Penny shape is probably the most beautiful sexy of all x-metals but they are generally too small for most faces. I don't have any in my collection as I like to wear but if I wanted something to display I would go for it.

Juliets are best for overall replacement parts availability. Penny hinges are the suck to fix.

 

[PWG]

I definitely want to wear. Wish I could try on before purchasing to know. I've ready numerous times on this forum that they fit too small for many. The comparison thread really shows how much smaller they are. Tell me more about the hinges. What's goes wrong? They're more than a basic hinge?

 

[Lupetto]

The hinge is unique to the penny and it's very different ( not sure about romeo 2 or half x) from any other x-metal hinge ( usually easy to maintain) it uses a plunger? Set up and spring style so it can flex past straight ( I found this made them a bit loose feeling)

 

[PWG]

Ahh...I can't recall where, but I have seen such a hinge before (not Oakleys). I can see how that could get problematic for repair and fit.

 

[supersharp]

Penny is very different from the Juliet. Very much worth picking up. If you don't like it you can always resell it. Just don't overpay.

 

[PWG]

$365 for supposedly new but tried on....no box....reasonable? Would have to sell them for about $425 on eBay to break even if they don't fit.

 

[cacatman]

Totally agree with all of @Lupetto's comments. If you wear Juliets with 15 t-shox, they'll feel marginally "looser" because of the hinges. They won't crush your skull like Juliets do. The other thing to note is that because they're slightly older, sometimes one or both of the hinge mechanisms "stiffen" up, so that when you wear them, sometimes, they need minor adjustment on the face so they sit right (which is unlike the other "non-spring" hinged x-metals).

Personally, I love the Pennies. I love the sculptured orbital shape near the nose bridge. The orbital size is marginally smaller than a juliet, so they suit Asian faces well (as they don't sit at all on the cheeks).

The copper with VR 28 are the most expensive, but polished with custom cut DWP or ruby lenses look simply superb.

$365 is a good price and well worth the risk IMHO.

 

[PWG]

More good feedback; thank you! Ironically, I was thinking how my Juliets might need a tune up. When holding near the bridge and flexing, the arms will move towards each other at least an inch. They're not quite falling off, and there's no flex if I hold them hanging at the nose bridge. Compared to my XS, which have no flex without applying unnatural pressure, and crush the skull as you describe. I'm still trying to figure out if they actually fit perfectly, or need a tune up. I never considered a tune up until trying on my skull crushing XS ;-). Maybe they're just perfectly adjusted to my face! I do like the sculpted orbitals of the Penny!

 

[cacatman]

More good feedback; thank you! Ironically, I was thinking how my Juliets might need a tune up. When holding near the bridge and flexing, the arms will move towards each other at least an inch. They're not quite falling off, and there's no flex if I hold them hanging at the nose bridge. Compared to my XS, which have no flex without applying unnatural pressure, and crush the skull as you describe. I'm still trying to figure out if they actually fit perfectly, or need a tune up. I never considered a tune up until trying on my skull crushing XS ;-). Maybe they're just perfectly adjusted to my face! I do like the sculpted orbitals of the Penny!

If they flex by an inch, I'd say they need a tuneup.

Imho there's no other choice than to send them to @THE X-MAN to do it. You may be concerned at the price, but please factor in that you will NEVER have to do anything else to them once he does them. Most of us here like the nosebridge "super tight".

I've "tuned" them myself before and had 3 other people tune pairs before. None of us beat the X-man. I think it's because of the car tyre rubbers he allegedly uses which makes them slightly flexible, but tight.