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Tell tell signs that a frame has been refinished?

DrtyHarry

Oakley Expert
So I have two pairs of Juliets that are in rather good condition that DO NOT have serial numbers on them. They appear to be X-METAL in color. However, I am not sure if they are original XM or if they have been redone. One could be original, and the other could be redone. Or they can both be original but just different generations...which would explain the slight difference in color. ORRRR....they are both redone.

Never the less...they both look great and function 100%. However, I am toying with the notion of either selling or trading one of them for something else....and I don't want to list it as original if it's been redone or vice versa. Is there a way one can tell if a finish is original or not? I'm sure if done right, the entire frame is taken apart and each piece is done completely...so I don't think looking for sections that are a different shade will help. Thoughts?

I guess I can post some pics and see what you guys think...


Harry

pics to follow
 
So I have two pairs of Juliets that are in rather good condition that DO NOT have serial numbers on them. They appear to be X-METAL in color. However, I am not sure if they are original XM or if they have been redone. One could be original, and the other could be redone. Or they can both be original but just different generations...which would explain the slight difference in color. ORRRR....they are both redone.

Never the less...they both look great and function 100%. However, I am toying with the notion of either selling or trading one of them for something else....and I don't want to list it as original if it's been redone or vice versa. Is there a way one can tell if a finish is original or not? I'm sure if done right, the entire frame is taken apart and each piece is done completely...so I don't think looking for sections that are a different shade will help. Thoughts?

I guess I can post some pics and see what you guys think...


Harry

pics to follow
Pics may help. Someone that does this kind of work may weigh in to help as well.
 
hmmmmmm that is hard especially on an xmetal finish........................plasma, carbon would be much easier.
 
I'll get some pics up tomorrow. It's hard to tell because I have noticed a difference in shade in different generations of XM finishes. And in some generations, the titanium and plasma finishes are so close...I'm not even sure why they bothered to make two finishes that were so much alike. I often have difficulty remembering what is plasma and what is titanium...I need to check the serial number to be sure.

I guess if I can't tell 100%, I'll just state in my description that I don't know if the finish is OEM or not...for reasons of full disclosure. I can simply put "as is" but...I'd rather be as honest as possible.


Harry
 
Harry I like that you're trying to fully disclose if those finishes are original or not, good for you being a scrupulous and honest seller. (That is the norm in here). If you can't completely say yes or no I don't see anyone in here having a problem with you just stating you're not sure. If you throw a whole bunch of pics in your sale thread I and anyone else in here wouldn't rule out buying them for that reason...and if they would it's because they only want absolutely original pieces in their collection and that's to be understood.
 
The finishes are great.....if they had serials, I would understand. But with no serial....at least for me, as long as the finish looks nice, that's all that would matter to me. However, full disclosure....always.
 
One of the ways to tell an X-metal refinish from oem is comparing to a fresh set,some X-metal finishes are dark dark and some early examples are light almost silver.is the rubber tight and not so spongy like oem ?
Because it's such a small world in the x metal field telling us who you got them from may help
 
One of the ways to tell an X-metal refinish from oem is comparing to a fresh set,some X-metal finishes are dark dark and some early examples are light almost silver.is the rubber tight and not so spongy like oem ?
Because it's such a small world in the x metal field telling us who you got them from may help

Asking who I got them from would be best...but there are two concerns. One, is who I got them with telling me the truth? And two, in some cases I forgot who I got them from....not to mention I also have a few pairs of glasses that were given to me as gifts. As much as I would like to think I have always been told the truth...I wouldn't bet the farm on it. And yes....my O collection has grown a great deal and it's become rather difficult to keep track. I was never really so concerned about OEM finishes and serial numbers. I wear my glasses...all of them. I just keep all my glasses with different lenses as to match whatever clothing I am going to wear on that specific day. If I am wearing a blue shirt for example...I'd pick a set of frames that have ice lenses. Or if I am wearing red...something with ruby. Etc....

Now that I am going to start sending some of my glasses in for some custom work, it makes sense that I send in glasses that don't have a serial number...and ones that have all ready been refinished. Not long ago, the difference in price between some serial and non serial frames was not that great. However, I have noticed that frames with serial numbers have been fetching more and more money as of recent.

I really like wearing my black carbon Juliets. They are Ducati serials....and I have found myself switching lenses out far too often. With that said, to cut down in switching lenses so often, I think I may send some of my other Julies in to be refinished...or try and find some more carbon frames. That's when I noticed some of my XM Juliets varied in color a good bit...and couldn't figure out if any were refinished or not.

And as for my Pennys....my preferred frame, I started not to wear them as much because the frames were not black. So, I just sent my first set to the X-Man to have him cerekote a non serial frame that needed tuning. I have a feeling that I'm going to start wearing these a whole lot more...and instead of swapping lenses out all the time, perhaps I should send in another to have done in black. That was my plan, but the ones I picked up on eBay the other day for a mere $218....turned out to be a near PERFECT serial set with near mint ruby lenses. I don't think I want to send those in, I'd rather keep them as is and hope to find another "beater" frame that I can send in it's place. Or at least that's the plan....meanwhile, having @Chris A Hardaway starting to cut me more sets of lenses for my Pennys and a few more for my Julies.... :)


Harry
 

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