"Marking ten years since its debut, the Oakley Tailend returns in a 10th Anniversary edition crafted from premium titanium. Its ultra-lightweight frame ensures lasting comfort, while the faux-rimless design delivers a clean, contemporary edge. A matte finish on the outer orbitals adds subtle texture, balancing modern refinement with the original’s distinctive character. The result is a statement piece that merges Oakley’s design heritage with precision engineering for everyday wear."

Ten years!!! H01B3RG and I did a review of them, and it certain wasn't that long ago. Guess we're old.

Premium titanium? Wonder what that is going to be now. More marketing foo like "X-Metal" which basically meant any old Ti alloy we could get our hands on: https://www.oakleyforum.com/threads/xmetal-what-is-it.119152/page-7#post-1968719

Ten years!!! H01B3RG and I did a review of them, and it certain wasn't that long ago. Guess we're old. - Dann

I remember that review and trip like it was yesterday… not 10yrs ago. Damn, we are old!

That was the 100th O Store Visit trip.

Premium titanium? Wonder what that is going to be now. More marketing foo like "X-Metal" which basically meant any old Ti alloy we could get our hands on: https://www.oakleyforum.com/threads/xmetal-what-is-it.119152/page-7#post-1968719 - andr3

I assume it’s because the Tailend Ti is made in Japan. That type of branding carries a “premium” tag. Japanese-made titanium in the eyewear industry is like “Swiss Made” for the horological industry.

Oakley bought a golf club factory for its X-metals in the mid ‘90’s. It was always gonna be made of consumer-grade materials, especially since eyewear made of titanium was a relatively newer thing back in the day; they certainly weren't gonna invent a new grade of Ti. While the industry has advanced enough these days where some brands use purer titanium (such as Leisure Society’s Pure Block Titanium), most of the high pricing these days is attributed to relatively expensive small batch manufacturing techniques (such as cold rolled titanium in some of Massada’s eyewear) or DMLS printing (such as what Oakley did with the Plantaris Ti and the MUZM X-metals).

Or at least that’s the spin marketing gives you so you pay more.

Yupp, that is another marketing spin. Pure Ti might sound good when you're not a metallurgist. But when you are, you're rolling your eyes because that is the relatively cheap stuff. The alloying elements give it its strength.

There's not a mill on the planet that will make you little quantities you need for making some eyewear frames. Its made in ingots which come upwards of 8t. So of course eyewear makers have to buy the common, commercially available grades from stockists in sheet, plate or bar form (or powder for additive layer manufacturing). Their demand is way too little for approaching a mill directly, much less customizing their own alloys.

As for Japan, Nippon Steel Sumitomo makes Ti over there. Of course, like any other, they make the common grades in the same quality as their competition. Nothing special there.

I like this color way though: http://www.o-review.com/database_detail_colorway.php?ID=14385&table_name=glasses
Can it be purchased anywhere?

I like this color way though: http://www.o-review.com/database_detail_colorway.php?ID=14385&table_name=glasses
Can it be purchased anywhere? - andr3

They arent released yet

They are released now (and even discounted from their steep price). But I still can't find that Oil Slick / Tungsten colorway. Do you know where to get it?

They are released now (and even discounted from their steep price). But I still can't find that Oil Slick / Tungsten colorway. Do you know where to get it? - andr3

In stock.
https://www.coolframes.com/glasses/oakley-polarized-sports-eyewear/oakley-oo6026-tailend-ti-designer-sunglasses.html?color=602604%20TAILEND%20TI%20MATTE%20GOLD%20PRIZM%20TU%20%28GOLD%29&cpn=22886374966&gad_campaignid=22886374966&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9JLHBhC-ARIsAK4PhcpvcT45mtlysYt5wWdjJ3RPcoJbAm7oYrc01vAPbHpsS7N8lNUONZ4aArXEEALw_wcB&kw=&size=56-19-121

Looks like it's listed as Matte Gold. I've updated the DB

I wonder why the Oakley prices are so much higher than the price of the Haven pair..

I wonder why the Oakley prices are so much higher than the price of the Haven pair.. - MicahS

The U.S. has tariffs. Haven is in Canada. If you're buying from Haven in Canada and shipping to the U.S. you're cost will go up. Only way you're getting the Haven price is if you live in Canada and are keeping them in Canada. That's the reason I think. Also when you pay tariffs and import fees when you've bought from another country and it's coming into the U.S. - your "fees" are based on the country it was produced in. So you are going to pay higher fees on these since they were made in China - if I remember correctly that's where these are made because of the Ti - rather than if these were made in Canada.

I wonder why the Oakley prices are so much higher than the price of the Haven pair.. - MicahS

The U.S. has tariffs. Haven is in Canada. If you're buying from Haven in Canada and shipping to the U.S. you're cost will go up. Only way you're getting the Haven price is if you live in Canada and are keeping them in Canada. That's the reason I think. Also when you pay tariffs and import fees when you've bought from another country and it's coming into the U.S. - your "fees" are based on the country it was produced in. So you are going to pay higher fees on these since they were made in China - if I remember correctly that's where these are made because of the Ti - rather than if these were made in Canada. - yelkao

Thats whats strange though. I didnt pay any extra. Even when the invoice came to FedEx I expected import fees but it was for $0...

I wonder why the Oakley prices are so much higher than the price of the Haven pair.. - MicahS

The U.S. has tariffs. Haven is in Canada. If you're buying from Haven in Canada and shipping to the U.S. you're cost will go up. Only way you're getting the Haven price is if you live in Canada and are keeping them in Canada. That's the reason I think. Also when you pay tariffs and import fees when you've bought from another country and it's coming into the U.S. - your "fees" are based on the country it was produced in. So you are going to pay higher fees on these since they were made in China - if I remember correctly that's where these are made because of the Ti - rather than if these were made in Canada. - yelkao

Thats whats strange though. I didnt pay any extra. Even when the invoice came to FedEx I expected import fees but it was for $0... - MicahS

That is weird. I bought something recently off of ebay. A $35 item that I got new (new old stock) for $15 with free shipping. After I paid I remebered about the tariffs, etc. It was coming from Canada. I googled tariffs, import fees and read some things under $800 may be deferred. PLus, I thought $15 coming from Canada the fees can't be that much if there are any. I didn't want to back out on the item after I paid. 3-4 days later I get an email and a text saying fees and duties are $30. SO I paid $45 for a $35 retail item that I was uspposed to get for $15 with free shipping. I asked around and googled it more and found out tariffs, fees, duties are based on the product's origin 0 where it was made - not the country it was shipping from. Si I'd say you got off wasy. LOL But a lot of things I've been looking at are costing more - not all, but a few places are making notes "tariffs included" or "tariffs not included in price." Either way it seems like were paying more.

It seems hard to tell with Oakley. We're so used to them raising prices at random times that it's tough to know if the current high prices of new releases, etc are a result of tariffs or not. Didn't they raise prices a little while back across the board and then maybe 6 months later raised prices across the board again? So the high price of Tailend Ti could be tariffs or not. Who knows?

I've been a Nike fan since I was in third or fourth grade - so along with Oakley - I'm pretty loyal - it's tough to tell with Nike as well. A lot of their shoes seem to be business as usual. But their higher end apparel seem to cost more even for being top tier. The low end and mid-range seem the same. The only difference I've noticed is the expensive apparel seems more expensive. Nike releasing some higher priced items because of tariffs, cost of materials or inflation? Again, who knows?