Hello folks,

Just posing a question to you all. With all the great lenses that Oakley has made polarized.. why do you think they have not made the ruby lenses polarized? Should they? I know I would buy some. While I'm at it, I'd really love to see some 24k polarized lenses as well. Tell me what you think.

Sure it's possible. Don't know if Oakley's ever produced some yet though, at least not for commercial sale.

Most polarized lenses sell at a premium, so Oakley probably wants to make sure the colourways they produce will definitely sell. That is why polarized colourways are usually blacks and browns, which are the biggest colour sellers in Oakley, anyway, I think. Neil, Phil, Fred, Paul, or Alex can probably weigh in there (did I forget anyone?).

I also wonder about the polarized demographic. If it's older folks (how's that for a stereotype), maybe they are less enamoured with 24k, Ruby, etc. so it's a decision targeted at the most common purchaser of polarized glasses.

Finally, the polarized filter affects transmission, so it may be a balancing act to keep a 24k polarized lens very similar to 24k in all other respects. You can't just throw in a darkening filter (polarizing filters will inevitably reduce transmission) and assume everything else will be the same. Or can you?

I can't tell the difference between Black Iridium and BI Polarized in terms of transmission (it's only 1% dif.). Maybe someone can...

I think the big thing preventing Oakley from producing polarized versions of the Premium Iridium lenses is the cost inherent in the failure rate: the cost of Ruby lenses is a byproduct of their difficulty to produce. Out of every batch, a bunch get canned. This would really hurt if Oakley had to start trashing a bunch of Ruby Polarized blanks that didn't make the cut after the Iridium chamber.

Popularity is a minor factor too. Though it's hard to say exactly, since there are only a few polarized colors. Gold and Black are the big sellers, but they're readily available. Fire and Ice are popular too, but they're less common.

Costa del Mar sells really well in my area (2 hours from Costa's factory/HQ). And they only have 4 real lens options: Amber and Grey, then Amber with Green mirror and Grey with Blue mirror. They all sell in equal numbers, though younger customers tend toward the mirrors. Older folks and the ladies tend to get the plain ones.

Maybe it has something to do with the blue lens not working very well with polarization

Well, polarization does not always darken things, look at ti (10%) and ti polarized (12%). I would say that the way things are now the vast majority of polarized glasses we sell are just for the basic purpose of general use. I do sell a good number of fire polarized juliets but that is a minimized crowd with no real set buyer statistic. For OCP sports stuff, mainly the HJ, fire polarized is bought by kids who want the cool look and the parents tell them they need the polarized. I try to sell a lens based on the view through the lens first and foremost so if you know many guys with hang overs who do lots of fishin or see lots of glare the morning after gettin sloshed then ruby polarized would be great, but I think in terms of use there are better lenses at fairer prices.

Ruby sells very well (at least in the Twenty- obviously the Penny and Juliet aren't exactly volume sellers) but generally only to white guys between 21-35. Black Iridium, Gold Iridium, Grey and Bronze sell well to those guys, and to everyone else too.

There's no reason they couldn't do a Polarized Ruby, but it'd be unlikely. People actively seek out Fire and Fire Polarized because of the tint as well as the exterior color. Very few people come looking for Ruby because they like looking through it.

Well, polarization does not always darken things, look at ti (10%) and ti polarized (12%).

Paul, the Ti difference must have to do with the plutonite tinting. There is no way a polarizing filter can increase the light that goes through, given how it works.

Eastcoast, I know because of the simple physics of it that you are right, but whats to say if oakley made a ruby polarized that what ever change was done to the ti would not also be done to the ruby? I would like to know why the ti polarized is ever so slightly lighter. Explain your self oakley!!

Wow i would have thought that there would be more people interested in a Ruby polarized lenses. I really like the ruby lenses and think that the blue tint you see through them is excellent and would be even better as a polarized. I guess there is the fact that the lenses have been very "over played" so to speak with the x men and black hawk down movies as well as the artificial demand Oakley is creating them by taking them on and off the market the way that they do. I still enjoy them as a lens though and think a polarized version is a good idea.

Rolyatnerrad (darren taylor) on here has a polarized ruby lense... or so he says

the blue is too light for me. but I deal with lots of sun in the Sunshine State. if they could darken a polarized version down to 9-10%, I'd probably pick one up.

you're thjinking of vuanghouey or something like that, they weren'y really polarized, but the guy thought they were, i actually had a couple conversations with the guy and explained that they weren't polarized

The best way I've found to verify if a lens is polarized or not is to look through them at an LCD screen. If you rotate them sideways, they should eventually turn nearly opaque. I don't know if this is a 100% definitive test, but every single polarized lens I've ever tried had reacted that way to the light coming from an LCD.

tinted windows usually show a checkerboard pattern as well. and some clear windows and plastics will show a rainbow oil slick effect.

the lcd thing works with every polarized lens.

Or just take another polarized lens, hold it perpendicular to the lens you're testing, and look through both. You'll only see black where the lenses overlap.

******Possible Ruby Quartz Polarized siting*****

Saw it on a certain auction site somewhere...can't quite remember the name...but here is an interesting description I found:
"These ruby quartz lenses are extra hard to find since they were custom cut and include a blend of:

* 2 layers of Fire Iridium
* 7 layers of Red Iridium
* 4 layers of Ruby Iridium
* 15 layers of Ruby quartz (final layers)"

Sound crazy? It did when I first read it. That is quite a number of Iridium layers. Would you really be able to see through these lenses? Is this seller for real? Or is he/she just off their rocker?

P.S. One (or 2) of the pics really looks like a Ti02 Penny. Definitely interesting.

....ahhhh, the perils of the pipe.

ah, i forgot to post my photos of the ruby polarised lenses, been really busy, will get around to it one day, keep an eye on the ruby thread...