Hey guys. I was just recalling the glory times of Oakley (haha) and I recalled seeing something that was called the Laser Lens for the M-Frame. This was about the time when Oakley featured most of the Standard Issue gear online, including the Minutes, Twenty's, various Wires, etc. Anyone know whatever happened to those things or is it another one of those unfortunate pie-in-the-sky cancellations?

I wish the SI line for the sunglasses would be brought back. Dann, I know that you're not a huge fan of the rather drab, prosaic and plain color scheme, but I swear by it. I love the greys and blacks together.

Jonathan Tung (Jonathan Tung - 7/28/2004 3:39:45 AM)
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I did a little research and came up with these links, but there's really nothing much left out there......

http://sgmag.com/snow/goggle/

Here's a forum where a few people got together to discuss it, but I think they're just in the dark about this as I am. All I know is that it was supposed to be green. Why it was called the Laser lens, I have no idea.

And finally, here's the site that gave me the most comprehensive information yet about the Lens.....

http://www.finnrappel.fi/oakleylaser.htm

I've saved everything on that site including the image. TOo bad we can't write a review about this lens as I'm assuming that no-one here has tried this sucker on....

Jonathan Tung (Jonathan Tung - 7/28/2004 3:46:45 AM)
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Okay, nevermind..

You should all check out this completed auction of the Laser Lens M-Frame....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15666&item=8119487068&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I feel kind of dumb being the only one typing anything here. It's like I'm talking to myself.

Jonathan Tung (Jonathan Tung - 7/28/2004 3:49:50 AM)
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Just realized that I didn't post the URL to the forum that I mentioned a couple of messages ago. Here it is:

http://army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,16376.0.html

Jonathan Tung (Jonathan Tung - 7/28/2004 3:54:25 AM)
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Jonathan, I'll keep you company on this thread, although I don't have much info to add. As far I know, the Laser Lens is actually designed to protect the eyes from laser light. How this is done is a mystery to me, but those lenses are quite expensive, so the technology must be pretty good.

Unless you get a deal on eBay, expect to pay out the nose for these. Check out this site:

http://www.store.yahoo.com/diamondback/oaksimframey.html

Ed Chiu (eddyc - 7/28/2004 8:17:39 AM)
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The glory days of Oakley and the glory days of a simple navigatable website.

I talked with my local sunglass guy a while back about this, and supposedly it was designed by the guy who prototyped the Romeo, and worked for some government intelligence. The lens wasn't designed to block laser, but would allow the wearer to view laser sighting guides for missiles etc..., that would normally be invisible to the human eye. Of course that could all be wrong, but that's what I was told. Supposedly it was on one of the Discovery channel type shows, but was later backed up by the guy who designed it, when he met the sunglass store owner.

Also the designer still thought that info was classified, and was a bit shocked when someone else knew about it.

Dann Thombs (Dann - 7/28/2004 8:37:42 AM)
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Let me back up Dann here. The laser lens was created for the SI line circa 2000. The original SI line. It was engineered to make laser sights on rifles and handguns more visible to the shooters eyes in combat situations.

As far as SI goes, at one point they were available to the public online but not the recent. I have searched them in google every now and then and I can see them here and there but they are porimarily a specialty product sold to a specialty market. The Military has always had oakleys at their diposal through certain military only venues/retailers and that is were the SI would most likely be available.

In the past soldiers were only allowed to wear black frames with a non mirror grey lens and I was told they could have no markings. I used to sell Fives to soldiers while I worked for SGH and they told me they would hav eto run a Sharpie over the white O. I would guess this is what created the need for the SI line as we see it now.

Phil Barket (kingphilbert - 7/28/2004 8:51:47 AM)
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And if anyone still has a picture, I'd like to add that to the DB.

Dann Thombs (Dann - 7/28/2004 9:06:54 AM)
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Dann,
Thanks Phil, that information you have additionally is very useful.

Dann, there's a picture of the frames in one of the links I posted, but I saved it on my harddrive so if you want it, you can have it.

Jonathan

Jonathan Tung (Jonathan Tung - 7/28/2004 2:19:30 PM)
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So, in conclusion, they're no longer available to the pubic at all, but still available to servicemen or women, even if not readily?

I guess I'm curious about this lens; I'd like to try it out as my friend has a laser site that was sourced from a sniper rifle that used to belong to his uncle who operated something mysterious that his nephew either refuses to detail or doesn't know anything about....

Ed, thanks for the link. It was informative.

Jonathan Tung (Jonathan Tung - 7/28/2004 2:30:30 PM)
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Not really much to do with lenses, but on the SI subject, did they ever release the boot with the prototype sole? It was made up of triangular bobbles and was used on the site when it all said coming soon, and by the way, i just been catching up, and the shoe two high tops are sweet, hope they pop up on ebay...

Darren Taylor (rolyatnerrad - 8/15/2004 9:51:56 AM)
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Almost all of the SI range is still available, but only to armed forces, even i wasn't allowed to get some, i had to get my friend in the Air force to get me some, it was pretty cool the cos they only cos him 75% ot the price of normal half jackets.

Also, Dann you were completly right about the laser lens, just like the G30 lens increases the contrast of white on green, the laser lens increases the contrast of red on grey, that is why it makes laser beams easier to see.

Ryan Arbabi (Ryan - 8/16/2004 8:09:59 PM)
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Score one for the webmaster.

Dann Thombs (Dann - 8/16/2004 8:13:13 PM)
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Re: the original S.I. Assault Boot w/the triangles on it - I knew I had the picture around somewhere. (If you can't see the details just paste it into photo editor and crank up the brightness).





E C (EastCoast - 8/19/2004 6:05:32 PM)
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they're the ones, can these be bought does anyone know?

Darren Taylor (rolyatnerrad - 8/19/2004 6:12:13 PM)
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the "SI assault boot" is only available to military

Elijah Bagdonas (beatmstrj - 8/19/2004 7:11:04 PM)
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so, are the military ones like the ones in the picture with the triangle soles? and do all the boots have an si triangle badge on the side? because mine havn't and neither have the desert ones.

Darren Taylor (rolyatnerrad - 8/19/2004 8:26:17 PM)
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the si badge was only on the consumer version. the military ones originally had the badge embossed and very subdued so you couldnt see it well.

Elijah Bagdonas (beatmstrj - 8/19/2004 9:31:30 PM)
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hmm... my SI boots don't have the triangle badge on the side either. but IIRC i've been told the civilian versions are made in China and the military ones are made in the US. is that really true? i don't recall where mine were made, but i'll check tomorrow.

W.B. Ng (bong - 8/19/2004 9:54:46 PM)
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I could be wrong, but don't the US made boots have a non-leather area around the subdued icon?

(Isotope - 8/19/2004 10:04:58 PM)
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the US/China thing may be correct, but I don't recall anymore. They gave us all this info when they first came out but to be honest I don't remember anymore.

Elijah Bagdonas (beatmstrj - 8/20/2004 12:34:24 AM)
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I've read many places that the consumer version is made overseas, and the military one is made domestically. Whether that's changed I don't know, but they don't make as much money making them here, but they're trying to support the country's economy.

Dann Thombs (Dann - 8/20/2004 8:42:18 AM)
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