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Anyone like my new Ray Bans?

bonnieprince

Familiar Face
Messages
66
Location
New England
I picked these up in St. Maarten recently. I thought they were rather Kennedyesque.

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DerMann

Practically Family
Messages
608
Location
Texas
Ah the Wayfarers.

I really like the tortoise shell texture, my friend has a pair just like them.

On the other hand, I've got a pair of plain black wayfarers from the 1980s. I think I like the pure black ones better. Just classically simple.

Enjoy them, they're great sunglasses.
 

DerMann

Practically Family
Messages
608
Location
Texas
Also, is there a way to date a pair of Wayfarers?

On the inside of my pair, it reads:

"WAYFARER" (left arm)
"B&L5022" (just above right lens)
"B&L RAY - BAN USA" (right arm)
 

OldSoul

Familiar Face
Messages
99
Location
AB, Canada
I believe those are what people call Wayfarer II's, as they are slightly smaller and more rounded then the originals? Also, my Wayfarers have quite an angle to them. I love my Ray Bans, can't beat them!
 

Belegnole

One of the Regulars
Messages
289
Location
Wisconsin
I had both the Wayfarer and the new. I liked both and eventually lost or destroyed both. I haven't a clue to how to date the glasses though Ray Ban might tell you if you asked.
 

Doug C

Practically Family
Messages
729
Man, I gotta get some more of these. btw, is there a recommendation for decreasing the nose slip? I had a pair way back in high school and remember them slippin' a bit.

Doug C
 

Mike in Seattle

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,027
Location
Renton (Seattle), WA
The company should be able to tell you as to dating. In fact, I'm sure it's all detailed in some sort of antique or similar book or catalog. I know one item is that it's only been in the last 15-20 years that they etched the full name on the upper right part of the right lens on the outside. I think that started when they sold the brand name out to an Italian company. Before that, I believe it was only a little tiny "BL" etched on the inside of the lens at the nosepiece. Really vintage ones didn't have any etching on the lens themselves if I remember correctly. I had a pair of Dad's from the 50's I lost overboard sailing in the mid-70's and I remember at the time thinking the $30 price of the a pair of replacement Wayfarers at that time was astronomical. And of course, a month or two later, I'm running back to get the tortoise shell AND cords to keep them on my head. I'd almost lost the new pair in a similar incident. :eusa_doh: I've since ended up with several other pair of Wayfarer, Wayfarer II and Aviators. A great vintage-era product that's still a good value.
 

Sertsa

One of the Regulars
Messages
195
Location
Ohio
Nice.
I have a pair of prescription Wayfarers, but my eyes decided to start seeing things differently.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,111
Location
London, UK
I always found them to be too expensive, not least as I would have required prescription lenses. Actually, an optician once told me that the real value in a pair of RBs is the lenses, so they weren't worth it for relensing. [huh] Once I got some contact lenses, I bought a few used pairs on eBay. I now have three pairs - Clubmasters in tortoise and black (my preference for wearing with a suit), and a pair of black Wayfarers. The Wayfarer II design s slightly reshaped, though unless you have the side by side, the main obvious difference is the presence of the 'Ray Ban' logos on the legs. I prefer them without the logo personally, but I wouldn't let that stop me if they came up at the right price.
 

cooncatbob

Practically Family
Messages
612
Location
Carmichael, CA.
I like Wayfarers so much that when the time came to get new glasses I bought 2 pair (black and tortoise shell) and had prescription lenses put in both of them.
One I had dark lenses and the other clear bifocal.
At $75 each they were cheaper and better looking then the rest of the frames Lens Crafter was stocking at that time.
God I hate the narrow lenses that are popular now.
Some time later I swapped the temple bar, so I have black bars on the tortoise shell fronts and tortoise shell bars on the black fronts.
 

bonnieprince

Familiar Face
Messages
66
Location
New England
Thanks for all of the comments. After trying on a bunch of styles that were too big or too small, these fit just right. I felt like Goldilocks. LOL
 

warbird

One Too Many
Messages
1,171
Location
Northern Virginia
I love old Ray Bans. My favorite are the Clubmasters. But they came in two sizes, one much larger than the other. I like the smaller ones which are much harder to find. I also like the Tortoise Wayfarers.

One point to aging them, is they are at least a decade old if they say B&L. Bausch and Lomb no longer owns Ray Ban unfortunately.
 

Guttersnipe

One Too Many
Messages
1,942
Location
San Francisco, CA
Those frames are totally fab!

As a full-time four eyes, I have to say you're making me green with envy...the cost of prescriptions lenses prohibits me changing my shades to match my mood...but if I could I would totally have those frames when I was feeling particularly hip!
 

Wil Tam

Practically Family
Messages
670
Location
Metropolis
Ditto!

warbird said:
I love old Ray Bans. My favorite are the Clubmasters. But they came in two sizes, one much larger than the other. I like the smaller ones which are much harder to find. I also like the Tortoise Wayfarers.

One point to aging them, is they are at least a decade old if they say B&L. Bausch and Lomb no longer owns Ray Ban unfortunately.

I still have a pair of vintage B&L Tortoise Wayfarers that were gifted to me a while back. My favorite were my black Clubmasters that I accidentally sat on while getting into my car a few years ago. I was so angry for being clumsy that everyone walking by stared at me when I was beating up my steering wheel :rage:
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It's etched with WAYFARER on one side & B&L RAY-BAN USA on the other
 

Atticus Finch

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,718
Location
Coastal North Carolina, USA
I've been wearing Wayfarers for at least thirty years. In fact, the bottom of the Atlantic ocean from Cape Hatteras to Cape Fear is covered with ones that I've lost during my four decades of offshore fishing. But they are tough and classy and as long as Ray-Ban makes them, I will never be without a pair.

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