William Painter sunglasses

Discussion in 'Functional Gear & Equipment' started by Hanzo, Feb 4, 2020.


  1. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++

    www.williampainter.com

    I have had mine for about six months and I really like it. Why, you ask?

    First, it is titanium. I likey titanium. The sunglasses are light and strong.

    Second, the lenses are very clear and greatly reduce glare. They say the tint and polarization is somehow infused throughout the lens so it should not bubble or flake off. Also, impact resistant.

    Sledgehammer test

    Third, they fit really well. They will not slide off unless you take them off.

    Fourth, they cost less than other name brands.

    Fifth, the customer service is very good. When I bought mine, they shipped it to a different address. You know those long Hawaiian names. There is actually another street near me that is one letter off. When I did not receive it, they made sure that a par made its way to me.

    Finally, lifetime guarantee.

    So just to compare, I have quite a few pairs of Oakleys. They are generally double the price. The fit and finish brand new is not as good as Willaim Painters. My last pair of Oakleys were actually double what I paid for the WP's. And when I got it, some of the trim was coming off. It did not impair the function but for a couple hundred dollars, you would expect it to be perfect.

    So the store owner tells me the Oakley rep will be in the store and he can take care of me. I think I got the last pair in the store of that model. Rep says no problem, call me at the office. So I call and leave multiple messages over time. Nothing. See the rep again several more times over a couple of years, and it was never resolved.

    So I resign myself to never buy Oakley's again.

    Happy with the William Painters. I think they are better made and a better value. So today, in the hot bright Hawaiian sunshine, I take off the WP's to rub my eyes and see just how much glare they block out. Without them, my eyes would be hurting in short order. With them, no problem in the sun. And they are quite bright in the dark too, even though they are tinted as dark as the last Oakleys. When I drive through a tunnel, it is dark with the Oakleys, but just slightly shaded with the William Painters.

    Anyway, they are not "brand name." But I don't care. I want quality at a reasonable price. And that is what I got.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 4, 2020
  2. Tempstar

    Tempstar Monkey+++

    I once, at a friends constant urging, bought a pair of Costa sunglasses. I never felt like I received $200 worth of wear. They were sent back once because sweat caused the rubber to disintegrate, was sent a new pair (only cost me another $8 to send them back) and a lens popped out a month later. They said it was abuse, so another $8 and I told them to just keep 'em. Another time I bought a pair of Ray-Ban aviators on a whim from Sunglass Hut. 2 months in, the lens on the right cracked diagonally while they were on my face driving down the road. Sunglass Hut wouldn't warranty them, and Ray-Ban wouldn't either. So now, I spend $12-15 on a pair from the drugstore, and every year or so when they get beat to hell I grab a new pair. I currently have a pair of Poloroid aviators in the car ($12, Walgreens) and Dewalt safety sunglasses in the work truck ($22 at Lowes).
     
    Hanzo, SB21, Meat and 1 other person like this.
  3. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Whoa now! Big Ray Ban fan here. Make certain those are genuine, because Ray Ban's are not known to be poop, but they are known to be highly counterfeited. Lots of people DO break Ray Bans, though. They aren't sold as being unbreakable, just very well made. Lenses are sometimes glass crystal as mine are.
    I still have a pair from an AAFES which sold official Ray Ban's and they are very limited Ray Ban "Warrior" sunglasses only offered to select military at the time (but they are available to anybody now I guess)...sat on them more than a few times, still working, thankfully.
     
    Tully Mars, Hanzo, sec_monkey and 2 others like this.
  4. OldDude49

    OldDude49 Just n old guy

    welllllll.... stock sunglasses are a no go for me now... need prescription type...

    been thinkin of pickin up some with auto darkening n ballistic grade plus UV... and have em fitted...

    don't see that with such glasses as above but am open to such...
     
    Tempstar and Hanzo like this.
  5. Tempstar

    Tempstar Monkey+++

    They literally cracked while on my face. I thought a hair was on the lens. My issue wasn't with quality, anything could have cracked I guess. Issue was with their dismissive attitude that it was automatically my fault and most certainly not theirs. $199 plus tax down the tubes in under 60 days.
     
    Hanzo and Brokor like this.
  6. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    That sucks, man. I've been using some cheaper sunglasses from time to time, from WileyX to Revision and ESS and all of them seem to work fine. I am pretty light on sunglasses for use and abuse mostly, but I did totally trash one pair of Oakley Half Jackets once and got a set of made in Cha-Cha-Chi...Thailand replacement lenses that kinda suck. And about those Ray Ban's I mentioned earlier, I've been searching and I can't find the exact ones with dark black lenses that I have, so I am thinking maybe the ones I got really were limited release for the MIL only and the civilians only get the green and brown lenses. Anyway...
    I am testing these out currently: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073HNS9NC/?tag=survivalmonke-20 For less than $16, some of them around $10, they work great so far. Not purely sunglasses, but shooting glasses. I don't have a huge face, so these fit very nicely, I am impressed. (I have the model SCT-Reflect 50)
     
    Hanzo likes this.
  7. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    Been a Ray Ban fan for a gazillon years now. Never failed me. Still use Oakley's to shoot with.
     
    Hanzo likes this.
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