Blade Style Sunglasses, Black Frame/Smoke Lens

Product Information

The Stretchline and later Re-releases (Collectors, Heritage Collection and Kith) had the same general design as the original. Bu,t there are still key differences if you review each of the pairs. Original Blades are both hard to find and expensive. And depending on the condition, pairs can range from hundreds of dollars to over a thousand dollars!

The Stretchline Oakley Razor Blade sunglasses were available in 6 colorways we’ve listed below for reference: Ultimately the Blade pioneered the sports performance market and paved the way for similar sports frames to come like the M Frame and Radar. Rerelease and Heritage Collection

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The frame builds on the goggle-inspired design of the Eyeshade by removing the bottom half of the frame, which offers increased downward visibility. The Blade system comes in 3 lenses – the Blade, Razor Blade, and Slit Lenses, which offer distinctly different sizes/shapes.

These re-release collections and a resurgence of vintage styles have helped fuel modern interest in this iconic 1980s design. Plus, Oakley has used these sunglasses as inspiration for countless other pairs like the Hydra. While these lenses maintain the same shape as the original Razor Blade sunglasses, as mentioned above, they can’t be shared across generations. This is due to slight changes in the frame’s angles where the lenses connect. Whether you like this change or not, it did result in one consequence. Unfortunately, lenses cannot be swapped between the original Razor Blades and the Stretchline Razor Blade sunglasses. Colorways Now let’s review each generation of the Blades and Razor Blades. Oakley Heritage Collection Razor Blade Sunglasses Blue w/ Ice Iridium Original Oakley Blade and Razor Blade Sunglasses Frame and Design Looking at all 3 lenses, the Blade lens is the largest, primarily in height and width. Followed by the Razor Blade, then ultimately the Slit lens offering the lowest profile lens (pictured below).

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The second is the trigger earstem which features a unique design reminiscent of – you guessed it – a rifle trigger. This trigger ear stems profile features a sharp angle downward then a curved design over the ear for a pretty funky 80’s design. Trigger (top) and Standard (bottom) ear stems for Oakley Blade System Lenses The Oakley Blade and Razor Blade sunglasses feature a half-rimmed design, replaceable earstems, and a wild amount of customization!

The glasses also house motion sensors to maintain the image properly and haptic motors for vibrating alerts. Finally, noise-cancelling microphones allow for voice control as well. Of course, the Vuzix Blade gets its information from a Bluetooth connection to your phone, mediated by a free remote-control app, and has a Wi-Fi radio as well as a microUSB port for charging and a microSD card slot for storage. First, the angle of the lens mounting hook is slightly steeper on the Heritage Collection Razor Blades, along with slight differences on the ear stems. However, these features are not noticeable to most average wearers. In fact, Vuzix will offer prescription options when the product is available for all to buy – a massive plus.Now, for the good stuff: we’re excited to report that the Vuzix Blade performs admirably even in its early state that only the press and developers will get their hands on. The Blades and Razor Blades forever have a place in our history. They catapulted Oakley to global recognition, became an icon of the 1980s, and laid the groundwork for decades of Oakleys to come.

Oakley also upgraded the lenses on the later generations. While all models are made of Plutonite, later lenses include XYZ and High Definition Optics (HDO) for a clearer and more durable lens. Not to mention the Kith x Oakley pairs, which feature Prizm lenses. The legendary M Frame and Radar sunglasses you see on the faces of athletes across sports all exist today because of the innovation from the Blades system. And we hope to see Oakley continue with re-releases of this iconic frame for many years to come! Looking For More?What we found a bit uncomfortable were the nose pads in use on the developer kit: they were a bit too sharp for our liking, though we generally prefer glasses (and sunglasses) that just have the bridge rest on our nose. Vuzix has clearly designed the Blade to be as accessible and comfortable as possible, but it still has a ways to go before this editor would readily wear the Blade regularly. And, no, it has nothing to do with the fact that I already wear glasses. While the Eyeshade got the sports world to look at Oakley, the Blade and Razor Blade sunglasses got the mainstream public’s attention.