I had never heard of Randolph Engineering, a Massachusetts-based specialist in commercial-grade eyewear for military pilots and shooting enthusiasts, but I was contacted by a representative and when I browsed their site I noticed the P3 model, which is standard issue to U.S. Navy submariners. I was struck because the P3's round lenses looked remarkably similar to those worn by Richard Merkin, the late New York dandy, in a photo that I have had lying about for some time in the hope that I might someday find some glasses like that. And so I asked for a pair, which the company was kind enough to eventually send me.
Of course, the idea that sunglasses might be necessary inside a submarine is counter-intiuitive and I have no clue why round lenses are better suited for underwater work than, say, ovals. But the Navy apparently knows, thank goodness, and had taken all the P3s that Randoph had on hand. That meant it was many months before a pair of P3s arrived unexpectedly at my door but they did arrive recently and they do appear to be the glasses that Merkin wore and I coveted, or close enough.
Their arrival was timely, as we are seeing the sun for the first time all summer. Better still, they are handsome, and, for a relatively affordable $99 (about 64 pounds sterling), built to a specification that far exceeds any fashion sunglasses I have ever seen.
Worth a look. And worth the wait.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Worth the Wait
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
15 comments:
Will, I agree that the Randolph Engineering products are top-quality. I've had a pair of their aviators for 18 months or so, which I wear as my every-day sunglasses. They've been dropped, stuck in pockets, etc., and still look great, have almost no scratches, and have not gotten bent out of shape over the months. At the price, they're a great value, too.
Was Merkin In the Navy? Can't imagine a Merkin on a sub.
Sunglasses on submarines are necessary when running on the surface or at periscope depth. During the day - while it is comparatively dark within the submarine - it's still bright outside. So inside, your eyes are adapted to the darkness and as soon as you look through the periscope you would be blinded by the bright sunlight amplified by its reflection off the open water. Better to have your shades on.
At night - you get the opposite effect. Inside the submarine, your eyes will be adapted to the ambient lighting and if you looked out the periscope, you would see absolutely nothing until your "night vision" kicked in. Of course, you don't want to drag your periscope on the surface for the 2-5 minutes that it can take your eyes to adapt. To combat this, the inside of the submarine is typically lit with red lights - so as not to destroy your night vision. Wearing sunglasses can further help your eyes adapt for darkness and if periscope use is planned at night, the operator will often spend time in "blackout glasses".
The round lenses would be appropriate when looking through the eyepieces of the periscope or binoculars.
Their aviator glasses are the official sunglasses of fighter pilots and astronauts. There is a pair in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
I have a pair.
Of course, at well over 6 feet 4 inches I am far too tall to ever consider being a fighter pilot or astronaut....
Very nice. Last few weeks I've been exactly looking for a pair of rounded glasses, but the task is hard, as round glasses seem to be not in fashion these days. For some reason, they look more and more apealing to me. I'll turn myself into P-3 hunting mode, now.
I have a pair of Randolph Engineering Concordes and I love them. By far the most comfortable, clear, and handsome pair of sunglasses I've ever owned. At $99, made in the USA, Randolph's are a bargain.
Wonderfully unique. As a style, they certainly are noticeable.
A nice alternative to the overworn wraparounds.
Thanks for the article, Will; it turned out to be timely. I have wanted a pair of P3s for quite a while, but they were just too small for my head (as they were for a great many people). Until this month, that is: RE just released a larger size. I was able to track these down at www.aviatorshadesonline.net, if anyone else is interested.
LJ
My dear Will,
Once again we venture into the world of costume, of, say, Charlie Chan melodrama by adding the specs in question.
Yes, Chan and Mister Moto gained inscrutability with such peepers, but do readers seek style or theatrical nostalgia?
My dad, the late Michael Wilding, often had this discussion with companion James Mason, another of my godfathers who couldn't resist swiping the wardrobe from most movie sets.
Of course, push came to shove one day at Romanoff's, when Mason's entrance included a pair of pince nez frames from some second-rate costume epic.
"Jimmy," dad was heard to say, "glasses should whisper intelligence and judgement.
"Yours yodel."
Wayne, one man's yodel is another man's song. I need a bit of both, or there would never be a thing to comment on.
Well, I happen to be a pilot in the Navy and was a little dismayed when I received my standard issue aviator sunglasses, which have much smaller lenses than what most people associate with aviator sunglasses. In case you didn't know, Ray-Ban created the original aviator with over-sized lenses, which was nice to have when scanning the sky. I guess my point is in response to your uncertainty about what makes round frames suitable for submariners - that the Navy issue sunglasses have become less about what is going to be the most practical and more about branding and style.
Merkin's outfit of one pattern (the suit) with two solids (tie and shirt) nicely illustrate Will's precept of a couple of posts back. I.e., wear one pattern and the rest solid for business.
I love the Randolph Engineering sunglasses! (Not too keen on the submarine lenses, although I have had friends who liked them). Even though I was never a Navy pilot (I was a "black shoe" i.e., a surface warefare officer), I loved the look of the aviator frames (the big and small versions). My last pair came from the Air Force PX as a gift from my brother, an A-10 pilot.
What intrigues me most is the shooting glasses that RE has engineered. Although expensive, I like the way the lenses look and their interchangeability. They look like they would be great for upland hunting. Anyone have any experience with them?
I like the shape of the P3 but I would like to see RE offer them in other frame colors, as they do with the Aviator.
Thanks for this post - I've been searching in vain for a round frame for a pair of prescription eyeglasses. I see the rX version of the P3 has those full wraparound earpieces. Can anyone who has them comment on the comfort?
Post a Comment