Starting my collection!

[Yo Flawch!]

Welcome!

 

[rodriguezz37]

Welcome! I would recommend some Oakley Madman. They're unique and can be found reasonably priced.

 

[dragonvoi]

Hello my name is Ashton and I am trying to start my own Oakley collection. My father used to collect Oakleys but has since sold them all and looking to start my own. Any suggestions on cool pairs to pick up? I’m looking into the Romeo sunglasses at the moment.

I Agree with @Lopaka KaMars Juliet is the gateway xmetal and they are abundant at a reasonable price.

Photo Cred @BiGCoB Flickr

 

[entenna]

Juliet are definitely a classic. That's what I just got for myself as well

 

[chapebe0]

Welcome! Newer here too.

 

[stonkeyhawk]

Hello Ashton, I am in the same boat

 

[mwkais]

welcome. also new here

 

[XxRuMKaxX]

Romeo first Ed’s are a super classic piece of ultra cool Americana and a center piece of many collections but despite all of that is not the model most people would describe as a daily long term wear. They are big and clunky and don’t always feel the best on the face. The other fellas here have great advice and I back them in making a penny or Juliet your first if you have an average to small head or an XX or Romeo 2 if your head is like mine and cast a shadow when it enters a room. The best part about x metals is as long as you don’t over pay they sell like hotcakes in Ethiopia so if you buy one and find does not appeal to you getting money back is usually pretty quick and easy. Just do your homework and shop smart to get that price!

Welcome aboard!!!!

 

[Yo Flawch!]

...so if you buy one and find does not appeal to you getting money back is usually pretty quick and easy.

I wish there was an X-Metal that didn't appeal to me, because I love them all

I'm learning how to do tune-ups and replace parts; which unfortunately will only make me love them more.

I will offer a little tidbit of information about each model, just from personal experience.

Romeo - I love the look of these, but they are too big for me (and I don't care). They have a definite design flaw in that any flex you feel while putting them on or taking them off is almost solely provided by the lenses themselves. It kind of reminds me of the old saying in fighting, you shouldn't block with your face. In X-Metals, (to me) this translates to "your lenses shouldn't be your flex couplers."

Romeo 2 - A very cool design. New rubber parts are available from Linegear, and the nicest replacement lenses I've found are Linegear and Fuse (that I helped them develop). I tried about 6 other brands of replacement lenses, and never found a pair that fit.

Juliet - As other members said, the easiest to buy and probably the easiest to get parts and lenses for. A great first pair contender.

Penny - This was my first pair, Titanium with Ice. I have a small head, so it was the logical choice for me. They almost seem too small for me... but I don't care. They are more expensive than Juliet because they don't pop up as often. I also have a theory that collectors who buy Pennys tend to keep them more often than other pairs, but I have no evidence of that. It is a little more challenging to swap lenses in these, so don't plan on changing them often; once you find a pair that fits well, I recommend leaving them alone.

XX - Juliet's big brother... several members on here don't understand why they command higher prices than Juliet. I think it's (again) due to availability. The nose pads on XX are not the same as Juliet, so finding replacements can be more challenging (Linegear brand works fine for me).

Mars/Crater/Mars Jordan - I love how these look and feel on me, but some other members don't share the same sentiment. I have not attempted to remove/replace the C-clips myself, therefore have not attempted lens changes. It's a model that I have professionals work on, then leave it alone once I'm happy with it. Someday I hope to learn how to work on them with some level of confidence.

X-Squared - This is another great starter pair, but a little more expensive than Juliet. This is the only pair that has flex couplers that are held in place by screws as opposed to push pins. If you're careful, you can rebuild the nose bridge using a simple T5 driver.

Half-X - This model can be a real PITA to work on and enjoy. Very few people like working on them because of the spring hinges AND the way the lenses install/fit. They sometimes come from the factory not sitting straight, and trying to bend the hinges to make them straight (since you can't bend the titanium frame or temples) will ultimately damage them. Rubber parts are hard to find for these as well. The lenses are my pet peeve. It is very difficult to find replacement lenses that actually fit correctly. For one of my pairs, I even found pairs of OEM lenses that did not fit well. My best success with Half-X lenses has been buying them from Linegear; for some odd reason, they seem to fit better than OEM lenses.

This was probably more than you wanted to read, but I hope it helps you choose which X-Metal you want to buy first. Good luck and happy collecting!

 

[XxRuMKaxX]

I wish there was an X-Metal that didn't appeal to me, because I love them all

I'm learning how to do tune-ups and replace parts; which unfortunately will only make me love them more.

I will offer a little tidbit of information about each model, just from personal experience.

Romeo - I love the look of these, but they are too big for me (and I don't care). They have a definite design flaw in that any flex you feel while putting them on or taking them off is almost solely provided by the lenses themselves. It kind of reminds me of the old saying in fighting, you shouldn't block with your face. In X-Metals, (to me) this translates to "your lenses shouldn't be your flex couplers."

Romeo 2 - A very cool design. New rubber parts are available from Linegear, and the nicest replacement lenses I've found are Linegear and Fuse (that I helped them develop). I tried about 6 other brands of replacement lenses, and never found a pair that fit.

Juliet - As other members said, the easiest to buy and probably the easiest to get parts and lenses for. A great first pair contender.

Penny - This was my first pair, Titanium with Ice. I have a small head, so it was the logical choice for me. They almost seem too small for me... but I don't care. They are more expensive than Juliet because they don't pop up as often. I also have a theory that collectors who buy Pennys tend to keep them more often than other pairs, but I have no evidence of that. It is a little more challenging to swap lenses in these, so don't plan on changing them often; once you find a pair that fits well, I recommend leaving them alone.

XX - Juliet's big brother... several members on here don't understand why they command higher prices than Juliet. I think it's (again) due to availability. The nose pads on XX are not the same as Juliet, so finding replacements can be more challenging (Linegear brand works fine for me).

Mars/Crater/Mars Jordan - I love how these look and feel on me, but some other members don't share the same sentiment. I have not attempted to remove/replace the C-clips myself, therefore have not attempted lens changes. It's a model that I have professionals work on, then leave it alone once I'm happy with it. Someday I hope to learn how to work on them with some level of confidence.

X-Squared - This is another great starter pair, but a little more expensive than Juliet. This is the only pair that has flex couplers that are held in place by screws as opposed to push pins. If you're careful, you can rebuild the nose bridge using a simple T5 driver.

Half-X - This model can be a real PITA to work on and enjoy. Very few people like working on them because of the spring hinges AND the way the lenses install/fit. They sometimes come from the factory not sitting straight, and trying to bend the hinges to make them straight (since you can't bend the titanium frame or temples) will ultimately damage them. Rubber parts are hard to find for these as well. The lenses are my pet peeve. It is very difficult to find replacement lenses that actually fit correctly. For one of my pairs, I even found pairs of OEM lenses that did not fit well. My best success with Half-X lenses has been buying them from Linegear; for some odd reason, they seem to fit better than OEM lenses.

This was probably more than you wanted to read, but I hope it helps you choose which X-Metal you want to buy first. Good luck and happy collecting!

One reason the XX is more money is fewer were made compared to the Juliet and for us watermelon heads it is either XX or R2 for a comfortable pair of X metals to wear all day. What gets me is how much the 24k sells for over a tio2 or XM. Out of all 4 there are far more 24k out there (it seems) and as cool as they look the colorway only allows for a couple of lens options that look good in it. I try my best to hold on to 24k frames but they always seem to be the one I am willing to sell off in times of need so I only really have my display and one pair for wear. Oh wait I just sold that one $650-$750 for a 24k with no box is a bit steep for me though. I have a hard time even letting myself sell one for that.

I assume there are a good chunk of XM’s as well but the serial numbers and overall quantities made are far less than for sure a Juliet. Plus the XX is the coolest of them all (biased opinion)