For the following three years, he was the Vice President of Skullcandy. From 2006 to 2010 he was the COO of Dragon Alliance. in 2013, Behle worked as the International Brand Manager for Oakley from ’96 to ’99 and as the Vice President and International Brand Manager for Reef from 2001 to 2005. Barton’s tenure at Oliver Peoples started just after the brand was acquired by Oakley.Īaron Behle, SALT.: Before starting SALT. The Expertsĭave Barton, David Kind: Before starting David Kind, Barton ran product, first at Spy Optic, and then at Oliver Peoples, spending much of his time traveling between factories in Italy, Japan and Germany.

To better understand how polarized lenses work, the range of available options and who benefits the most from polarization, we talked to few independent eyewear experts. “When you’re sourcing your lenses, it makes a difference to a point what you’re picking,” Barton said. There are many manufacturers making medium and low-end polarized lenses, but the highest quality glass comes from just a few factories across the world, including Barberini in Italy and Nakanishi in Japan.

“But, you’re getting 30 percent more effectiveness and quality, and maybe 50 to 80 percent more durability when you start going up.” “A polarized lens in a $10 pair of glasses is going to have some of the properties of a polarized lens in a $500 pair of glasses,” Barton said. The quality of material and method of manufacturing greatly affects both the price point and the optics. Polarized lenses have an immediate effect on vision, reducing glare off of flat surfaces. “The lenses look the same when you see them, but there are physical layers, not just coating layers, in these lenses that take a lot more time to make,” said Dave Barton, the founder of premium eyewear brand David Kind. For example, a classic pair of Wayfarers with polarized lenses ($203) lists over 30 percent more than the non-polarized version ($153). After all, polarization is far from a small investment. When buying new sunglasses, people commonly ask the same question: Do I really need polarized lenses? As they should.

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