Fake vs. Authentic Oakley Eye Jackets, Pictures Included

 I consider myself an authority on Oakley Jacket type sunglasses, specifically Oakley Eye Jackets.
I have owned four authentic pairs of these glasses and owned approximately nine pairs of fakes.
Seven of these fakes were purchased on the streets of NYC and Washington D.C. the other two fakes were
purchased on-line, on occasions in which I believed them to be authentic.

 Eye Jackets are a style of Oakley that is no longer produced.  Fake Eye Jackets, mostly pretty
good fakes, make up, what I consider, 95% of the Oakley Eye Jackets seen on the on-line market.
These fakes can include cleaning bags, original paper work, and original boxes, do not be fooled!
I urge buyers to be extremely careful when buying this style of Oakley’s. The following are
some of the best suggestions on finding 100% authentic Oakley Eye Jackets, originally manufactured
by the Oakely sunglass company.

 The best way to determine if a pair of Eye Jackets (EJ’s) is authentic is to actually hold
them in your hand and touch them. Fake EJ’s have a cheap plastic feel. I can explain this
feel as a brittle plastic construction. Fake Oakley’s tend to break apart at the joint of the
ear piece near the “ear rubber”.  The rubber ear pieces on authentic EJs are eraser like and are
soft to the touch, whereas fake EJ’s have rubber that has a plastic feel to it. Another
factor in the feel and look which is hard to determine solely from internet pictures is the paint
quality on the frame. Authentic Oakley’s have a deep layered, plastic, enamel used to paint the frame.
The color and paint are essentially part of the frame itself. If the paint is peeling off, has a grainy
texture, or is chipping, they are phony EJ’s.

 If you cannot see and hold the Oakley’s prior to purchase, here are some additional characteristics
which you should consider. Do not look at the logo on the bridge of the nose as a determining factor
in authenticity. Fake EJ’s have identical logo markings on the nose of the frame as those of originals.
Do, however, inspect the side “O” logo on either side of the EJ’s. Authentic EJ’s have a separate,
metallic, “O” logo that is not molded with the frame, but rather glued to the frame after the molding.
Also the hinge, as seen from the side, should be a rounded, contoured, shape. If you look at pictures
of the EJ’s, and either the “O” is molded as part of the frame itself or the hinge is a boxy square
pattern, they are 110%counterfeit. 

However, Updated November 6, 2007 Ebay user jessih14 said via email: "I am glad that you are trying to stop the sale of counterfeit Oakleys. I did want to point out a misleading point in the guide, "Authentic EJ’s have a separate,metallic, “O” logo that is not molded with the frame, but rather glued to the frame after the molding. Also the hinge, as seen from the side, should be a rounded, contoured, shape. If you look at pictures of the EJ’s, and either the “O” is molded as part of the frame itself or the hinge is a boxy square pattern, they are 110% counterfeit." You later updated that the first gens. did have square hinges, but you stated again that if the O's were molded on it means they are fake. I am a HUGE Oakley collector and have been for many years. The first generation of all Oakleys had molded "O"s and were painted. It was not until the late '90s that the metal "O"s were introduced. Basically, I have several pairs of first generation Eye Jackets and Fives etc. that have the "O"s molded on. I wanted to let you know so noone is misled." Please take this information into consideration.

 Study these pictures and compare them to the items you are going to buy on-line. It is difficult,
if not impossible to go to a reputable store and try-out authentic Oakley Eye Jackets because they
are not manufactured anymore. I ask responsible buyers to use this guide carefully and fully. If buying
other Oakley style frames, like Oakley Minutes, go to the store and examine authentic pairs and look for
similar characteristics as I have described for the Eye Jackets.

Authentic Eye Jacket Examples:

Note the Rounded hinge and metallic logos on side.
Nose Logo does not have “R” printed on it.
Molded “Jacket” on inner ear piece, opposite ear piece reads: “CE MADE IN USA”

Counterfeit Eye Jacket Examples:

Note chipping paint, and molded “O” logo.
Note the lack of molded inscription inside.
Note “R” at the end of the Oakley logo on nose, real logo looks identical without “R”.

 As a last note, if you feel that you have purchased fake Oakley’s on-line, contact the seller
and let them know about the situation. State your reasoning and sensibly and come to an agreement
for acceptable compensation. If you do suspect them to be fake, inquire about the Oakley’s before you
buy, and ask for pictures of the areas detailed above. Even asking for someone’s personal guarantee that
they are 100% authentic, regardless of the description, is a good way to let a seller have a chance to
“come clean” before you buy. Buyers, keep in mind, Eye Jackets retailed for between $95 and $150 between
1996 and 2001 when they where manufactured. Since then, there are not that many available on the market
and the only place to buy them is on-line. If you are getting a deal, is it a deal for you or a scam?
I urge the sellers of counterfeit Oakley’s to set themselves to a higher standard and have some personal
 integrity.

Up-Date June 6, 2007. It has come to my attention that the first generation of Oakley eye jackets did, in fact, have a square hinge and an "R" near the "y" on the nose logo. The best way to determine if a first generation eye jacket is authentic is to see if the "O" on the side of the earpiece is molded or if it is a separate piece. If it is molded it is likely fake. I hope this clears up any confusion. Please contact me with further input.