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The easiest way to tell right away is the weight of the frames, Oakley's are made out of high quality metals and alloys, and have alot of girth to them because of this. Fake frames Are usually made from plastic, or even metals, or aluminum, but weigh a lot less.
Another way to tell right away and at a glance is to look at the "O" on the arm of the frame. Oakley Frames, have a raised painted, separate piece of material placed on to the frame and glued into place. Fake frames use a method of screen printing, that allows for a similar look, but you can always tell the fakes, because usually the paint is scratched off, Even on real frames when the paint is scratched, you can still see that they are Oakleys!
The second thing that you should look at is where the product is made. If there is a sticker that says made in Taiwan, these are fake Oakleys. On the inner part of the frame, it should state that the glasses are made in the United States of America.
The hardest fake Oakley frames to spot using only photos are the metal "Letter Frame" series, I.E. the A Frame or O frame. This is because the Oakley logo is engraved into the nosebridge and there are no rivets to look for. These are the best looking (and feeling) fake frames out there. There is only one distinction between the real and a fake. The engraved Oakley logo is very defined on a pair of real Oakley frames, where as the fake frames look as if it is stamped or printed instead of engraved. This is something that you must have a trained eye to spot.
Its Harder to tell for the X-metal line (Romeos, Juliets, Pennys), by just looking at them. The X-metals never have a logo on the bridge of the nose. If you see this, you are looking at a pair of fake Oakley sunglasses. Additionally check for where screws/rivets go. All of the X-metals have rivets that hold the frame together on the bottom of the lens frame and ones that keep the bridge connected to the frames. If there are no screws/rivets, you are looking at fake oakley frames. There are really good copys of Romeos and Juliets that are plastic, and have no rivets. Also, real Oakleys of this style come in plain metallic colors; that is to say they aren't made in yellow, blue, green or red. Real X-metals are never painted. Anything other than a dull smoke or silver metal color is most likely a fake. Sometimes you can find horrible copys made of the metal Oakley frames. These are very cheap and look like they are made of some kind of sheet metal. Again, look for rivets. If they look glued together,you are spotting fake Oakley sunglasses.
Any stickers! Be aware that Oakley does not place stickers on their glasses at all. Not even for prescription frames, not on the lenses, and never on the arms! So be careful especially if you are planning to buy frames from your eye doctor. They are not real! Oakley prescription frames have to be made at their factory because they have to be fit into the specific frame, so when ordering yours, know that it will ship directly to you from Oakley in a box with a warranty card, and bag with a sham.
The rubber that Oakley applies on the nose pieces and socks should feel cushy and sticky(a chemical posses they've been using since they made handles for BMX cycles back in the 80's. Fakes will feel firm and plastic type,and have a polish look to them.
If they come with a bag,please know that counterfeits could have a real Oakley bag with them since the bag can be purchased cheep.If the bag,or cleaning bag as most people call them,is counterfeit it will be of a nylon and not cloth.however eye shades,early on blades,and frog skins were prepared by ray-ban did come with a nylon storage bag that said "Oakley" screen printed on it.blades had "Oakley atomic ware"on some of the storage bags.
Spotting Fake Oakley Sunglasses
An Easy way to tell a fake is to hold it in your hands. The nose piece and rubber on the arms on real Oakley frames have a more "soft- rubber -like" feel and the fake ones have a smooth feel to them. Real Oakley Monster dog do not have any seams. There are no raised lines or seams on the arms or around the lens frame. The X-metal styles are never made of plastic.
*http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Spot-Fake-Oakley-Sunglasses
