Revision Vipertail
http://www.revisionmilitary.com/
Revision is a common name amongst servicemen and women in North America whether they know it or not. Revision makes a large percentage of the issue ballistics used by our forces. That said I know Revisions Sawfly’s were quality albeit not my cup of tea so I was pleasantly surprised when the Revision Vipertail’s were released. These looked like a sleek ruggedized version of the Oakley Gascan’s. As much as I like my Gascan’s other than them being ANSI rated as ballistic glasses they were not quite there as tactical glasses.
Pro’s
-Familiar fit if you are a Gascan user
-Rubberized arms and nose piece keep the glasses on your face
-Optically corrected in both the x and y plane to create a distortion free view
Con’s
-No soft lens bag
-Non replaceable lenses
-No anti fog coating on the inside of the lens
Overview
The Revision Vipertail’s come in a semi rigid clamshell case with the logo dead center on top. The zipper pull is a rubber Revision branded toggle that is flexible and easy to grab and open with gloves. Other then the logos it is the exact same case they carry at the Dollar Store so if you lose your case a replacement is easy to come by. The inside of the case is lined in a soft fabric to stop the case from scratching the lenses. The metal clamps at the end of the zipper has a fabric circle over it to stop it from rubbing your lenses.
Inside the case is the Vipertail ballistics and a Revision branded lens cloth that’s a nice gray color. I would have liked for the glasses to come with a soft bag because sometimes I don’t need the protection of the clamshell case and just need to protect the lenses.
The glasses themselves are a very nice piece of molded plastic that seems very rigid. They have very little flex and no creeks. The lenses are captive in the frame and non replaceable. I would have preferred the lenses to be swappable but it would have likely ruined the sleek look of the frames.
The nose section of the frames has two nice rubber pads which are glued on securely. This helps the frames from sitting uncomfortably on your nose and stops them from sliding down the bridge of your nose.
Not only does the nose section have rubberized areas both arms have rubberized temple. This helps it grip against your head and not slip off during a fall or rapid head movement. The temple coverings do not come loose with tugging and appear to be very securely glued. The arms each have a nice subdued Revision logo on each side. One has the shield shaped logo and the other side says Revision.
The arms are each attached with a screw mount for a secure hinge. The hinge also clicks into the open and closed position quite nicely and will stop the frames from coming off a strap or whatever you may have it hanging from when not on your face.
The lenses are a nice shade that blocks the UV rays as well as protects your eyes from shrapnel etc. So these look just as good at the beach as they do at the range. Each lens is corrected optically so that what you see with them on is what you see with them off just a little darker. I would have liked for the lenses to be replaceable. However at $89.99 USD vs the Oakley Gascan at $125.00 you are getting more for less. So if you take care of your glasses you will be good to go for quite awhile.
Conclusion
If you have a need for a sleek set of ballistic eye wear that won’t make you look like a dork on the streets you should check these out. As far as ballistics come I feel these are a great value and comfortable. The frames are extremely robust and the lenses offer a clear picture. Check out your local Revision dealer or hit up Revisions site to order some.
