FOG HORN

Revisions Sawfly with Photochromic Lenses

By: Sal Palma

2012
Twobirds Flying Publication

Revision Military, located in 1 Montreal , Quebec (Je me souviens), Canada, launched the Sawfly Eyewear Protection System back in 2004, if memory serves me. Revision Military has been producing ballistic eyewear since 2003. Soon after its introduction, Revision Military became a serious competitor for Oakley who enjoyed a lions share of the military business.

Montreal is one of my favorite cities; Ive been there several times. While in Quebec if you need to order eggs and bacon you can do that in French, but if your French is not so hot ask for two eggs parallel.

Revisions approach to the Sawfly was novel and technology driven. The Sawfly system, gave the soldier a lightweight comfortable frame and interchangeable lenses, with an option for Rx inserts, which offered the best ballistic protection available. The rest is history. Drawing on my personal military experience, soldiers will not use equipment that does not make life easier for them. In my case, I was issued a steel pod helmet that was hardly ever worn and was summarily replaced by the ubiquitous boonie hat, and the all too heavy and ineffective flak jacket. That same rational holds true for ballistic eye protection; extending that thought process, a soldier wearing dark lenses will remove his eye protection when he enters a cave or dark structure and will remain unprotected for the duration of that operation. So, lenses that transition from dark to light and vice versa were sorely needed. However, any old transitioning lens wont do. The soldier needs a lens offering exceptional ballistic protection capable of transitioning from dark to

Copyright 2012, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Revisions Sawfly Photochromic

light, and light to dark, quickly, so as he moves in and out of bright areas to dark caves or dwellings his eyewear wont impede his or her vision. The capability was absent until Revision launched, in 2011, its highly successful Sawfly with photochromic lenses. A photochromic lens responds to Ultraviolet Light (UV), so even if you enter a room that is illuminated with tungsten or fluorescent light sources a photochromic lens will not respond. The same holds true if you are inside a vehicle driving in bright sunlight. The vehicles glass windows filter out UV light so your lens does not transition. Revisions Photochromic technology is quite exceptional; taking a mere 20 seconds or less for the lens to transition from clear to about a 50% tint; transitioning from its darkest tint to completely clear takes about 60 seconds. That metric is a bit misleading. A better way to communicate its dark to clear performance is to use a graph.

2012
The x-axis represent tint and the yaxis represents time (the tick marks 0 through 5 do not represent a specific time increment. They are there only to dimension the discussion). When moving the Sawfly Photochromic from light to dark the lens begins clearing immediately. Within the first 15 seconds, which occurs between tick marks 1 and 2 the majority of the lens tint has dissipated. The clearing process then progressively slows, and at 60 seconds the lens is completely clear. From the soldiers or wearers perspective you dont have to sit and wait a full 60 seconds before the lens becomes usable indoors. The transition begins immediately and aggressively. Sawfly Photochromic Eyewear System exceeds ANSI Z87.1-2010 and U.S. military ballistic impact requirements for spectacles (MILPRF-31013 clause 3.5.1.1), and 100% UV protection. The Revision Sawfly Photochromic Basic Kit retails for $149.99 and is available in three sizes to fit any facial contour. Theyre comfortable and functional, so theres no excuse. Your eyes are precious, protect them! -SP

Copyright 2012, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved