Note: this item was provided for review.
After receiving and reviewing the Namba Slate from Shinzo Tamura I was clamoring for more. Those quickly became the only sunglasses I wear, so when they offered to send a pair of the Abeno Granite my way, I couldn’t wait. These are a different frame and a very different lens — as moving from dark lenses to very light — I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Now I am questioning all of my decisions and why I focused so heavily on dark lens sunglasses only. These hit a really sweet spot, and I love the way they look.
Materials & Specs
First, the frames, the Abeno weighs 20g (including lenses) and is made from ‘ultralight and durable nylon’. They are 136mm hinge to hinge, with 145mm temple length. These are made in Japan.
Like the Namba, the frame is quite flexible, and well shaped and designed. The fit and finish is top notch.
The lenses I chose are the ‘Granite’ lenses, here’s what Shinzo Tamura says about them:
Our patented Granite lens offers the most true-to-life color reproduction, closely matching natural vision. As a lighter alternative to the Slate lens, it’s perfect for everyday wear in any weather, providing clarity and comfort in all conditions.
They have a visible light transmittance of 30%, which to put that in perspective it’s quite hard to find something lower than 9% (very dark) and most “dark” are around 12-15%. So these are not very ‘dark’ as compared to what most people are used to.
These are polarized, and like the Slate lenses I tried before, they are supernaturally sharp feeling when you wear them.
Wear & Style
Just looking at these sunglasses for a moment, and there’s nothing I don’t love about how they look. The clear around the lenses pairs very nicely with the lighter tinted lenses. The yellow arms are playful without being distracting. These feel like the type of sunglasses you’d see on a main character of a movie. They look fantastic.
Wearing them only gets better. As I mentioned above, they are incredibly comfortable. Even though these are smaller frames than what I would otherwise buy, they are by far the most comfortable sunglasses I own. I can wear them all day long without any fatigue, and that’s something I’ve never experience with other sunglasses.
The lenses are very interesting. The darkening factor on these sunglasses is very minimal, but just enough. In the brightest of conditions I did find that I would want something a little darker, but in nearly every other condition I have used these in, they have been plenty fine.
More than that, I’ve found them to be excellent with the cooler weather. They fit the vibe of fall and winter better than wearing dark sunglasses — just enough to protect my eyes, but not so much that people think I am longing for summer (long live winters).
The Talex lenses do their part to offer a very sharp view through them, and resist smudging and dust well.
I do not typically carry sunglasses with me, but I have been carrying these sunglasses with my everywhere I go, as I find that they are almost always great to wear. I also very much like that people can still see my eyes and make eye contact when I talk to them while wearing these — a nice bit of humanity you get out of a lighter lens like this.
Overall
Everything about Shinzo Tamara’s sunglasses are top notch. From the packaging, to the case, cleaning cloth — the comfort, frames, and lenses — it’s all fantastic. The only thing I don’t understand about the brand, is how this premium of a product is so competitively priced. They could double the price and I would say these are still a good buy.
The lighter lens was something I was unsure about, but now I am sold on it. It’s a fantastic addition, especially in the cooler weather when the Sun is a little less intense, and the days a little shorter.
Highly recommended.