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ESS to launch Airsoft Specific Range


Mat

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http://www.essairsoft.com/

 

Unfortunately only a holding page at the moment, however this can only be good news to fans of ESS eyeware, myself included :)

 

Looking at the picture on the holding page, nose protection is on their list of things to add.

 

Dang! ESS is already awesome, and I guess the recognize how many of their customers use their brand of eyepro. Props to ESS.

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This is really, really old news and these products are very, very late. Still, its nice to see manufacturers jumping on board to provide high quality eye protection.

 

Ive spoken at length with the company about producing good quality eye pro and ive got to be honest, i really hope they take my concerns to heart otherwise alot of their potential customer base is not going to jump on these.

 

Also, for any naysayers who do not believe the actual shield add on is necessary, i will be the first one to say that while its not necessary it DOES work and it works in EXACTLY the manner that it was designed.

 

Ive had several bbs hit me in the nose, roll up my nose and end up bouncing around in my goggles.

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This is an interesting approach, but I think they could design a better type of face protection that would cover the mouth too. They've already got the dorky nose piece. Might as well extend it down to cover the mouth and be less dorky. From a practicality stand point, depending on how they design it, they may have been concerned about ensuring the user has the ability to get a proper cheek weld.

 

And the dude in the pic ... Chicken winging it. :D

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This is an interesting approach, but I think they could design a better type of face protection that would cover the mouth too. They've already got the dorky nose piece. Might as well extend it down to cover the mouth and be less dorky. From a practicality stand point, depending on how they design it, they may have been concerned about ensuring the user has the ability to get a proper cheek weld.

 

And the dude in the pic ... Chicken winging it. :D

 

They are developing something to that extent. Its also not what i told them we wanted but they seem hellbent on going in this direction. Shrug, this product certainly isnt for airsoft players by airsoft players but i DO trust the company to innovate and potentially release something wonderful.

 

We will see.

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how about turbofans at a cheaper rpice, i mean we're taking about $30.00 worth of palstic and electronics......

 

 

So you take a $30.00 goggle.

 

 

Add $30.00 worth of plastic and electronics.

 

So we're up to $60.00

 

 

Add on top of that, the 2 hours it takes for someone to assemble said goggle now, at roughly $12-15 an hour, plus benefits. (Assume $7 an hour)

 

So, we're sitting at $100-110 for the goggle.

 

Marketing, packaging and retailer mark up to $150-160?

 

Easily.

 

I'm sure that it's a bit less to make the goggles, probably around the $80-90 range, but people are getting really spoiled by everything made overseas where you have pretty much next to no labor costs...

 

 

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I modified the lower half of a Sansei Mask to work with my ESS Profile Turbofans and have been very satisfied with them (with the exception of the rarest occasions in which the humidity was so high all lenses failed). Tutorial here.

 

Worked really well:

mcmask02qd3.jpg

 

Though, I'd rather use something by ESS that had a little more style to it but accomplishes the same result.

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Interesting! I remember reading that ESS would not ship their products to airsofters, I never thought they would come out with an airsoft product line.

 

But I do love my turbo fans with thermal lense, worth every penny.

 

 

You can thank lawyers/sue happy individuals for that. Since the goggles aren't tested or certified for airsoft they can't sell them for that intended use.

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With safety eyewear there is no standard that directly relates to airsoft (even paintball for that matter for those wearing paintball masks). There are safety standards for eye protection such as ANSI Z87.1-2003, MIL-PRF-31013, MIL-V-43511C, and CE EN166B that state specific requirements for impact protection, dust resistance, etc. but none are directly related to airsoft. Anything that is stated that they have been rated for airsoft generally involves the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer performing tests shooting the eyewear with an airsoft gun at various angles and recording the results. Mind you with a certain failure rate. What that rate is varies from manufacturer, or tester. From 0% failure to who knows for knock off companies. They primarily rate the lens for impact protection and penetration. The seal is another matter, no seal is 100%, as stated in Magsz post. Being a firefighter, I spoke with ESS about four years ago about eyewear for airsoft. At the time they would not recommend any of their products due to the fact that a bb could pass by the seal near the bridge of the nose.... hence on their airsoft specific products a nose guard. I wear ESS goggles on the job and still get junk in my eyes. Anytime a mainstream manufacturer of equipment recognizies a market place and a need for product for a specific use for airsoft is good. I'll be looking into them as more information comes out, besides with the ESS vendors I already deal with I get a discount.

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Well.. I sent them an email and on the 10th they made an official announcement, this could be a coincidence, however as I've not had many good things happen recently, I choose to believe I am in fact awesome. ;)

 

The site is now launched!

 

ESS Announces Official Entry into Airsoft Market

April 10, 2009

 

Dedicated product line and website facilitate safer eye protection on the Airsoft Battlefield

 

April 10, 2009 -- Sun Valley, ID USA

Eye Safety Systems, Inc. (ESS) today officially announced its entry into the global Airsoft market, a tactical training exercise and modern combat sport in which spherical non-metallic rounds are fired from non-lethal weapons. ESS, a leading manufacturer in ballistic eye protection for military, law enforcement and fire/rescue professionals worldwide, now offers a dedicated line of eye pro products specifically adapted for use on the Airsoft Battlefield. ESS timed the launch of its Airsoft-optimized product line to coincide with the unveiling of its dedicated Airsoft website, www.essairsoft.com, where these specialized products are now available for purchase.

 

“For years, ESS eye pro has been saving eyes and lives on battlefields around the world,” said Brian Ross, ESS Sr. VP Sales & Marketing. “ESS recognizes that although military goggles are built to withstand ballistic threats far greater than what is seen in Airsoft, Airsoft rounds pose a unique hazard that even military goggles are not designed to protect against. Because Airsoft rounds do not typically penetrate and embed in the skin, they can bounce and redirect in ways that shrapnel does not, including up and around a goggle frame. ESS believes the new ESS Airsoft product line to be the first and only authentic military eye pro system that provides both the impact protection and coverage necessary for proper eye safety on the Airsoft Battlefield.”

 

Airsoft, whether for tactical training or recreation, is a dangerous activity, and eyes are perhaps the most vulnerable portion of the body. Although there is currently no official safety standard for Airsoft eye protection, the Airsoft community has traditionally focused primarily on the issue of impact resistance, loosely referencing the ANSI Z87.1 standard as the base level for safe Airsoft eye protection. However, this impact-only approach does not take into consideration the importance of coverage. While a sunglass can meet the ANSI standard, it leaves large areas around the lenses unprotected and vulnerable to a round passing directly, or indirectly, into the eye area. For this reason, ESS highly discourages the use of any sunglass or spectacle in Airsoft, as well as any other goggle that does not have an Airsoft adapter designed to provide additional coverage from Airsoft rounds.

 

The cornerstone of the new ESS Airsoft product line is the ESS Cortex Clip™, a rigid polycarbonate adapter that snaps onto the outside of ESS Profile™ Series goggles. This patent-pending attachment adapts to ESS Profile NVG™ and ESS Profile TurboFan™ goggles, adding essential coverage in the nose and lower cheek area to help prevent rounds from passing underneath the goggle frame and into the eye area. The ESS Profile Airsoft™ is an Airsoft-optimized configuration that features the Cortex Clip™ and foam-free vents for enhanced anti-fog performance at an affordable price.

 

Additional information about Airsoft eye protection and the new ESS Airsoft product line can be found at www.essairsoft.com.

 

 

About Eye Safety Systems, Inc.

 

Established in 1998, Eye Safety Systems, Inc. (ESS) creates advanced eye protection systems for military, law enforcement, and fire/rescue professionals. Designed for the planet’s most hostile and unforgiving environments, ESS products feature cutting-edge technologies and patented innovations to ensure peak performance and uncompromised eye safety. Headquartered in Sun Valley, Idaho, ESS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oakley, Inc. ESS eye pro is manufactured in Foothill Ranch, California, and sold in over 90 countries. For more information, please visit www.esseyepro.com.

 

Full PDF version here http://www.esseyepro.com/uploads/news/ESS_...oft_Release.pdf

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