Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: KBco Vanished Too Bad

  1. #1
    Bad address email on file
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    East
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    960

    KBco Vanished Too Bad

    KBco is gone. Big E took them over and deleted their products. It would have been better if the E had deleted Specialty lens and kept KBco. I only hope the equipment and products still exists somewhere and they will be producing soon. Another big void in the industry. Products no longer available.

  2. #2
    OptiBoard Professional
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    St. Petersburg
    Occupation
    Optical Wholesale Lab (other positions)
    Posts
    134
    What are you looking for specifically? Younger makes many of the same polarized lenses that KBco made prior to it's purchase. I personally have always preferred the color of the Younger Nupolar lenses.

  3. #3
    Bad address email on file
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    East
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    960
    Quote Originally Posted by jspayneii View Post
    What are you looking for specifically? Younger makes many of the same polarized lenses that KBco made prior to it's purchase. I personally have always preferred the color of the Younger Nupolar lenses.
    I think KBco made the Image for Younger. I liked the Gray a progressive. Younger and KBco no longer offer. Just ordered a light gray (ASH, they call it)progressive. I do not know if I will like it. Cost arm and leg and 5-7 days. KBco had a dark gray lens that was G-15. Side by side you could not see a difference,for G-15 fans. All the old KBco product is gone. Now it takes longer to produce and cost much more. How does this benifit consumers. Another monopoly to deal with. I wish I could find a Fusion I (cr39) in gray A 250 add. 4 or 6 base is fine. Fusion II second choice. Another great company gobbled up and gone.

  4. #4
    OptiBoard Professional
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    St. Petersburg
    Occupation
    Optical Wholesale Lab (other positions)
    Posts
    134
    KBCo usually has the Gray A in stock for Single Vision CR39 and Polycarbonate. Younger also has the Gray A Single Vision lens in CR39, although it is a bit darker than the KBCo lens. These would be great alternatives using digital progressive technology. It will save you on time, and the cost factor.

    The G-15 looking lens is still available. They just call it Gray/Green now. I use to dislike KBCo because they had Gray C which was more Gray/Green. Then they added True Gray which was more like Gray C. It drove me crazy. Another option for you, is Younger's NuPolar G-15 in CR39 and Poly.

    From my perspective, KBCo is now focussing on single vision lenses, as they are being used for all of the Essilor backside digital, and they are trying to capture the blank market for other digital designs. Since digital, the unique polarized progressives colors just don't have the usage anymore to sustain having inventory of the products.

    We currently offer all of these colors in our Legacy series of digital progressives. I am sure many other labs offer them as well.

  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter Judy Canty's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Virginia Beach, VA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    7,482
    Quote Originally Posted by jspayneii View Post
    KBCo usually has the Gray A in stock for Single Vision CR39 and Polycarbonate. Younger also has the Gray A Single Vision lens in CR39, although it is a bit darker than the KBCo lens. These would be great alternatives using digital progressive technology. It will save you on time, and the cost factor.

    The G-15 looking lens is still available. They just call it Gray/Green now. I use to dislike KBCo because they had Gray C which was more Gray/Green. Then they added True Gray which was more like Gray C. It drove me crazy. Another option for you, is Younger's NuPolar G-15 in CR39 and Poly.

    From my perspective, KBCo is now focussing on single vision lenses, as they are being used for all of the Essilor backside digital, and they are trying to capture the blank market for other digital designs. Since digital, the unique polarized progressives colors just don't have the usage anymore to sustain having inventory of the products.

    We currently offer all of these colors in our Legacy series of digital progressives. I am sure many other labs offer them as well.
    Yup.

  6. #6
    Bad address email on file
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    East
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    960
    Thanks. Now we only have to choose which digital system to install. Right now the digital would cost me more than the ash I think. Maybe I should have gotten some quotes. I know I like the gray A. I just hope I like the ASH.
    Last edited by Speed; 08-03-2014 at 07:13 AM.

  7. #7
    Rising Star
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Oregon
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    60
    KBco is still running, they are E owned and have been for a while but I just talked to them this morning, they are having a terrible coating problem for their polarized flat tops at the moment and have no idea when it will be resolved. But we order all kinds of stuff through them still.New Matrix Search View Cart Home Help

    Complete as many fields as known to search our database for availability and ordering.
    Searching Information - Please Wait .

    1. Lens Manufacturer 2. Brand Name
    Select up to two brands
    3. Finished / Semi-Finished 4. Lens Material
    Essilor (Silor/Gentex/Prio) KBco / Specialty Lens Shore Lens IRX XPERIOXPERIO FinishedSemi-Finished GlassPlastic High IndexPlasticPolycarbonate
    5. Lens Style 6. Color/Tint 7. Shade 8. AR Coating (Yes/No)
    Single VisionProgressiveFT 28 BifocalFT 35 BifocalFT 7x28 TrifocalFT 8x35 Trifocal All OthersPolarized AmberApple GreenAshBlueBrownCaramelChocolateCopperEZ BlueForestG-15GrassGreen/GreyGreenGreyMelaninOceanOrangeRedRoseRubySky BlueSmokeSun GreenSunflowerSunsetVermillionVioletYellow No





    Click on the Reset button if you need to change a selection that is locked



    Last edited by Outkast; 08-20-2014 at 01:57 PM.

  8. #8
    OptiBoardaholic
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Missouri
    Occupation
    Optometrist
    Posts
    235
    You might look at Vision Ease lenses. They have some cool colours, although not as extensive as the old kbCo. They have a nice Coppertone brown and a Coppertone Grey which is a grey lens with some copper in it. Kind of hard to explain, but they are pretty neat. I like it personally since I'm not a fan of grey, but more of brown/G15. I typically wear Drivewear. Good luck!

  9. #9
    Rising Star
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Oregon
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    60
    Also you can tint on polarized lenses to alter color a bit but you must do so before it is edged to shape to avoid delaminating.

  10. #10
    OptiBoard Professional
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Middle America
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    124
    Quote Originally Posted by bigeyejim View Post
    You might look at Vision Ease lenses. They have some cool colours, although not as extensive as the old kbCo. They have a nice Coppertone brown and a Coppertone Grey which is a grey lens with some copper in it. Kind of hard to explain, but they are pretty neat. I like it personally since I'm not a fan of grey, but more of brown/G15. I typically wear Drivewear. Good luck!
    +1, AND Vision-Ease sponsors the Optiboard, so let's support them when you can as they are truly independent (no lab, no Internet sales to consumers). SunRx polarized poly and CR-39 Gray, Brown, Classic Green and 3 SV mirrors on Gray poly substrate. And they have bi's, tri's and PAL's. And Coppertone as mentioned.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. KBCo filter axis
    By The Mighty Mutt in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 12-10-2007, 01:28 PM
  2. KBco sold out to Essilor today..............
    By Chris Ryser in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 45
    Last Post: 11-09-2007, 04:42 AM
  3. Essilor Announces Acquisition of KBco
    By Newsroom in forum Optical Industry News
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 10-19-2007, 01:37 PM
  4. Kbco wrap solutions rx accucalc 6.1
    By braheem24 in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 06-03-2007, 06:21 PM
  5. Kbco Rx Compensator
    By jhorn in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 09-30-2006, 09:52 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •