Kahles is an Austrian company with a history going back to the 19th century, when Karl Robert Kahles merged with Karl Fritsch’s Opto-Mechanical Workshop in Vienna. The combined ingenuity of the two Karl’s resulted in the Telorar, one of the first widely used rifle scopes, introduced in 1900. It was the first rifle scope to use variable magnification.

It’s also not well known that Karl Zeiss apprenticed with Kahles before heading out on his own and literally making a name for himself. Unfortunately, for much of its history, Kahles remained hidden behind the iron curtain. Today, it remains too much a secret in the world of binoculars, and still has some barriers to overcome. All of this works to consumers’ advantage.

Some Kahles binoculars

The Kahles roof prism 8x42 binoculars are multi-coated with standard center focus and a tripod adapter. These are a high end binocular (at least $620 US) that will not disappoint the binocular enthusiast willing to shell out for high quality optics. It weighs in at 26 oz. What you’re paying for is sharpness of image, clarity of color and close focus. The close focus gives you a sharp image at 6 feet. While this is hardly important to hunters, it can be critical for birders and butterfly hunters.

The 10x 42’s are also acclaimed. They come at a slightly higher price ($750) but they will get you that much closer to the game - whatever "game" it is you are watching.

Kahles still makes riflescopes, too, and today they use patented Multizero technology that promises “any caliber, any distance, dead on.”

If you’re worried about buying from a "foreign" brand name, Kahles services all their binoculars and other optical instruments from an office in Rhode Island. They offer a limited lifetime warranty on all their binoculars. Kahles’ status as an underdog in the world of binoculars might just entail some pleasant surprises for anyone willing to check them out.