Eye Doctor...

[bmattock]

Not many years ago I had a pair of metal-frame glasses break completely in half at the nose bridge. There is an optician in our area that offers "eye glass repair" services. He brazed it back together, replace the nose pads, adjusted them and sent me on my merry way for $50 (I seem to recall). My feeling was that the price was high for 7 minutes worth of effort, but I still got out of the deal for a fraction of the price of new frames.

His repair parts/materials seems to include screws, a wide assortment of nose pads, solder/flux/torch, many tubes of epoxy, spray paint, and a big box of old frames. I'll bet that he scavenges arms and can cobble together a cheap pair of functional glasses if one really needs a cheap pair of glasses.

They broke again within two weeks. I went back and the guy told me that repairs rarely work for long. He offered to try again, but I decided that buying a new pair of cheap frames might be a better solution. The optician agreed.

I seldom break them at the bridge, usually it is on the folding bit where the fame attaches to the stems. That big screw that is on the pivot point is where I often have trouble. Occasionally, I've had trouble with the screws that hold the rim of the lenses in (metal frames). The hole strips out, then the screw can't be fastened down anymore, then the lenses fall out.

And it is not that I fear replacing the frames so much - I'd rather they were repairable, but I can live with it - it is that when this happens, I am invariably informed that the manufacturer no longer makes that frame, and there are no more available.

Naturally, my lenses won't fit any other frame - even identical-looking frames, and yes, they can cut my lenses to fit a slightly different frame, but it will come with no guarantee and costs just as much as new lenses (surprise).

So if I break my frames, I sigh and realize I have to buy a whole new pair of glasses. And *that* is assuming I can get a copy of my prescription out of the eye doctor, who usually hates to relinquish it, claiming I need a new examination.

It gets old.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[rbiemer]

So if I break my frames, I sigh and realize I have to buy a whole new pair of glasses. And *that* is assuming I can get a copy of my prescription out of the eye doctor, who usually hates to relinquish it, claiming I need a new examination.
It gets old.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks

Bill,
I ask, every time I get a new perscription, to have a copy "just in case I'm out of town or something. Or I guess I could just call you at home?..." That seems to work. In NY state, the perscription belongs to the patient and your doc is required to let you have a copy if you ask. That wasn't always the case, though.
As for Lasik, I haven't looked into it much because, even though all the people I know personally who've had it done are very happy with the results, there is a small(1% or less, maybe?) failure rate. And the failures, while few are serious. So for me, the small chance of bad results is off set by the severity of that failure.
The silliest idea proposed to me (not by the Doc I have now) was to get contacts to correct my far sighted-ness. And glasses to correct my astigmatism. I would then get to be "six-eyed Rob". The glasses would be a lot lighter, though. And that doctor could sell me BOTH. :bang: I think his hobby was sail boats.
Rob

 

[BrianShaw]

In NY state, the perscription belongs to the patient and your doc is required to let you have a copy if you ask. That wasn't always the case, though.

Same in CA, except I believe they are required by law to give a copy of the prescription to the patient. In fact, my health provider doesn't keep a database of prescriptions any more. To get a replacement prescription script, they need to request the medical records before they can write it up. In the past they could just "google it".

 

[BrianShaw]

Occasionally, I've had trouble with the screws that hold the rim of the lenses in (metal frames). The hole strips out, then the screw can't be fastened down anymore, then the lenses fall out.

This seems to have gotten better in the past decade since many of the arms are now spring-loaded. I've noticed that there is much less stress on the arm hinges/screws.

 

[bmattock]

This seems to have gotten better in the past decade since many of the arms are now spring-loaded. I've noticed that there is much less stress on the arm hinges/screws.

Mine are now titanium, and they bend and flex back again. Plus, I learned long ago not to fold up my glasses when I take them off at night - that seems to contribute to them wearing out. I agree that durability has gone up - if you can pay the ticket for the high-end frames.

What I mean is this - I can take an ultra-tiny screw out of an Olympus RC and compare it to an eyeglass frame screw. Both about the same size. The Oly is made of stainless steel and is clearly high quality. The eyeglass screw, pot metal.

Why? Clearly, such screws can be made to be high-quality. But the makers of the glasses frames prefer not to do so.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Trius]

My girlfriend is an optician and that's what she recommends. They use the bifocal part of the prescription to make the entire lens. No line bifocals aren't comfortable if you spend hours looking at a computer monitor.

R.J.

Mine work fine, both contacts and spectacles, and I am in front of a monitor all day. It all depends on the doc.