style of glasses

[Roscoe Regulator]

I have been researching safety glasses, at least polycarbonate lenses, that have the look of the Old West. Those with prescription spectacles and side shields appear to have the right idea. Any thoughts on what to look for? Pictures would be appreciated. Obviously some are more into the costuming and authenticity than others, so yeah, some don't care about this.

[CodyMaverick]

I have the semi round metal frames with side shields and had them made with the dominant eye focal point at the distance of my pistol front sight and the other is just at normal distance vision.  I chose this style because they do look a bit more ol' timey than modern safety glasses.  I believe they provide the appropriate impact protection from ricochets and such but I have found them wanting in protection from small bits of debris kicked up by wind or blow back from the rifle.

 

I am now looking for better protection with less concern about appearance.  My astigmatism to too severe to work in a curved lens so my eye dr. is getting me some new tech contacts to try out that she thinks will work for me and allow me to choose any style eye protection I want.  I have a 'real' old pair of safety goggles like you see the steampunkers wearing on their hats.  Maybe I'll wear those and get great eye protection and still look very ol' timey.  And perhaps pretty goofy as well .

 

Good luck!

[Roscoe Regulator]

12 minutes ago, CodyMaverick said:

I have the semi round metal frames with side shields and had them made with the dominant eye focal point at the distance of my pistol front sight and the other is just at normal distance vision.  I chose this style because they do look a bit more ol' timey than modern safety glasses.  I believe they provide the appropriate impact protection from ricochets and such but I have found them wanting in protection from small bits of debris kicked up by wind or blow back from the rifle.

 

I am now looking for better protection with less concern about appearance.  My astigmatism to too severe to work in a curved lens so my eye dr. is getting me some new tech contacts to try out that she thinks will work for me and allow me to choose any style eye protection I want.  I have a 'real' old pair of safety goggles like you see the steampunkers wearing on their hats.  Maybe I'll wear those and get great eye protection and still look very ol' timey.  And perhaps pretty goofy as well .

 

Good luck!

Considering some of our costuming efforts, "goofy" is a relative thing. Anybody remember Charles Bronson's glacier glasses?

[Shooting Bull]

This is obviously just personal opinion but when it comes to protecting my eyes I don't give a rat's patoot how "old west" my glasses are.  I want what will protect me the most and what feels comfortable. 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Protection - job 1.

Accurate vision - job 2.

Style - way down the list.

 

Good luck, GJ

 

Be safe, have fun, shoot well.   If you want to put on some styling glasses for the banquet, feel free.  Cowboys didn't really wear glasses.   Except Theodore Roosevelt, and he caught enough guff that he usually had to whip fellers to get them to lay off comments about 4-eyes.  Which he did one afternoon in a bar in Medora, SD territory, if I recall right.

[Lead Friend, SASS #53635]

I got a pair of prescription safety glasses from Walmart. The prescription is set for distance on both eyes, they wrap around and I think they cost something like seventy-five bux. I'm not a big Walmart shopper but I feel pretty good about this.

[Claude Dirtbank, #104201]

A good friend and fellow shooter tipped me to a product called BikeEyes. 

http://bikeeyes.com/products/outfitter-antifog

Not too authentic but the protection is excellent.

[Irish Pat]

I put some " fit -overs" over my prescription glass no line bifocals.

[Roscoe Regulator]

I am sorry if some are offended by this notion. Still, some are more interested in costume than others.

[Marauder SASS #13056]

I have been using prescription glasses with a side shield, but came to realize that although they were some sort of poly-carb, they were not ANSI 87 rated. 

 

So I purchased some nice shooting glasses that i can wear over them.  So I get even better protection.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004I7RVZI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I got some of these to give to friends that are not real close to the firing line.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B1105ZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Pat Riot]

5 hours ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

I have been researching safety glasses, at least polycarbonate lenses, that have the look of the Old West. Those with prescription spectacles and side shields appear to have the right idea. Any thoughts on what to look for? Pictures would be appreciated. Obviously some are more into the costuming and authenticity than others, so yeah, some don't care about this.

 

2 hours ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

I am sorry if some are offended by this notion. Still, some are more interested in costume than others.

 

Roscoe, I am sure they mean well and are trying to help...

 

Anyway, the photos of the glasses that I have posted here were bought about 13 years ago. They are very good glasses and safety rated by ANSI but I don't know if they are rated for the latest recommendation. I got these at my Optometrist. I went is and told him I was looking for "old-timey looking safety glasses". I have been wearing them recentkly but I need to upgrade the prescription but they are good enough for CAS distances. I do not have the glasses handy or I would read off the manufacturer for you.

 

There are companies that make vintage style safety glasses and can ship the frames to you for your optometrist to get fitted with your prescription OR you can send some of these companies your prescription and they can make them for you. If I wasn't at work I would find some for you but I won't be able to do that until later. I am on a lunch break.

 

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

5 hours ago, Shooting Bull said:

This is obviously just personal opinion but when it comes to protecting my eyes I don't give a rat's patoot how "old west" my glasses are.  I want what will protect me the most and what feels comfortable. 

Yup-Fashion, won't save the eyeballs.......

OLG

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

3 hours ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

I am sorry if some are offended by this notion. Still, some are more interested in costume than others.

Offended, NO.   Protecting my eyes, has priority over any so-called, fashion statement. 

That's why SASS allow's the use of modern safety glasses, and modern ear protection.

OLG

[Woody Shootem, SASS # 24816]

I had some safety glasses with side shields from Wal-Mart.  Was very happy with them until a hot ember from an ejected .44-40 BP case from my 1873 landed on the corner of my eye.  Ended the stage really quickly for me.   Had to flush it with water for awhile.  The next day, on the recommendation of a friend I ordered NYX wraparound-style glasses with Rx inserts.   I haven't had any problems since.

 

Old-timey might be nice looking, but I prefer the protection of wraparound.  

[Shooting Bull]

4 hours ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

I am sorry if some are offended by this notion. Still, some are more interested in costume than others.

 

I cant speak for others but I'm not offended at all. Just giving you a different perspective. As you correctly stated, you will ultimately decide what's most important to you. 

[Flint N. Steele]

I wear the same prescription safety glasses that I wear in the machine shop all week.
I've had enough metal dug out of my eyes.

[Tennessee Trapper Tom]

I had a pair of vintage 1800s shooting glasses.  Wife bought them for me. Clear lenses with fold in green lenses and adjustable earpieces. Thought, hey I'll wear them until shooting time and then switch. This is about 8 or 9 years ago. Wore them to a shoot. Got lots of comments. Last stage, set them on the cart like I had all shoot, put on my shooting glasses and shot. Never saw them again, and didn't realize it til I got home. Not saying someone stole them them, hell could've fell off the gun cart because I forgot about them. They were valued at around $300. Decided fashion just wasn't worth it

[Rex M Rugers #6621]

When I first started playing this game in 1995 , there were a few people that wore the old-timey looking glasses , there were ads in the Chronicle for them , but that didn't last long.

Just not enough protection. That is one area where in my line of thinking there is no such thing as too careful. In fact , just last year I got a piece of splash-back right under my left lens , on the cheek. I was at the loading table. That spot fairly quickly turned dark blue and swelled up about the size of a bird egg. The hunk of lead , obviously the base of a 38 , weighs 41 grains. It had dropped onto the table , and I kept it.

 That stage has been re-arranged a bit since , and the target retired.

Rex

 

[CodyMaverick]

7 hours ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

I am sorry if some are offended by this notion. Still, some are more interested in costume than others.

 

By now you've discovered no one is offended and just offering advice.  From your OP it sounded to me that you are going through the same thought processes I went through when looking for shooting glasses for CAS.

 

My 'safety glasses' are very similar to the pictures that Pat Riot provided.  They are z87+ rated which simply means they pass certain industrial  standards for impact resistance.  But mine have no rating for protection from dust.  Obviously, since they don't wrap around or fit close to the face.  This is where I found a flaw in my selection of eyewear.  A breezy day out on the range will carry a lot of dust, sand, lead particles, etc... Even though it may not (or may) cause any permanent damage, it is very irritating.  I also have a Marlin that I should occasionally that will pepper my forehead and the tops of my glasses with blow back and I definitely don't want that stuff in my eyes.

 

I spared no expense on my glasses and they cost almost as much as one of my pistols and if I had known then, what I know now I would have made a different choice.  Now I'm looking for something that is Z87+ with a D4 or D5 rating for dust protection.

 

Maybe some chemical goggles, they're pretty ol' timey!!

 

 

 

Choose wisely 

[Ramblin Gambler]

Roscoe, I'm with ya on wanting something somewhat authentic.  Looking good does not necessarily mean less effective.

 

I had a devil of a time but finally found a pair of round safety glasses at wal mart.  There was a mix-up of sorts with my flex account, and I got to a point where I had around $1200 to spend and literally the only thing they were going to approve was eyewear.  They wouldn't even approve dental visits.  I don't want to get started on that tangent, but the long and the short of it is that I had a LOT of money to spend on eyeglasses.  After getting everyone in the family new glasses, I still had plenty left for me, so I decided to take a chance on some smaller round ones similar to what Pat Riot posted.  They are great.  I wear safety glasses every day (mostly non prescription as my eyesight aint that bad) and I can honestly say these guys fit and work better than anything else I've ever had.  Only glasses that came close fit like swim goggles.  The goggles felt like they were sucking my eyeballs out of my head and were making my eyes sweat.  So while those goggles got high marks for protection they get marked down for fit and comfort.  I also have a problem with a lot of glasses interfering with my hat (or maybe my hat interferes with the glasses).  That's no bueno as it'll cause the glasses to move away from your face.  These glasses almost work together as a system with the hat to give me more protection. 

 

Biggest problem with looking for old timey safety glasses is that most search results are costume steam punk goggles.  That's why I eventually switched to just looking for round lenses.  Since it had a wire frame, it wasn't difficult to bend into the proper shape for my head.  I think that probably makes the biggest difference in getting a good fit. 

[Pat Riot]

Roscoe,

My safety glass frames were made by Kenmark. They are the Wolverine W004 model. They are ANSI Z87.1 rated. The Kenmark Wolverine W005 model looks very similar.

 

Here is a link for some of their frames. Scroll down to see the metal frames. Side protectors must be added to the purchase, they apparently do not come with the frames.

http://www.rxframesnlenses.com/wolverine-safety-glasses/

 

Honestly, if I were looking for glasses like this I would go through an Optometrist.

[Roscoe Regulator]

For now I have added side shields to my shooting glasses, which are a fair choice in style anyway. I get to keep the bifocal cut on the upper part of the lens on my dominant side. I have lens replacements in both eyes, so I don't have the ability to see my sights without correction. Prescription is the answer for me, and I should have thought of that. The glasses work well but are not actually my current, post-surgery prescription, so at some point I may get the chance to choose different, more old-timey frames that are still big enough to afford basic protection, not to mention match well with the side shields.

 

I still might add a retainer strap to secure the glasses when hustling between stations. The glasses fit well around my ears, but it might be good to keep the strap handy.

 

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions..

[Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463]

I love these frames. I originally got them at Walmart. I have 2 sets of frames. The older prescription becomes my shooting glasses with side shields and the new prescription for every day and I just keep rotating that way every year. The lens are polycarbonate.  To me they look a bit period correct but also fit in with current times.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/SAFILO-TEAM-Eyeglasses-4113-01K3-Brown-45MM/180676365

[Roscoe Regulator]

36 minutes ago, Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463 said:

I love these frames. I originally got them at Walmart. I have 2 sets of frames. The older prescription becomes my shooting glasses with side shields and the new prescription for every day and I just keep rotating that way every year. The lens are polycarbonate.  To me they look a bit period correct but also fit in with current times.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/SAFILO-TEAM-Eyeglasses-4113-01K3-Brown-45MM/180676365

Those are nearly identical to my shooting glasses, which are based in frames I used to wear for everyday. I like them better than full wires.

[Pat Riot]

 

2 hours ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

For now I have added side shields to my shooting glasses, which are a fair choice in style anyway. I get to keep the bifocal cut on the upper part of the lens on my dominant side. I have lens replacements in both eyes, so I don't have the ability to see my sights without correction. Prescription is the answer for me, and I should have thought of that. The glasses work well but are not actually my current, post-surgery prescription, so at some point I may get the chance to choose different, more old-timey frames that are still big enough to afford basic protection, not to mention match well with the side shields.

 

I still might add a retainer strap to secure the glasses when hustling between stations. The glasses fit well around my ears, but it might be good to keep the strap handy.

 

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions..

That is a predicament that I do understand. I have always had bad eyes. It comes from a bad fever I had when I was just over a year old. I have bad farsightedness and I need bifocals or progressives.  Having new lenses made is pretty expensive. Especially specialty lenses. The lenses of my glasses are like magnifying glasses and my left side is worse. Getting the lenses just right is a real pain and often I have to send my glasses back 2 or 3 times for the labs to get the lenses right. I am almost tempted just to get new lenses made for my safety glasses and just wear them all the time except I like to have the ability to have clip on sunglasses, like the ones you can get at Wallgreen's.  Pretty much no matter what I do there is some kind of compromise and the compromise is never cheap, even with insurance. As I age, my eyes get worse. Pretty soon I will look like Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys. 

 

[Ben Beam]

Every time the topic of safety glasses comes up, I feel obligated to post this: http://blog.safetyglassesusa.com/how-to-identify-ballistic-rated-eyewear/

 

As it turns out, most ANSI Z rated glasses perform very poorly when it comes to firearms. What you really want are military ballistic-rated glasses or goggles. 

 

You can see some models that meet the ratings here: http://www.peosoldier.army.mil/equipment/eyewear/

 

Not much there that looks period correct, sadly, but if you're more concerned about your looking than your looks , it's the best way to go. 

[Roscoe Regulator]

Speaking of "at some point", the targets are too close, or the bullets are too hard, setting the scene for ricochet hazard.

 

I wonder about the military grade glasses with Rx inserts and whether they would be heavy enough to be a problem. Any experiences there? I like the idea of protection from dust with that closely wrapping style.