SunGlass Information
Archive for the ‘Fishing Sunglasses’ Category
Eyeglass Retainers saved me at least $150
Who would think that a $5.99 investment could save me over $150.? Well it’s true I was fishing this past Labor day weekend when I hooked into a white marlin. After a long fight we finally got him to the boat and after gaffing him we jerked him on board. While we were doing this my Ocean Waves Sunglasses fell off my face and headed right into the sea. Luckily I was wearing my Chums retainer and the disaster was averted. The Marlin weighed 457 pounds and we released him to fight another day!
Better frames (often called Hand-Made Frames) are made from Cellulose Acetate or Zyl, as it is often called. This is the material the optical world recognizes as the finest and over 90% of it is produced in Italy by a company named Mazzuchelli or by its sister company in Hong Kong. Cellulose Acetate is derived from natural cotton and wood fibers and is subjected to a process of steaming, coloring, molding and cutting to achieve the necessary characteristics: translucency, shine, fluidity, subtlety and rich color patterns. Cellulose Acetate is used to make colors as simple as black or tortoise shell in hundreds of variations, to special colors like Lipstick Red, Lime Green or colors that change depending on the angle you see them from, and everything in between.
A Zyl frame is composed of two main parts: the front and the temples. The two parts are made separately and then assembled after each part has been completed and inspected. Creating an optical quality frame is a labor-intensive process that can be carried out only by highly trained technicians aided by technologically advanced equipment. Optical quality frames can be used for either sunglasses or fitted with prescription lenses. They are perfectly symmetrical and will not distort vision when fitted with ophthalmic lenses.
When Italian materials are used in designer frames it is made by pouring liquefied Cellulose Acetate, in colors chosen and mixed into large molds where they cool and then harden. More complex colorations are produced somewhat like a sandwich: several colors, in separate layers, and permanently bonded together. Some special colors are made up of up to 4 separate and distinct color layers. The possible color combinations of these “laminates” are endless. As the precess of making the glasses proceeds, the material is skived, or shaved away, exposing these different layers and creating stunning visual effects.
The frames are then “tumbled” with teakwood chips for as long as a week to make them smooth. The frame is then hand polished using a wax and emollient shining cream then buffed to a high luster.
A good designer spends a great amount of time designing temples that are comfortable to wear and that blend seamlessly with the front., while imparting a special flair to the glasses. Depending on the particular style, you will notice many different shapes and sizes of temples in different collection. The handmade process on the temples is as painstaking as that of the fronts because the temples are specially color designed to match he patterns on the front.
Nickel Silver wire temple cores and barrel hinges are inserted into the polished temples using an ultrasonic machine that shoots them into the temple at the proper angle. The wire core can be adjusted by you, or an optician, to comfortably fit each individual customer.
In this two-part Blog, I will discuss the three main ways that non-metal sunglass frames are made. In this part I will discuss the first two types Injection Molding and Advanced Materials. In the next part will be devoted to explaining Hand-Made frames.
The least expensive method is made by Injecting a mold created from aluminum or highly polished stainless steel with liquid plastic. This material is petroleum-based products that begins in bead form. To add color, they are spray-painted and then glass coated and tumbled for shine.
Recently materials like Grilamid TR-90 have been developed to answer the need for lightweight and durable frames that offer optical quality not typically associated with typical injection plastics. This new technology has made it possible to make great looking frames that can, in many cases accommodate prescription lenses. A new material, Grilamid TR-90, is a Swiss Nylon Polymer that is melted and then poured into optical quality stainless steel molds. fronts and temples are produced separately. Once removed from the molds, they are hand polished and assembled before the lenses are fitted. The temple tips and nose pieces of many Grilamid TR-90 frames are made from optical grade rubber to add comfort and prevent slippage during strenuous activity. The end result is a frame that is lightweight, yet extremely durable and flexible.
The Age of Polarization
While strolling down Broadway in 1926, Edwin Herbert Land was blinded by the headlights of an oncoming automobile. It occurred to him that there must be away to develop a polarizing sheet that would reduce glare from light. He was attending Harvard University as a freshman when he first had his revelation about the polarizing process. He left Harvard and moved to New York, working secretly at night in a laboratory at Columbia University. In 1929 Land returned to Harvard, this time with his wife, Helen. Although Land would never graduate, he had already developed the first synthetic sheet polarizer by trapping tiny crystals in a thin sheet. By 1932 the sheet was actually being produced and would be used to make camera lens filters and polarizing sunglasses that cut glare from the sun. With the backing of Wall Street tycoons James P.Warburg, Averell Harriman (1891-1986) and Lewis Strauss, Land founded the Polaroid Corporation in 1937. One of the company’s first projects was to persuade Detroit’s automobile industry to install polarizing sheets in the headlamps and windshields of all its vehicles. Although Land was never able to sell his ideas to automobile manufacturers, he went on to discover many more uses for his invention.
By the 1940s, the Polaroid Corporation was making its contribution to the United States war effort. Servicemen who fought in World War II reaped the benefits of Land’s inventions that resulted in polarizers for rangefinders and . The development of infrared viewers also aided night vision. By 1945 the Polaroid Corporation received millions of dollars in government contracts to develop military optics, and sales increased from the original $142,000 to $17 million.
When asked what sunglass qualities where important for Bowfishing Robert Grider, O.D. wrote this article that first appeared on Bowhunting.com.
#1 Polarization
Sunglasses must use true polarized lenses to remove the glare which hinders our ability to see into the water. Most polarized sunglasses are marked, if it is not clearly stated then they are probably not polarized. Please realize that like most things in life, there are different qualities of polarization and the more expensive the lenses the more likely they are of higher quality.
#2 Quality Optics
Try to make sure the sunglass lenses optics are of decent quality. I have seen countless cases where people present to my office complaining of headaches only to find that the poor optics of their sunglasses are the source of the problem. To test your glasses you can hold the glasses up several inches from your face while viewing a consistent grid like a sheet of graph paper and by turning the lenses slightly and moving the glasses slowly back and forth and up-down while looking for areas of curved lines and/or distortion of the distant pattern. Please understand that many of today’s wrap-around type of sunglasses will have at least some distortion in the very extreme side or periphery of the lenses this is unavoidable but you would like this to be as minimal as possible.
#3 Lens Tint
I am often asked which color sunglasses work best for bowfishing and to be honest, there is no single best color for every person and every shooting situation. Gray lenses tend to alter the color vision spectrum the least in relation to the human eye and make for a good all-around pair of sunglasses that might be used for other activities as well. (see Selecting the Correct Tint Blog)
#4 Ultra violet ray protection
Make sure the sunglasses you purchase have the ability to absorb 100% of the sun’s harmful ultra violet rays. Remember while on the water you are actually getting a double dose of UV, those rays directly from the sun and those rays that are bouncing off the waters surface. Significant exposure to UV rays has been shown to cause the serious eye damage such as development of cataracts and Age-Related Macular Degeneration which happens to be the leading cause of blindness for those over 65 years old.
#5 Glass or plastic lenses and a word on cost.
In general, plastic lenses (polycarbonate lenses) scratch more easily than glass lenses but they tend to weigh half as much as glass and are much more shatter resistant than glass lenses making them safer if used around flying objects (think snap-back of an arrow). Many plastic lenses will have a scratch resistant coating with the more expensive plastic lenses having a better scratch resistant coating. Both plastic and glass can offer exceptional optics however and when you figure in the safety factor plastic comes out ahead.
When it comes to costs you don’t have to spend $200-$300 for a pair of Maui Jims in order to get a good pair of sunglasses with quality optics. These brands often have a tremendous amount of price mark up and the optics and polarization are pretty much the same in a much less expensive pair of Gargoyles or Coyote Sunglasses. The law of diminishing returns often applies to the price of sunglasses.
And finally, remember that after your bow and arrow, your polarized sunglasses are the next most important piece of gear when it comes to daytime bowfishing, so choose with care.
Summer Sunlight Linked to Macular Degeneration
In a recent study, researchers looked at the association between sunlight exposure and the 10-year risk of age-related macular degeneration among a large group of adults aged 43 to 86 years who were first examined between 1988 and 1990 as a part of the Beaver Dam Eye Study.
The results appear in the May issue of The Archives of Ophthalmology.
Researchers found that people who spent more than five hours a day in the summer sun in their teens, 30s, and after age 40 were more than twice as likely to develop early age-related macular degeneration compared with those who reported spending less than two hours per day of sunlight during the same periods.
In addition, those who got five or more hours per day of summer sun were more than three times as likely to develop increased retinal pigment, a condition commonly associated with age-related macular degeneration.
But the study showed wearing hats or sunglasses at least half of the time reduced the risk of developing deposits on the retina by 50% among those who reported the highest sun exposure levels.
The study also found that people who had more than 10 severe sunburns in their youth were two and a half times more likely to develop an increase in pigments found in the retina.
Source: WebMD
Fishing Glasses - The Importance of Good Sunglasses
I think that the most important piece of equipment for any angler is a pair of polarized sunglasses. Although you can catch fish without them but you won’t catch as many and you will have a hard time spotting them underwater. You can buy those cheap plastic sunglasses from the big discount stores but you’ll end up scratching them, losing them and replacing them many times over. The quality of those cheapies is underrated too - you won’t be able to see as many fish under the water, won’t be able to distinguish colors as well, won’t be able to contrast objects and colors, and you won’t be able to avoid distortion when you take vista-style views.
The most important reason to have a solid pair of polarized sunglasses, beyond performance and durability, is to protect your eyes from glare, harmful sunshine, and UV rays. A good pair of polarized specs can reduce eye fatigue, remove glare, and allow you to see what’s going on down underwater. They can also reduce the health risks to your eyes.
With higher quality sunglasses, those anglers with corrective vision needs can usually order prescription lenses. Just remember that prescription lenses make what were lightweight glasses into not-so-lightweight glasses.
Though glass lens are preferred, polycarbonate and acrylic are also acceptable relative to your budget. Then you’ll want to match your lens tint to the type of water you’ll be fishing: Lens tints range from brown, blue, green, copper, amber, mirror, and others; each has their particular strengths and weaknesses.
When shopping for sunglasses for fishing, you are primarily looking for complete protection from the sun’s radiation. Maximum protection from UVA, UVB and UVC light is highly desirable. Additionally, you should be wearing polarized sunglasses to block glare and see through water.Remember sometimes “cheap” polarized glasses can harm your vision by allowing more of the suns harmful rays to enter your eyes than you would normally receive without any protection so buy from reputable company. Since you will be right on the water, you will be fielding rays not only from above, but also bouncing right back up at you off the water’s surface. In such an intense light environment, your eyes need to feel relaxed and free from eyestrain because you will be wearing your sunglasses for long periods of time. You may want to consider lighter polycarbonate lenses to reduce the overall weight of your glasses as well. Those are the “must haves” that you should not compromise.
Since coming into vogue in the early 1980’s, polarized fishing glasses have become a necessary piece of equipment to most anglers. From the early, tortoise shell framed classics to today’s leading edge frame & lens materials, most of us have at least one pair of polarized glasses we wear while fishing. Coming in all shapes, lens colors & sizes, prices also range from economical to high end fashion pieces.
When asked why they wore polarized glasses, anglers responded “Simple, to save my sight. Second choice is to spot fish, but always, protection is the key for me”. A few other responses included “Best invention , improves vision & cuts glare. I wear regular polarized over my glasses or contacts”. But how do polarized glasses really help anglers & what are the differences between the range of glasses on the market?
Polarization helps cut the glare off the surface, helping anglers see into the water further than without polarization. This is achieved by placing a filter layer between layers of lens materials. This filter layer absorbs the light at certain angles, cutting the glare off while looking across the water. With all the choices of glasses on the market, and at all different price ranges and styles, are there really many differences in polarized glasses? Are there any health advantages as well?
To quote an optometrist reguarding the benefits of wearing polarized glasses for angling. “Ultraviolet(UV) radiation is high energy light that, when absorbed by various tissues in your eye, will lead to damage “weighs in Amherst optometrist Dr Ian McCarthy. “UVB and UVA light pass through the atmosphere, and create acute and chronic phototoxic effects and premature aging when absorbed by tissues in your eye. UVB has the potential to cause acute photokeratitis(snow blindness) and chronic exposure to UVC will lead to the premature development of cataracts”. So, do expensive glasses block more UV rays than an inexpensive pair? “Your eye is at no greater health risk wearing unpolarized instead of polarized sunglasses - ultraviolet radiation can be filtered by both lenses with the appropriate UV tint. A polarized lens will offer greater comfort due to reduced glare off of horizontal surfaces like water” Dr. McCarthy says.
Most anglers also look at lenses when choosing polarized glasses as well. So when it comes to lenses and materials, what should we look for? “There are many different types of glass and plastic, each with a unique set of characteristics. In general, plastic is more likely to scratch than glass, however, scratch-resistant coatings on plastic materials are effective, and relatively inexpensive. Glass is more likely to break than plastic, and when it does break, the individual pieces have sharper edges. Because plastics are lighter, safer and can offer similar optical transparency, they are commonly preferred to glass. ”.
Polarized Sunglasses are now as much of a piece of fishing equipment as a rod & reel to most anglers. With all the choices out there available to us, even an inexpensive pair of glasses are an investment in our eye health. The bonus is that we can see into the water better, and thus, see fish better. The options are almost infinite when it comes to choosing what we want in our fishing glasses. Whether you pay $50 or $200 depends on what you want out of your glasses, and the options wanted. Styles and brand names abound along with fashion and function. Ultimately, you are in the driver’s seat. Put your glasses on & drive, er fish, wisely. See you on the water.
-source Nova Scotia Fishing Online Magazine