OT: Any opticians here?

[Dave Baker]

I imagine any fiscally sensible lense grinder stocks the common options on the shelf and calls for the unusual ones from the manufacturer as required.

[Mike Clarke]

I wonder how they deal with bifocals and varifocals. Combining all the near and distance values increases the number of combinations astronomically and they can't rotate the lens to get the desired axis - it would shift the near vision part of the lens to the wrong place.

[Mike Clarke]

I've sometimes thought about cheaper mail order specs but have always been a bit uncertain about getting a decent fit. Perhaps I'm just unlucky but I invariably find that the optician needs to adjust the side pieces to get the right fit behind my ears. I wear my specs all day and find that badly adjusted ones end up creating localised pressure points that lead to headaches so a return trip to the optician after the first few days for fine tuning is often called for. Not the sort of service that can be provided by mail order.

[Dave Baker]

I'm sure any optician would be happy to adjust your specs whether they sold you them or not. Clearly money would need to change hands but I doubt that would invalidate the savings from buying direct in the first place. How, for example, do people manage who have moved house a long distance since buying their specs and then need them adjusting? By going to a new local optician one presumes.

[Bob Eager]

I already mentioned that possibility. But a monocle would be easier to carry all the time. I use the plain glass combination on some pairs already, for work etc.

[Mary Fisher]

Sorry, I missed it.

A monocle certainly gives a man an air of gravity. Never seen a woman wearing one come to think of it. No doubt someone will prove me wrong :-)

I might know someone who could make one for you.

Mary

[<me9]

Can be done to some extent by moving the centres.

[<me9]

After nearly 60 years of wearing specs I can do a better job of adjusting them than most of the fitters at the lower end of the market. They never seem to get the frame size right either unless you choose it yourself.

The best fit I have had recently was with a pair I bought on the internet.

[Bob Eager]

[Huge]

They aren't.

I've been wearing plastic lenses for some years and they haven't improved greatly AFAICS. I've been replacing them every couple of years once the scratches become noticeable.

[Mike Clarke]

How do you manage to do things like adjusting the distance to the bit behind your ears on the sides? If I try bending them they seem most unyielding and I'm reluctant to use too much force.

[Rod]

On my current glases, I asked the optician to leave the arms unbent. (They arrive semi-bent - and the optician is expected to bend it to fit.) Being sprung arms, this has worked very well. They stay on without slipping. There is no feeling of the arms pressing behind the ear. Clearly, whether this is satisfactroy depends on the frames, the lens weight and, most importantly, you.

[<me9]

A little warmth (very hot water) and gentle persuasion. The lenght isn't too critical, I always adjust so that the horizontal bit is slightly clear of the ear, and the angle of the sloping part is just enough to retain them when looking down. Too tight is painful after a while.