Anyone make scratchproof Shooting Glasses?

atek3 · September 28, 2004, 12:24 PM

every pair of shooting glasses i own has scratches where I need to look through to see my rear sight on my rifle. Anyone make lens that won't scratch?

atek3

stever · September 28, 2004, 02:11 PM

No such thing as scratch proof. If you can make something scratch proof you will become a billionaire overnight and win a Nobel prize. Glass lenses are probably the most scratch resistant but they are the least impact resistant. What is required is proper care of the lenses. Rinse the lenses before wiping and use a soft lint free cloth to dry the lenses. Also do not place the glasses lens down.

Dean C · September 28, 2004, 04:08 PM

There actually are "hard coat" coatings you can put on plastic. Google "hard coat" and see what shows. I specified one a couple months ago and as soon as I find the product I specified, I'll send you a link. It was a dipping process but I'm not sure how "hobby friendly" it is. We used it in an industrial application for large quantities of parts.
dean

bdc · September 30, 2004, 12:37 AM

Not being funny. You buy welder's goggles. The replaceable inserts are under 3.00. No brass will ever get betwen the lens and your eye like with regular glasses. Go to Home Depot. Can vary darkness of lens so you can practice low light shooting.

mikikanazawa · October 2, 2004, 12:43 AM

I bought a pair of Oakley Wire 2.0s with clear lenses at a gun show about a year ago. They've been struck numerous times by brass casings (and dropped a coupla times) and have no scratches that I can see.

The frames are titanium but aluminum is available. I imagine the lenses are either a hard polycarbonate, or have a hard coating on them, to prevent scratching. I paid $100 for the Ti version; retail is $255. If you see an Oakley dealer at a gun show, he's probably selling them against Oakley's pricing policy. Or maybe stolen merchandise. Or even fakes, so buyer beware.

Archer1440 · October 4, 2004, 11:52 PM

The best anti-scratch coating I have found is something called 'Crizal" which is pretty good stuff. Available on prescription polycarbonate lenses from one or two manufacturers and somewhat expensive.

I think Oakley Pro M frames are the best compromise- when you get a scratch, it's relatively cheap to replace the clear or persimmon lens. Prices go up and scratch resistance down with their Iridium lenses.

4 Wheel Drive · October 5, 2004, 06:23 AM

I've been wearing a pair of Ray-Ban shooter glasses for somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years. No scratches yet, and they get wiped off by whatever is handy-mostly the tail of a shirt. They are heavy, but they do work.

johnbt · October 5, 2004, 09:17 AM

"Available on prescription polycarbonate lenses from one or two manufacturers and somewhat expensive."

It is very good stuff, better than anything I've tried in 40 years of wearing glasses, but it will scratch if you try hard enough. I've got one smack dead center in the middle of my right lens that's driving me crazy. Of course, the glasses are 4 years old and due for replacement, so I'm not complaining. After all, I dropped them on a rough concrete floor.

FWIW, the worst thing you can do to glasses is clean them regularly with paper towels or kleenex. They'll eventually frost the lenses with micro scratches.

John

patent · October 5, 2004, 03:43 PM

I believe you can get goggles that have a plastic laminate that can go over the top of the lens. If it gets scratched, you just pull the laminate layer off (and usually put a new one on to prevent other scratches). I would think you could get some of this laminate stuff to put over whatever glasses you have, just cut it to fit. My palm pilot uses something similar to protect its screen.

Other goggles have replaceable lenses. I've not seen any glasses that do the same, but then I've never really needed this sort of thing so I haven't looked.

patent

September 28, 2004, 12:24 PM	#1
atek3 Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 38	Anyone make scratchproof Shooting Glasses? every pair of shooting glasses i own has scratches where I need to look through to see my rear sight on my rifle. Anyone make lens that won't scratch? atek3

September 30, 2004, 12:37 AM	#4
bdc Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Posts: 60	glasses Not being funny. You buy welder's goggles. The replaceable inserts are under 3.00. No brass will ever get betwen the lens and your eye like with regular glasses. Go to Home Depot. Can vary darkness of lens so you can practice low light shooting.

September 28, 2004, 02:11 PM	#2
stever Member Join Date: April 14, 2000 Posts: 19	No such thing as scratch proof. If you can make something scratch proof you will become a billionaire overnight and win a Nobel prize. Glass lenses are probably the most scratch resistant but they are the least impact resistant. What is required is proper care of the lenses. Rinse the lenses before wiping and use a soft lint free cloth to dry the lenses. Also do not place the glasses lens down.

September 28, 2004, 04:08 PM	#3
Dean C Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2004 Location: Mill Creek (Just north east of Seattle) Posts: 343	There actually are "hard coat" coatings you can put on plastic. Google "hard coat" and see what shows. I specified one a couple months ago and as soon as I find the product I specified, I'll send you a link. It was a dipping process but I'm not sure how "hobby friendly" it is. We used it in an industrial application for large quantities of parts. dean

October 2, 2004, 12:43 AM	#5
mikikanazawa Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2004 Posts: 449	I bought a pair of Oakley Wire 2.0s with clear lenses at a gun show about a year ago. They've been struck numerous times by brass casings (and dropped a coupla times) and have no scratches that I can see. The frames are titanium but aluminum is available. I imagine the lenses are either a hard polycarbonate, or have a hard coating on them, to prevent scratching. I paid $100 for the Ti version; retail is $255. If you see an Oakley dealer at a gun show, he's probably selling them against Oakley's pricing policy. Or maybe stolen merchandise. Or even fakes, so buyer beware.

October 4, 2004, 11:52 PM	#6
Archer1440 Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 519	The best anti-scratch coating I have found is something called 'Crizal" which is pretty good stuff. Available on prescription polycarbonate lenses from one or two manufacturers and somewhat expensive. I think Oakley Pro M frames are the best compromise- when you get a scratch, it's relatively cheap to replace the clear or persimmon lens. Prices go up and scratch resistance down with their Iridium lenses.

October 5, 2004, 06:23 AM	#7
4 Wheel Drive Member Join Date: August 12, 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 56	I've been wearing a pair of Ray-Ban shooter glasses for somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years. No scratches yet, and they get wiped off by whatever is handy-mostly the tail of a shirt. They are heavy, but they do work.

October 5, 2004, 09:17 AM	#8
johnbt Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 1999 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Posts: 6,004	"Available on prescription polycarbonate lenses from one or two manufacturers and somewhat expensive." It is very good stuff, better than anything I've tried in 40 years of wearing glasses, but it will scratch if you try hard enough. I've got one smack dead center in the middle of my right lens that's driving me crazy. Of course, the glasses are 4 years old and due for replacement, so I'm not complaining. After all, I dropped them on a rough concrete floor. FWIW, the worst thing you can do to glasses is clean them regularly with paper towels or kleenex. They'll eventually frost the lenses with micro scratches. John

October 5, 2004, 03:43 PM	#9
patent Member Join Date: January 7, 2002 Location: MN Posts: 42	I believe you can get goggles that have a plastic laminate that can go over the top of the lens. If it gets scratched, you just pull the laminate layer off (and usually put a new one on to prevent other scratches). I would think you could get some of this laminate stuff to put over whatever glasses you have, just cut it to fit. My palm pilot uses something similar to protect its screen. Other goggles have replaceable lenses. I've not seen any glasses that do the same, but then I've never really needed this sort of thing so I haven't looked. patent