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I carry a Jewelers Loupe.

5K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  ForestBeekeeper 
#1 ·
My eyesight has gotten worse with old age coming on. It used to be 20/15 when I was in my early 40's but it went down to 20/20 when I reached 46 years old. I wondered how people could function at that crappy level of vision. Now at 52 it's slipped a little more, not much, but enough that I have to hold most print at arms length. I can't see my finger prints anymore and removing splinters is hard to do unless it's one of those that are big enough to hang your jacket on.

My Bausch & Lomb 9X has saved me a lot of discomfort and even bailed me out on a menu or two.

I recommend a pocket loupe for even those with good eyes.
 
#2 ·
My dad used to keep one handy too, for the same reasons. I used to tease him about it when I was a kid. Now that my arms aren't quite long enough sometimes, I look back on it and laugh. He'd have gotten a kick out of teasing me back. I have his loupe and a few others I've picked up over the years and they are handy alright.

Another good investment I made was in a headset magnifier with interchangeable lenses for different magnifications and a light. I originally bought it for my gunsmithing work, but I end up using it around the house almost as often.
 
#4 ·
20/20 is crappy?

You may want to consider stocking up on reading/magnifying glasses. They are cheap and easy to store and come in various powers. I've started a good collection for working on intricate devices and such. Especially in low light conditions.
 
#5 ·
I always carry my loupe to check the gold content and/or diamonds in jewelry I may be interested in. Saved me a time or two from shysters. I am looking for a headset magnifer to help with threading needles. :)
 
#7 ·
It doesn't really mean perfect; it means you can see at 20' what most others can see at 20'. If you have 20/100 vision, it means that you must be as close as 20 feet to see what a person with normal vision can see at 100 feet.

20/20 does not necessarily mean perfect vision. 20/20 vision only clarity of vision at a distance. There are other important vision skills, including peripheral awareness , eye coordination, depth perception, focusing ability and color vision that contribute to your overall visual ability. HTH
 
#8 ·
20/20 vision isn't "prefect" per se, it's "normal" vision.

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/eye-chart-vision-test/a/1254/
A Snellen eye chart is used to determine how "normal" your vision is. It sets a standard for what most people should be able to see when they stand 20 feet away from the chart. 20/20 vision just means that when you stand 20 feet away from a Snellen eye chart, you see what a normal human being can see. If you see 20/40, that means that when you stand 20 feet away from the chart, you see what a normal person sees standing 40 feet away from it. The higher the second number, the worse your vision is. 20/200 (you see at 20 feet what a normal person sees at 200) is the number for legal blindness in the United States.

20/20 vision isn't perfect, it's just "normal." You can have better vision than 20/20. If you have 20/10 you see at 20 feet what most people see at 10. Some animals, like hawks, might have 20/2 vision!
 
#10 ·
Time does take a toll, beware you youngsters...It will happen to you too... Nowadays my wife and buddy's give me grief because I walk around with two pairs of glasses on my head plus my sunglasses. I used to give my dad grief about not being able to tie a lure on, I would do it for him. Now I have to use clip on magnifiers for my sunglasses or have my young fishing friend do it...Sigh... Anybody tried Lasic surgery??
 
#11 ·
I'm in that boat. I currently have 20/15 vision as did my mother at my age (almost 38). I laughed 20 yrs ago when I went to her office and she put on reading glasses (she was 40). Since then it's "just you wait".

I read up a few years ago about eye exercise in India and have been focusing on strengthening/ maintaining my vision. A simple exercise is to hold your finger out as far as you can, focus, then slowly bring it toward your face. I can still focus clearly with it 3" from my nose. I read when we are babies, the focus can be less than an inch.

I repeat this exercise throughout the day, and a friend who's 53 has TERRIBLE vision (READ: BCG's or Coke Bottles) actually improved his focus distance by a few inches and reduced his prescription with the exercises.
 
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