Safety Glasses for Historical Reenactors

[Neil Blythin]

Hello Folks,

I'm fairly new to this forum - have been lurking for a bit, doing a lot of reding, and really appreciate all of the great info I've found here.

Anyways, the reason for this post, is I'm looking for your collective thoughts on safety glasses for heritage / historical reenactors.

We're heading into the war of 1812 bicentennial, and I may have the opportunity to spend this summer doing heritage demonstrations. Does anyone know what others working in this field are doing as far as eye protection?

Are there 'period' looking glasses available? Do people just wear modern safety glasses with their otherwise historical clothes?

I know I've seen some who just don't wear them - but that's just not going to happen. I only have one set of eyes, and historical accuracy be xxxxxx - I'm not risking my health or safety.

Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Neil

[Grundsau]

Hi Neil, I'd like to know what shakes out on your question also.
This style: http://jas-townsend.com/product_info.php?cPath=46&products_id=169 does not offer protection.
Used to wear them while demo'ing.
The last time they were worn was during a demo at the Daniel Boone Homestead and had a piece of scale stick to a corner of an eyelid.
Modern safety glasses are what I have used since then.

Allen

[Old N Rusty]

Safe glasses and good steel toe boots.

[Bigred1o1]

used a pare similar to these when doing historical glass blowing
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-SAFETY-GOGGLES-CASE-TAWA-CO-/320864786740?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab5081934
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-WILSON-safety-glasses-STEAMPUNK-/260976693674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc36c51aa
they are not perfect but having the metal mesh on the sides greatly improves the protection
there are similar ones with leather side guards on the side but they are sort of dark
i was surprised at to how comfortable they were and i still use a similar more modern version when working in the shop today

[Steve Sells]

One problem with period safety glasses, is that safety glasses are not just the type and thickness (3mm at least) of lens used, but the shape is also a factor (x to y ratio) so to make them period looking, even if thickness and glass types were met, would still not always be up to ANSI standards.

For Ren-fairs I wear modern safety glasses, and tell the powers that be that these glasses along with the 5# ABC fire extinguisher and steel toe boots are required gear, they can either accept this or I do not operate the forge. not had a problem yet.

[pkrankow]

http://www1.mscdirect.com/eCommerce/NavigationServlet/Safety/Personal-Protective-Equipment/Eye-Face-Protection/Glasses/Safety-Glasses/_/N-77ewrZ1yyr5atZ1yyr5aw/No-100?searchandizedOk=Y#productsContent

Some look more "period" than others. It is your safety all the same.

Phil

[r smith]

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRIT2?PMAKA=03203486&PMPXNO=2715348&cm_re=ItemDetail-_-ResultListing-_-SearchResults
I vote for these, off of Phils list, look old AND meet ansi standards

[pkrankow]

http://www1.mscdirec..._-SearchResults
I vote for these, off of Phils list, look old AND meet ansi standards

I wish they had better pictures than a single stock photo...

I just searched for "steampunk safety glasses modern" and MSCDirect popped up...a few isolating checks under safety glasses and Bob's your uncle.

Of you pop off "clear" for "lens color" and check "metal" for "frame material" you get a short list of good looking glasses

Phil

[Drewed]

I just wear modern safty glasses. I go with the framless type as they seem to blend in. And I do buy the multi pack as I hate scratched/ gummy glasses.
http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware-Safety-Security-Eye-Protection/h_d1/N-5yc1vZapy1/R-202552616/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

[HWHII]

These are a pair I bought at ebay. I used these while demonstrating. I then took them to a optometrist and had OSHA approved glass but in them. The mistake I made was in thinking it would be nice to have them auto darking for forge work I also had readers put in too. Well as you can see I left them out and sprayed them with a grinder trail and ruined them. At some point I will take them back and have polycarbonate lenses put in them. Price was not to bad. Payed $35 for the classes and $75 for the lenses.

[Don A]

Neil,

What it really comes down to is that there is no period correct eye protection, except to blink with good timing ;)

Check out all of the old industrial b&w YouTubes from the early 20th century. Still not much PPE to be found.

If eye protection is more important than an accurate portrayal, use whatever you would normally use. Some of the above examples are pretty cool, but that site you volunteer for might rather you would just use a pair of clear side-shield glasses than to leads folks to believe that there is some historic precedence for safety glasses in 1812. This will depend completely on the standards of the management of the site you're working for.

I've seen folks wearing those little purple tinted glasses for "period" sunglasses, when in fact, I believe those were originally prescribed for syphilis patients. B)

[Frosty]

Buy and wear good safety glasses, if the period police have a hissy fit pack your kit and leave. NO period is worth an eye, no way no how. All I had to do was start packing and the period police went away, never to whiz in my soup again. It's been a many number of years since anyone at any historical event has said anything about safety gear,the insurance co. maybe had a talk with em?

As a blacksmith you have a highly desirable craft for period events, this gives you leverage. NEVER fail to use whatever you have to protect yourself and the public. Heck, talking about the blacksmith's retirement plan is a standard part of my demos. Lose your second eye and you're RETIRED.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Neil Blythin]

Thanks very much for all your replies folks.

That's a very good point you made Don - trying to have something that looks less-modern may mislead people into thinking they had safety equipment back in the day ... which we all know, they didn't.

Cheers,
Neil

[Phil H]

There are no historically correct safety glasses. There are, however, historically correct eye-patches. There is no value in demonstrating an occupational injury/disease.

[RLD]

Niel
Saftey glasses were not available during your time period. But thank you for your concern about staying true to the intrpretive costume. Your site should be glad that you are concios enough to investigate it. As a professional historical interpretor I will tell you that many dont. It is your sites reponsability to let the public know that they were not available, and that some staff may be using modern saftey equipment to conform with todays saftey standards and requirments. Don A thank you for your response also. Its obvious you have put a lot of resesarch into your portrayal .

[r smith]

Thanks very much for all your replies folks. That's a very good point you made Don - trying to have something that looks less-modern may mislead people into thinking they had safety equipment back in the day ... which we all know, they didn't. Cheers, Neil

You could take this to extreme and to your reenactment in an astronaut looking suit. The bubble helmet would give complete protection from all forms of fliers and the full suit with either fresh air hose or air tank would keep the coal smoke and other particles out of your lungs. Just tell the organizers since there was NO protection back in the day you are trying to show that safety has come a long way .....Might be going a bit far but you could talk in a darth vader type of voice when explaining how the force helps make forge welding possible
Then be sure to post photos :lol: :lol:

[ThomasPowers]

As my period tends to be pre-Y1K, glasses period are right out. Unfortunately I'm almost legally blind without them and cant afford the period solution of hiring someone to lead me around.

I have a friend who is an ophthalmologist and I once mentioned contact lenses to him and my intended use of them camping with my forge with high dust, wind and forge welding. He STRONGLY suggested I do not try that method.

So I'm in my linen or wool tunics wearing modern glasses. Anybody who gets confused that they are early medieval is too far gone to help!

[David Einhorn]

A lot of super-great suggestions so far. If you don't need prescription lenses, then a pair of clear plastic safety glasses might be a good bet as they would be obviously modern, but easy for a spectator to ignore.

[Bigred1o1]

my thought has always been that a pair of metal framed glasses with the wire cage on the side with modern lenses in them are quite safe and while not period are less disruptive to the over all feel of a event
i guess i would say more in the spirit the time but then this might also have to do with with the fact that i like this style of safety glasses
but it all comes down to what you feel safe using, you have to have confidence in your equipment

[ThomasPowers]

Do what you can, Hide what you can of the rest. Ignoring certain things can help a lot.

I wear an insulin pump. For my medieval clothing I have a small reliquary bag for it to ride in that is tied around my neck. if people notice the tube running from it that goes into me and ask me about it I'll tell them that it's a vow I made to a saint who saved me when I was very ill once---St Pancras (or pancreas as I spell it!)

If they want to push the issue I tell them that I don't believe them and offer a red hot bar of iron to hold to prove they are telling the truth *NOBODY* has ever took me up on that offer!

[evfreek]

I always tell the story of John Muir, who contributed more to our enjoyment of the natural word than he did to metal working during his career which was cut short by an eye injury. After they listen to that boring story, most give up on complaining about safety glasses. I have had some ladies ask me to take them off so they can see my beautiful eyes. I oblige, but do not do any forging or fire management while on display. I have never had anybody sit around and insist that I get rid of them, since I can wear almost anybody out with incessant droning on and on.

[mtforge]

I've worn the Townsend glasses for 15 years. Some places I go to wouldn't let me back with modern safety glasses.

[HWooldridge]

My grandfather left me an old pair of his prescription eyeglasses (the wire frames were made in the 1950's but look like Ben Franklin could have owned them). I had an optometrist install thin safety lenses in them and I wear those whenever I'm at a historical site. They look quite period and fully cover my eyes - even though there are no side shields.

[matto]

the period correct safty glasses are if you wore glasses or not. as for safty glasses they can not be called safty glasses with out the z87 stamp on the frames and lenses. putting z87 lenses into non z87 frames will get you a nice little osha fine then they will hit you with a little fine per missing side shield. so as stated before safty trumps historically correct. if you ware them ware proper ones and no one will say a thing about it.

[ThomasPowers]

There are NO period correct safety glasses for the Medieval and Renaissance (or earlier) periods. The glasses that did exist were for very wealthy people and a simple smith would NOT have a set!