Dual Bifocals

At lunch yesterday Marc pulled out his new bifocals. Marc is the youngest of our group and has never worn glasses. Come to think of it, Marc and I are the only ones who do not wear glasses as a matter of course. Anyway, as soon as Marc puts on his new glasses a chorus erupts from the table about how he should have gotten blended bifocals and about how much better they are. I beg to differ. I got a pair of blended bifocals awhile back and I hated them. The field of view is very narrow, too narrow to even read a page in a book without turning your head from side to side to scan each line. I took them back and got regular bifocals instead. I pretty much only use them for reading, driving at night, or going to the theater.

So we are talking about eyeglasses and Glenn mentions that there are bifocals with reading lenses at the top of lens as well as at the bottom. They are made for people like plumbers and mechanics who have to work over their heads and need to see what they are doing. It sounds like a good idea, but is there really a big enough market to support this kind of specialized lens construction? You betcha. I ran a little internet search without much luck, but I did find one site that looked promising. I sent an inquiry and they responded in the positive:

Smith & Wesson Dual Bifocal

who works above the head or upside down and need to look up for near vision as well as down.
Occupational lenses are perfect for construction workers, assembly line workers, tool operators, painters, mechanics, electricians, plumbers, pilots, dentists, librarians, department and grocery store clerks.
Help prevent neck and eye strain and headaches.
ANSI Z87.1+ Impact Resistant…99.9% UV Protection
At station glass....not recommended for use while driving, walking and moving

Update January 2017 replaced missing pictures.