Magnifying Glass Options

Coastwatcher -
I use the same magnifier, although its branded as UltraOptic.
I actually bought two of them - 4X and 7X.
Both are aspheric and LED lighted.
The 4X has a larger diameter lens (2¾ vs. 1½ inch) and a wider field of view, so I can view the entire stamp. I can't do that with the 7X
REALLY GREAT.

My primary since it is hands free.



I found a loupe style that normal LED and UV LED so easy to detect LW tagging in brighter rooms.

uboatnut -

Mine is also branded as an UltraOptic, but I think that they are all branded as a Carson now.

Hi

I use Linen Testers, a small 10x and a larger 5x. They are small and foldable and more than adequate for my needs. A friend used a Norden bomb sight eyepiece (he was a member of an expert committee).

Casual use - Probably 4 days of the week I wear around my neck a 6x lens bound in good leather. Very handy for a quick close-up look at a stamp, or fine print in a catalogue, etc. I bought it some 15 years ago from Garrett Wade, a woodworking tool-seller, for my father who had macular degeneration. When he died I took it back. It does not seem Garrett Wade still carries it.



A little less casual -- semi-formal, perhaps -- is a folding LED illuminated 10x loupe which lives atop my desk, but fits nicely in a pocket. Also from Garrett Wade, a bargain at $15 or so. I've had it for a good 10 years, had to replace the battery twice. Great little tool.

Not sure if my definition of 'casual viewing' is the same, but when I work on large amounts of stamps (sorting, IDing, etc.) I use a visual aid that leaves my hands free. This type of illuminated magnifier sits where I put it and allows me to keep both hands free to work my tongs, stock pages, and glassines.


Don

I use a Dollar Store special, taken from my young daughter when she wasn't looking. She does not miss it.

Let's go with my hunting wild game story instead. Changing to a more manly answer.

My Kiloware has been disappearing more lately …

Hey, I use a bomb sight eyepiece too. I think there were a lot of surplus ones available after the war and Camera Shops offered them to look at negatives.

Phillystamper - would you be so kind as to show us an image of your bombsight glass? I had a few from the Homan Krassa stamp company that Homan gave out to his clients in the 50's. I was given the lot of them from the estate in the 70s. I gave them away to clients until I had only one left and then lost it. I would teally love to buy one back ...

Here is an image of my "lost" magnifying glass. There should be 22 similar to this out in the collecting sphger, Will Pay handsome reward for one. It is about 1" in diameter.

Bill Homan bought government surplus bombsights after WWII and stripped out this portion of the sight. It has a wide field of view with no distortion.

Good luck Richard.
I always love it when history can be repurposed into meaningful help today. I have some old milk bottles that we use as flower vases for example. Good luck to you.
Cheers m

I never thought to question if mine was an actual bomb sight, The very old guy who I bought it from owned an ancient camera store in philly-Kosman's, had told me it was one when I found it on a back shelf when he was closing down. Now I'm not so sure. It could also be a sight for something else? It was in an Air Force box. That said here it is.

That is Soooo wrong!