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I was in a friend's lab this AM and I was looking at an "old" Optyl #1017.Honestly the frame looked brand new even though it had to be at least 10 years old.He asked me whatever happened to Optyl, and I have absolutely no idea. Anyone out there have a clue??
Thanks from the Cape
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Harry J
Optyl became distributed by Optimax then the factory was bought by Safilo who have most of the designer licenses that they had used.
He he he....I was doing one of my 1st adjustments, and the frame happened to be a Christian Dior optyl frame. After heating the temple a lil, adjusting, and then dutifully blowing on it to keep from burning the nice lady's ears, I felt I needed to tighten it up just a TAD.
OF course the next thing heard was a big ol' SNAP...I don't know which one of us was more horrified! http://optiboard.com/ubb/redface.gif
There's nothing like that feeling when you break your first frame! You stand there, bits in hand, trying to fuse the thing by sheer willpower. When that doesn't work, you try to reverse time, and re-adjust it, but that doesn't work either. You hiss your problem to a more experienced colleague, but they just laugh at you. Eventually, you leave the safety of the lab and throw yourself on the patient's mercy. But not before you consider running out of the shop forever, and sending your dad back for your coat.
Not that I ever broke a frame, of course.
Wow now here is a good topic of conversation...remember the first frame you ever broke??? Well I will tell you about mine. It was a complete drilled rimless and no one ever bothered to inform me if you don't brace it it will SNAP!!!! I thought for sure I had definately had a heart attack. Then I had a few more before I walked out of the lab and up to the pt. It was just a very good thing he was there to pick a new pair of gls up that day. So then I told him preparing myself for the cussing and chewing out I was about to receive. Much to my surprise he was so very nice about it. I have found that most people have been pretty nice about it. I have found though it never gets easier. Luckily I have not broken too many, but then again I have only been doing this for 4 years. I am sure there are plenty more in store.
Steph
Andrea, bang on!
I still remember the first (and only) optyl I broke. Same situation exactly.
The problem was, I was working for a chain that didn't deal with Dior, and here was a $300 frame 'we' were responsible for.
Took about 6! months to get a temple, meanwhile she had gone off and bought a new pair elsewhere!
Last time I busted a frame? At least 5 years ago. The first 2 or 3 years in the biz, I probably broke a good dozen or so. You would think I would have learned the "touch" sooner than that...
I also remember the pair a guy brought in, that he had set on the hood of his semi, and forgot about until 9 wheels rolled over the specs.
He brought them in, and in about 15 minutes, I had them wearable again, minus the lenses... Oh I was SOOOO happy.
Now the mangled frame is my forte.
Shwing;-}
We used to "melt" Optyl and stuff it in a bottle (as I recall, they pop back into shape). Now, that's just fine- as long as you're trying to fit a midget inside a bottle with glasses! In real life, it's darn near impossible to adjust the things (and forget about shrinking them to fit a slightly small lens- not that I've ever tried ;) ).
Speaking of odd materials, how about Silhouette's polymide? Every other zyl frame in the world expands under heat, but no- this stuff actually SHRINKS! I just love that P.O.F. that comes in every once in a while... "Hmmm this lens is just a little snug, I'll just heat up the frame a little and... DANG! now the frame is a whole size smaller!"
One of the first frames I broke was this Christian Dior looking plastic frame with what appeared to be real snake skin around the top. Why in the world they allowed a rookie to touch that thing I'll never understand. The key is to remain calm and spew some nonsense like "apparently, there was a stress fracture in the frame that didn't manifest itself until we attempted to mount the new lens into place, fortunately... yada yada yada." Hey, sometimes it even works!
Polymide Pete
O P T Y L ? What a nightmare! http://optiboard.com/ubb/eek.gif Man, am I glad that I don't see this nasty stuff come into my store much anymore. The inventor of this material should be forced to edge lenses to it, dispense it, and then do all the warranty replacements for it the 12 times it will break! * Snap * !!! (ooops)!
http://optiboard.com/ubb/eek.gif http://optiboard.com/ubb/eek.gif http://optiboard.com/ubb/eek.gif
Yea remain calm...who me?? Listen what I did with one once(GOD so embarrassing) I put pof in heat blower so I could pop lenses in easily right? YUP well the phone rang and then went out to help pt then went to lunch (notice how I failed to mention took frame out of heat blower)Well I got back from lunch and there was the mangled mess that wasn't worth saving. Sweet little old lady thank the good LORD for that. I called her and told her the truth and she kept telling me that it was ok accidents happen. I have been very lucky in this area so far. I love to do repairs but you just don't repair something like that!!! Oh well live and learn and as long as I am living I guess I will never stop learning!!
Steph
Wow, does this bring back memories. Here's some history you may not know.
I started my career in this industry in 1972 at age 16. I was the first telephone salesman for Brillen Optical, the grandfather of all the Upstate NY telephone sales frame distributors(Minuteman, Silver Dollar, Otego, Hall of Frames, Priority, etc.). Brillen was the original importer of Optyl. The two products we sold were the Hercules and Hydra. The results were interesting. Customers loved it or hated it...mostly the latter. Once the product was "perfected", Optyl launched its own distributorship in New Jersey under the leadership of Al Juergens and Gerhardt Waldschutz. The rest is history.
I'd pay a nice ransom for these two frames. Anyone have one?
Thanks for sharing.
Al Cleinman
Cleinman Performance Partners
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In the 1970's, the Optyl 1017 was to ladies frames what the Universal Corsair and Cambribge were to men's frames.
They were in lots of sizes, colors and fairly prices. We would sell a average of 10 of those frames a day.
But like all other frame companies, Optyl had to screw it up by cahnging the sizes, colors and even the name.
I've always looked at companies like Optyl and B&L as shining examples of how to take industry leading companies and really, really screwing yourself out of existance.
About 16 years ago, a man came in with a black zyl with a hearing aid attached to the temple. Guess which temple I broke?
Jackie O
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Still a Maina for now
Don't know if this will help anyone, but I was told once: Heat Optyl to 250 degrees and it will adjust like any other plastic. But, it will go back to the shape it had before you did it in a day or two. Heat it to 300 degrees (just a little more than my virgin fingers can tolerate) and it will retain the adjusted shape. It also seemed to be important that the frame be air not water, cooled. As far as I know, nothing will stick the stuff together once broken.
Chip
There was noting like putting hot optyl in cold water and watch it shatter.
I had a guy come in yesterday with an old Carrera with Vario temples.....another usless gimmick.
But my Carrera 5623 is still going strong and on it's 15th. year.
Oh yeah! The old "hearing aid incorporated into the eyeglasses" frame! Now there was a brilliant idea... imagine the poor old fellow who loses his glasses-
"What's the matter dad? You look lost."
"WHAT?"
"I SAID, WHAT'S THE MATTER, DAD- YOU'RE STUMBLING ALL OVER THE HOUSE!"
"NO, I HAVEN'T SEEN A MOUSE! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!"
No he can't see OR hear! Plus, its always attractive to clean face cheese off TWO medical appliances! Ugh!
Pete
Over the last 16 years or so, I have broken or burned my fair share of eyewear, but my favorite story happened to some one else. Around 1990, I was managing for a large chain. I handed a lab tech a patient's pair of glasses (purchased elsewhere of course) and asked him to neutralize them for me. A few minutes later he returned with this dripping gelatanous goo. Yep! He put them in the neutralizer solution. I learned two things that day. One, I needed to speak to the lab manager about additional training for the techs; and two, I needed to be more clear in my communication with others.
Carol D
they melted into Safilo