First of all, I despise spring hinges. However, we get tons of request for "dem derr spring-loaded frames." I have explained way too many times how this "feature" usually causes more problems than solutions and most of the time people just look at me like I'm crazy and say "I want dem derr spring-loaded frames."
So...who...other than Safilo and Cazal...is still making spring hinges that don't absolutely suck?
Hinges with a dual axis design is the way to go. I work in a Scandinavian chain with inhouse design, and the spring hinges are of German production, can't find the brand though. I've gone from repairing 50 pairs a year to close to none, you need a heavy vehicle to break them. Or a child.
Um, most manufacturers? Clearvision hinges have never given me any issue. Nor, for that matter, have those on most of the major manufacturers, though I suspect the dismal quality of their hinges is why Lux switched most of Ray-Ban's hinges to standard recently.
I've never understood the animosity towards spring hinges, and the "dem derr" attitude on the part of opticians is exactly why so many patients have gravitated towards online (in addition, of course, to price). If you were buying a car and liked a particular feature, what sort of salesman would you like to encounter-- one who listened to your needs in an automobile, or one who talked smack behind your back and implied that you're an inarticulate hick? In the four years I worked in a dispensary I sold 99.9% spring-hinged frames and can count on both hands the number I had to repair during that period-- usually on the "overstocked' frames our OD bought in bulk from a cut-rate dispensary that had gone out of business. They may be easy to repair, but I can't recall more than one or two patients who found standard more comfortable than spring.
Count your blessings if your optical career has not been filled with weekly visits by people whose spring has "sprung" Browman.
Elasta Spring hinges are the gold standard and Charmant (Both their titanium and Aristar stainless steel lines) are both very good.
IMHO the only benefit to a spring hinge over a traditional hinge is that a spring hinge stops the screw from loosening - that is as long as the spring hinges aren't being used as a way to make a small frame fit on a larger head.
So in a way spring hinges can be seen as more "durable" because the frame won't get looseygoosey from the temples swaying all around. That all goes out the window if the spring action pops out - I'm looking at YOU Marchon.
Spring hinges make frames more difficult to get a good fit with, especially on very asymmetrical heads. People ask for spring hinges because they think spring hinges somehow make the frame more durable, when it is the most likely part to break.Originally Posted by Browman
I 100% want the sales person who knows I'm asking for a stupid feature, why it won't work how I think it will, and shows me what works better, and can explain to me why. I could not care less if he gets together with his mechanic buddies later that day and call me whatever names he wants.
I also don't think that has anything at all to do with why a small percent of people are buying eyeglasses from the internet.
I have to agree with the spring hinge haters. Our job is to educate patients, and 99 out of 100 broken frames I've seen in the last ten years are due to spring hinge failure. Many patients mention that the spring hinge helps keep it tighter on their head, not realizing that very "tightness" is why they have extra pressure on the nose and their glasses slide all the time, not to mention the tracks running down the side of their heads.
Going back to ak47's original question though, Morel has a very unique "spring" hinge that has no actual spring or screws. You can see the design on their website.
Thumbs up to Morel for their spring hinge design. They got it right, less moving parts less chances of anything breaking. 10 years of using their stuff I do not ever recall of a spring hing issue.
Seems more designers are getting savvy to the failure of the traditional spring hinge design. Like Morel, IC Berlin and OVVO leverage the flexibility of titanium alloys and stainless steel to get the flex without the failure point. Of course expensive frames ought to deliver such innovation, but it's even filtering down to the little guys. Check out the CLD9255 from SD Eyes https://sdeyewear.com/product/cld9255/, and they have several new models with similar construction (and I hope to see lots more). And if you know SD eyes you know what it costs. I buy these by the truckload.
I think you're talking about Morel's Lightec line. That's a great spring hinge.
Other that the Lightec spring, I like having a flexible temple without a spring mechanism best -- no parts to fail.
Yep, a spring hinge is something I would never personally have, unless it is a special one. It's probably not available in the US yet, but Safilo launched at the end of last year a new high end signature line with what I would consider the best spring hinge on the market, which is completely serviceable by the optician. Keep your eyes out for it.
It's in the US and has been available at my shop for about a year. Extremely well designed to keep the geometric centers of lenses close to the patient/client's PD.
They are the gold standard. Though the morel/clearvision (the Stetson hat ones) hinges are great also. Personally I love blackfin frames.
I'm pretty sure we haven't had to repair or warrant a single Safilo Elasta temple in the last 8 years I've been working optical.
I did see the new Safilo line with temples they claim are rated for up to "200,000 cycles against an industry standard of 20-30,000 cycles" but at the time when we were offered it, the buy in was a little large and they had a very limited amount of styles available so we didnt pick it up.
Aspex also has some nice hinges, with added clip sunnies for good measure!
-Poly is the best substrate for coatings.
-Poly is extremely scratch resistant.
-Poly is extremely impact resistant.
-Poly is unparalleled in clarity.
-Poly is much lighter than traditional crown glass.
Like poly, you can trust me about 40% of the time.
The Elasta hinges are rock solid. A little 3n1 when they stick and good as new. The AG Carlos, back when Lux made good frames, seldom had issues. Like the Elasta, they were solid. I like the field serviceable Sferoflex hinges. Open it up, replace the spring and/or bearings and bam, good as new. Wish all companies made spring hinges that are field serviceable.
The Sferoflex hinges are good, but they often seize up -- requiring a bit of 3 in 1 themselves. The seizing is only a problem if the customer doesn't try to force the frame open or closed.
I've always maintained a spring hinge hides a poorly fitted, improperly adjusted frame by the optician. The exception would be a reader fitted small on purpose.
My biggest pet peeve to the current state of eyewear is the designers not taking into account a lens inserted into zyl frames causing frame splay. Just give me 1 or 2 more millimeters on the end of the temple- please?! I've sent more than one person to the hardware store to buy a couple of O rings to solve stubborn issues.
prodesign has a one of them der fancy hinges, that have held up well. non traditional.
As long as you have the kits on hand, it’s a matter of replacing the spring and two bearings. Easy peasy, and less than 5 minutes of work.
Seizing is a matter of salts and corrosion. This is a problem with most spring hinges. At least BerDel’s design allows us to remedy this on site.
This is the primary reason that we utilize angled bevels and even step bevels on RXs over -5D. My lab has been working on a project to fine tune this, based on frame design.I've always maintained a spring hinge hides a poorly fitted, improperly adjusted frame by the optician. The exception would be a reader fitted small on purpose.
My biggest pet peeve to the current state of eyewear is the designers not taking into account a lens inserted into zyl frames causing frame splay. Just give me 1 or 2 more millimeters on the end of the temple- please?! I've sent more than one person to the hardware store to buy a couple of O rings to solve stubborn issues.
It it seems that many frame manufacturers are adding additional thickness on their frames at the temples to shore up faulty designs. Lux’s Chanel is the biggest culprit. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones.
5-10 degree angled bevels solve many of these woes, as does a 0.5mm step.
Last edited by lensmanmd; 08-07-2018 at 06:05 PM. Reason: Misplaced decimal
I agree Lensman, after working with an edger that has the capability to custom tailor bevels in such a way and even step them, I honestly don't know how I finished jobs in plastic frames for all these years. Sure beats a hand wheel when it comes to precision and design.
The problem with acetates is that they are milled and grooved when the are still flat, i.e., cut out of a flat sheet of acetate. The eyewire grooved is cut perpendicular to the flat front plane. Then the front is heat formed to a mild wrap curve, say 6-10 degrees. This rotates the rear lip of the groove into the bevel shoulder of lenses beveled perpendicular to the edging plane. Result is interference which contributes to splay.I've always maintained a spring hinge hides a poorly fitted, improperly adjusted frame by the optician. The exception would be a reader fitted small on purpose.
My biggest pet peeve to the current state of eyewear is the designers not taking into account a lens inserted into zyl frames causing frame splay. Just give me 1 or 2 more millimeters on the end of the temple- please?! I've sent more than one person to the hardware store to buy a couple of O rings to solve stubborn issues.
Proper Solution? Mill an additional small amount off the rear shoudler of the frame groove...not the rear shoulder of the lens bevel, as now.
B
Do you do this?
As DanLiv mentioned, tension hinges are becoming more and more available through multiple manufacturers. Our patients love Ovvos and we love 'fixing' them. Takes two seconds to pop those suckers back together. We get a lot of people looking for durability (can I get 10 years out of these?) and having a screwless hinge is prime for those people.
I like to explain it this way: spring hinges are made so that the frame holds its shape better over time making it need less adjusting over time. BUT when the spring breaks, it's broken. (We don't repair them other than shrink tube- as discussed in other recent thread) We don't tend to have a ton of warranties for spring hinges but we are carrying less and less lines that feature them. It is more likely to be a feature on our discount/ value/ close out frames (which are typically sold as back-up or secondary pairs.)
Have I told you today how much I hate poly?
No. just modifying lens bevel.
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