Loupe: Asking for advice / recommendations please

[Wartstein]

This is a great thread! I second what others have said. It should be mandatory reading for us newbies. There needs to be a quick link for all threads needed to get caught up with all the basic knowledge on this forum.

Never thought that this thread would become helpful for quite some folks when I started it! Glad it went that way!

/ I have two loupes now and both did really contribute to improve my sharpening skills.

[JD Spydo]

Interesting that your thread on Loupes would pop up again Wartstein. I was just looking over a thread that I posted on "Loupes & Magnifying Devices" about a year ago ( Sept 2020). There was a Brother ( standby99) who posted that his wife was an Entomologist and that she used a brand of Loupe known as "ASCO". I have since heard from a friend of mine of years back and he's an amateur rock hound and that he uses that brand of loupe himself ( ASCO) and he said they are crystal clear.

I'm still using my Bausch & Lomb 8X by 17X Loupe and it serves me well for the most part. However I'm either going to get one of those ASCO that "standby99" mentioned or I might just go ahead and get one of those German made Zeiss brand that I've had my eye on for some time now. The Zeiss brand is rather pricey but I've heard nothing but good about Zeiss optics all the way around.

Good quality magnification devices are a great help for sharpening and for close inspections too.

[Superflex]

I've had the B&L 10x since I was in college (geology major) and it's great but the FOV is much smaller than I prefer.
The Belomo 15x was a nice upgrade on magnification and FOV.

[kennethsime]

Interesting that your thread on Loupes would pop up again Wartstein. I was just looking over a thread that I posted on "Loupes & Magnifying Devices" about a year ago ( Sept 2020). There was a Brother ( standby99) who posted that his wife was an Entomologist and that she used a brand of Loupe known as "ASCO". I have since heard from a friend of mine of years back and he's an amateur rock hound and that he uses that brand of loupe himself ( ASCO) and he said they are crystal clear.

I'm still using my Bausch & Lomb 8X by 17X Loupe and it serves me well for the most part. However I'm either going to get one of those ASCO that "standby99" mentioned or I might just go ahead and get one of those German made Zeiss brand that I've had my eye on for some time now. The Zeiss brand is rather pricey but I've heard nothing but good about Zeiss optics all the way around.

Good quality magnification devices are a great help for sharpening and for close inspections too.

I had Zeiss lenses on a pair of glasses that I wore for the better part of a decade - they were grea. Eventually the wear and tear on the frames made me get a new pair, but I still have them as a backup.

[Ric]

I bought the
Carson MM-300 MicroBrite Plus 60x - 120x LED

Real good tool.
I had several watch makers optical loupes.
The Carson is another level and much much better.

[FK]

Just ordered a Belomo 15x Triplet,,, adding to my earlier Belomo 10x triplet.
Excellent quality for the price.
I also have Peak 10x TS1966 & 15x TS2023 with battery and LED when using away from my desk lamp.
Makes final development of bevel and apex so much faster and more accurate.

Regards,
FK

[dan31]

Nikon makes a nice 10x loupe. They have a large microscopy group at Nikon so they know how to make tiny optics.

[ZrowsN1s]

I've got a vintage B&L 10x, and a new PEAK 22x loupe. Obviously higher detail with the 22x but I prefer the 10x. It requires less light to use, and is easier to get in focus.

[JD Spydo]

I've got a vintage B&L 10x, and a new PEAK 22x loupe. Obviously higher detail with the 22x but I prefer the 10x. It requires less light to use, and is easier to get in focus.

I've never heard of that "PEAK" brand but I'm going to check them out. I could use a 20X plus lens for a lot of stuff. I just wish that ZEISS wasn't so pricey as it is. I'm also going to check out those ASCO loupes. When professionals use them I do take notice.

Interesting that you also have a Bausch & Lomb loupe. Over the years I've found Bausch & Lomb to be great for the price and their quality is not bad at all.

[ZrowsN1s]

I've never heard of that "PEAK" brand but I'm going to check them out. I could use a 20X plus lens for a lot of stuff. I just wish that ZEISS wasn't so pricey as it is. I'm also going to check out those ASCO loupes. When professionals use them I do take notice.

Interesting that you also have a Bausch & Lomb loupe. Over the years I've found Bausch & Lomb to be great for the price and their quality is not bad at all.

The peak was a Sal recommendation, I like it, you just need a lot of light. 20x is a very small field of view no matter which brand you use.

I like the B&L, it was my Uncles. Got the Made in the USA stamp on it. Despite decades of wear and tear you can see the quality vs modern offerings. Wish I could find some vintage ones in a higher magnification.

[Wartstein]

Interesting that your thread on Loupes would pop up again Wartstein.....

Glad it did!

Helped me a lot (as did then my loupes in improving my sharpening skills), good thing if now 2.5 years later it might help others too.

[JSumm]

So I bought a Belomo based on the recommendations. I was a little concerned about the $10 options on Amazon. This is $35 without the case and $45 with the case. Quality seems pretty solid. This is a true triplet so it doesn't really distort on the edges from what I can tell. Solid metal casing not plastic.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y3T1S9K/re ... UTF8&psc=1

BelOMO Jewelers Loupe 10x Triplet Magnifier with LEATHER CASE. 21mm (.85") Folding Magnifier

[JD Spydo]

Nikon makes a nice 10x loupe. They have a large microscopy group at Nikon so they know how to make tiny optics.

I heard that Nikon made jeweler's Loupes but I had never seen one before. I know that most any optics made by Nikon are really good quality. Do they make variable power loupes? I do agree with you that their microscopes are great because I've used them before and I would like to own one at some point.
Anyone know of a good vendor that carries these high quality loupes. I bought my Bausch & Lomb from a supply house that sells machinist tools of all things.

I'm still wondering if any of you have used those ASCO Loupes.

[Nick D. Fingerz]

I think the Belomos are the bang for the buck winner. I have a 7X at work and a 10X at home. The 7X doesn't seem to be available anymore. I've had them both for 6 or 7 years and I'm very pleased.

[dan31]

Nikon makes a nice 10x loupe. They have a large microscopy group at Nikon so they know how to make tiny optics.

I heard that Nikon made jeweler's Loupes but I had never seen one before. I know that most any optics made by Nikon are really good quality. Do they make variable power loupes? I do agree with you that their microscopes are great because I've used them before and I would like to own one at some point.
Anyone know of a good vendor that carries these high quality loupes. I bought my Bausch & Lomb from a supply house that sells machinist tools of all things.

I'm still wondering if any of you have used those ASCO Loupes.

The Nikon 10X loupe I use is still available.

https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Jewelry-Tr ... 5009&psc=1

[Revival]

I got this one off Amazon, it's both 30x and 60x and has an LED light, it's amazing for the price, and I actually like the 60x if you want to REALLY want to zoom in... $8.99, can't imagine finding better for the price...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078N ... UTF8&psc=1

I purchased this loupe per your recommendation but I have a question… I guess this question is for all loupes. When looking through the loupe, is the image you are looking at always upside down (reverse image)?

For example, if I want to see the knife with the bevel down through the loupe, I must hold it bevel up in my hand.

Are there any loupes that magnifies the image without reversing it?

EDIT: I was reading reviews and I discovered that you need to be zoomed up as close as possible to the object. The moment you zoom out even a little, the image is reversed.

[Wartstein]

I got this one off Amazon, it's both 30x and 60x and has an LED light, it's amazing for the price, and I actually like the 60x if you want to REALLY want to zoom in... $8.99, can't imagine finding better for the price...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078N ... UTF8&psc=1

I purchased this loupe per your recommendation but I have a question… I guess this question is for all loupes. When looking through the loupe, is the image you are looking at always upside down (reverse image)?

For example, if I want to see the knife with the bevel down through the loupe, I must hold it bevel up in my hand.

Are there any loupes that magnifies the image without reversing it?

The two loupes I own do NOT reverse the image...

[Revival]

I got this one off Amazon, it's both 30x and 60x and has an LED light, it's amazing for the price, and I actually like the 60x if you want to REALLY want to zoom in... $8.99, can't imagine finding better for the price...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078N ... UTF8&psc=1

I purchased this loupe per your recommendation but I have a question… I guess this question is for all loupes. When looking through the loupe, is the image you are looking at always upside down (reverse image)?

For example, if I want to see the knife with the bevel down through the loupe, I must hold it bevel up in my hand.

Are there any loupes that magnifies the image without reversing it?

The two loupes I own do NOT reverse the image...

I appreciate the reply. I discovered that The loupe needs to be extremely close to the object.The moment you zoom out even just a little, the image flips.

[JMM]

I got this one off Amazon, it's both 30x and 60x and has an LED light, it's amazing for the price, and I actually like the 60x if you want to REALLY want to zoom in... $8.99, can't imagine finding better for the price...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078N ... UTF8&psc=1

I purchased this loupe per your recommendation but I have a question… I guess this question is for all loupes. When looking through the loupe, is the image you are looking at always upside down (reverse image)?

For example, if I want to see the knife with the bevel down through the loupe, I must hold it bevel up in my hand.

Are there any loupes that magnifies the image without reversing it?

The two loupes I own do NOT reverse the image...

I appreciate the reply. I discovered that The loupe needs to be extremely close to the object.The moment you zoom out even just a little, the image flips.

Yeah, that'll happen with other optical devices as well, glad you sorted it out.... I've found that loupe to be the best ten bucks I've ever spent in regards to finding & fixing edge problems and improving my sharpening skills.

Cheers,

John

[Tucson Tom]

I have at least 3 Belomo 10x -- but I am a mineralogist and so I often have one in a pack, another in my car and so forth. My only tip on them is to remove the screws and glue them back in as soon as you get your lens. I had the screws fall out of one and lost the innards. This will take you only a minute or two, especially if you have some lock-tite ready at hand.

I use my stereo microscope to do all my knife edge examination. The loupes are just for carrying into the field, though they would of course work just fine to check your sharpening, as all of you know.