Loupe: Asking for advice / recommendations please

[Revival]

Received the BElOMO 10x today and it’s exactly what I was looking for! Image is crisp and you can really tell the difference. Highly recommend it. Thanks guys.

[bjz]

I, as well, received a BELOMO 10x triplet last week and wanted to add to the discussion.

I was coming from a cheap illuminated “20x triplet” with a huge lens that I was always suspect of. Pros: long focal distance (ie helped keep sharp things away from my face); cheap, as in under $10. The image was terrible though and it never left the drawer.

I also have an old 10x “no-longer-illuminated” B&L coddington magnifier. I liked the image better, and it was easy to hold, but it never seemed to be good enough to be helpful without having to strain my eyes.

Enter the BELOMO. It was reasonably priced. Seems built like a tank. I find that I have to keep this instrument close to my eye as well as the edge to get things in focus BUT the image is sharp; there is good contrast; glare was well controlled and it had better depth of field than the other loupes I used in the past.

In other words, it was good enough that I wanted to use it and that I did tonight. I sharpened a friend’s victorinox santoku and this loupe really helped me pull things together with some new stones/equip for my Edgepro and change ups in technique. Granted, this particular steel is not a challenge to sharpen, but it was undoubtedly the best edge I’ve ever put on a knife simply because I was able to SEE WHAT I WAS DOING.

Thanks all those that contributed prior!

[bjz]

I, as well, received a BELOMO 10x triplet last week and wanted to add to the discussion.

I was coming from a cheap illuminated “20x triplet” with a huge lens that I was always suspect of. Pros: long focal distance (ie helped keep sharp things away from my face); cheap, as in under $10. The image was terrible though and it never left the drawer.

I also have an old 10x “no-longer-illuminated” B&L coddington magnifier. I liked the image better, and it was easy to hold, but it never seemed to be good enough to be helpful without having to strain my eyes.

Enter the BELOMO. It was reasonably priced. Seems built like a tank. I find that I have to keep this instrument close to my eye as well as the edge to get things in focus BUT the image is sharp; there is good contrast; glare was well controlled and it had better depth of field than the other loupes I used in the past.

In other words, it was good enough that I wanted to use it and that I did tonight. I sharpened a friend’s victorinox santoku and this loupe really helped me pull things together with some new stones/equip for my Edgepro and change ups in technique. Granted, this particular steel is not a challenge to sharpen, but it was undoubtedly the best edge I’ve ever put on a knife simply because I was able to SEE WHAT I WAS DOING.

Thanks all those that contributed prior!

[Revival]

Been using my BelOMO and just want to add that you can take some amazing edge close up pictures. Little tricky holding the loupe and phone just right but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy. Extremely interesting seeing progression pics from 50 grit to a kangaroo strop with 4 micron.

[FK]

Revival, could you pls post some of the photos ?

Regards,
FK

[Revival]

Photos

[FK]

Revival,
Excellent photos with Belomo 10X,,, thanks.

Regards,
FK

[Revival]

The photos gave me a lot of feedback and made me realize areas that I need to improve on. I definitely need to lighten up the pressure on the lower grits.

Always looking to improve so this helps out a lot for me.

Next time I want to go up to 8k then 1.5 micron just to see the magnified images.

[JSumm]

So I am still liking the Belomo. My 6 year old wanted one for his outdoor pack. I opted to get a cheaper one for him. This HTS is really good too. The case on the Belomo is nicer and I like the "cast iron" feeling for grip, but for the price the below is a pretty good cheaper option.

HTS 203A0 10x 21mm Chrome Triplet Jeweler's Loupe with Leather Case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UB4JDOO/re ... UTF8&psc=1

[Sharp Guy]

I have several different loupes and magnifiers. Most work ok. I recently bought one of those little microscopes and it's just too hard to use. My favorite has always been a B&L Coddington as I've mentioned several times, including a few pages back in this thread. That was until today....

I some here may know I'm also into competitive .22 LR rifle shooting. I've always used the standard NRA scoring gauge with a built in magnifier to plug close shots to see if they're in or out. Honestly it's worked fine for me. However some of the shooting disciplines have gone to using a special box to hold the target, a plain brass plug (no magnifier), and a separate magnifying device over it. Well I finally decided to order one and I'm sure glad I did.

It's much heavier than expected and appears to be really good quality. At a little over 1.5" dia it has a large field of view too. The best part is how clear the optics are. It's so clear it makes all my other magnifying devices (with higher magnification) obsolete. This is what I'll be using going forward.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMYNQ3A?ps ... ct_details

[sal]

Thanx Sharp Guy. I have loupes and glasses, microscopes and other "eyes" that I've used for over 60 years. Just ordered one of those. Thanx for the link. Can't have too many "eyes".

"He who sees the closest, sees the best".

sal

[Bloke]

I have several different loupes and magnifiers. ...

Thanks heaps Pat!

Love the scale charts.

[Ramonade]

Thanks for sharing. I have a basic 10x/30x loupe that is ok for me, but it ruins my eyes pretty fast when using light on the 30x setting. In addition, taking pics of what I see is hard because the camera on the phone switches optics when too close to an object (here, the reticle).

Too bad it's double the price on amazon Fr ^^

Edit : I wonder if a model like this one (but 10x) would be a good replacement : https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B0795W ... UTF8&psc=1

[Airlsee]

Thanks Sharp Guy! The one I have is old and basic with a very poor light, I just ordered one of these as well.

[Sharp Guy]

I have several different loupes and magnifiers. ...

Thanks heaps Pat!

Love the scale charts.

The scale charts are removable or changeable too

[Airlsee]

...It's much heavier than expected and appears to be really good quality. At a little over 1.5" dia it has a large field of view too. The best part is how clear the optics are. It's so clear it makes all my other magnifying devices (with higher magnification) obsolete. This is what I'll be using going forward.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMYNQ3A?ps ... ct_details

Arrived today, this is a major upgrade, thanks again!

[Sharp Guy]

...It's much heavier than expected and appears to be really good quality. At a little over 1.5" dia it has a large field of view too. The best part is how clear the optics are. It's so clear it makes all my other magnifying devices (with higher magnification) obsolete. This is what I'll be using going forward.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMYNQ3A?ps ... ct_details

Arrived today, this is a major upgrade, thanks again!

Great to hear!

[ZrowsN1s]

...It's much heavier than expected and appears to be really good quality. At a little over 1.5" dia it has a large field of view too. The best part is how clear the optics are. It's so clear it makes all my other magnifying devices (with higher magnification) obsolete. This is what I'll be using going forward.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMYNQ3A?ps ... ct_details

Arrived today, this is a major upgrade, thanks again!

Great to hear!

I picked one up as well. It's got a great wide field of view. I have three different loupes now, and each gives a different view of the edge, and is useful in it's own way. My vintage B&L 10x is great for quick viewing in any light, and is easy to change your level of focus by moving it around. My PEAK 22x is good for looking at the apex in greater detail, but needs really good light and is hard to focus. And this latest is nice with built in light and really wide field of view. Easy to take pictures with too.







Really helps see edge imperfections that are hard to see with naked eye or even feel with a fingertip. You can see small bits of burr that I missed, and deep scratches from the factory grind in between the small scallops that haven't sharpened out yet.

[Revival]

Excellent pics!

[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.

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.

Over the years I've never heard nothing but good about Zeiss magnification products. I got to look through a pair of Zeiss binoculars once and I was mind blown at the high quality of optics that the Zeiss company makes.

Their stuff is expensive but most high quality items are. Not to mention that something like a Loupe could last you all your life if you take care of it. Heck I've had my Bausch & Lomb loupe for just over 20 years and it's still doing the job.

I would like to know more about that ASCO brand or any other high quality American made brand as well.