# Safety glasses or not?



## Blaze (Apr 6, 2019)

What's the general consensus on this? And if recommended are any specific type recommended?


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Anything over nothing.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

I use them when I test out a new band set and frame after when I'm sure nothing is going to go wrong I usually take them off because I have problems a lot of the times they fog up.


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## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

Always a good idea.


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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

It’s a lot better to have them than not. You just never know when the bands will snap at the forks or a RTS happens.


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## Ordo (Feb 11, 2018)

ALWAYS, if you like your eyes.


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## tm3 (Apr 6, 2019)

I'm new to this and can't speak to a consensus but I strongly believe that safety glasses should always be worn. Preventing eye damage or loss should be a top priority.

When I was about 12 I got a BB gun and had a lot of fun plinking with it. One day I decided to try to hit a penny. I wedged a penny into the bark of a tree, walked back about 20 feet, and hit it dead center with my first shot. The BB ricocheted straight back and hit me smack dab in the center of my (plastic safety lens) eyeglasses. It was surprising, and scary, how quickly it happened and how much force it hit my glasses with. Made me a believer.


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## hoggs (Dec 30, 2018)

After getting popped by an RTS in the forehead, I am pretty religious about it; I always have them on.


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## Blue Raja (Feb 10, 2016)

A must. Google “sympathetic ophthalmia.” In some instances trauma in 1 eye can impact vision in both. It can even lead to blindness. Never shoot without some type of eye protection.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Safety glasses always good to use especially if new to the sport


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Always This post is a good reminder for all of us


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## Blaze (Apr 6, 2019)

Cheers guys. I'll pick up a set of DeWalt glasses from screwfix (a UK hardware store)


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## Tree Man (Jun 30, 2016)

I wear them religiously.


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

ALWAYS! #1 rule in Slingshooting!


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

I personally do not use them. However, if I get injured I have nobody to blame but myself.


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## stevekt (Jul 3, 2012)

I wear them whenever I participate in any shooting activity.


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## raventree78 (Apr 20, 2016)

I just ordered my prescription glasses in safety lenses so I am prepared all the time lol


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## tm3 (Apr 6, 2019)

Blaze said:


> What's the general consensus on this? And if recommended are any specific type recommended?


The 2nd part of your question got me wondering -- what constitutes a "good" or "better" type of safety glasses? Or maybe "adequate" is the key? I've seen them ranging in price from about $3 to over $50.


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## Blaze (Apr 6, 2019)

tm3 said:


> Blaze said:
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> 
> > What's the general consensus on this? And if recommended are any specific type recommended?
> ...


I've got some DeWalt ones. It's a brand i would have some faith in.


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## tm3 (Apr 6, 2019)

Blaze said:


> tm3 said:
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> > Blaze said:
> ...


Those DeWalts look impressive. I wonder if the ones that I see for $3-4 are any good?


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## Blaze (Apr 6, 2019)

tm3 said:


> Blaze said:
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> > tm3 said:
> ...


I know you're in the US so link below not much use, but it's not worth saving a feq quid on glasses when you only have one set of eyeballs.

https://www.screwfix.com/c/safety-workwear/eye-protection/cat850334?brand=dewalt


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## Spartan (Apr 13, 2019)

I'm not sure why safety glasses should be a question. I kind of love my eye.....lol

My problem is that I wear glasses so it becomes a real pain. Ifg I get deeper into the sport, I will make a pair of prescription polycarbonate safety glasses in real safety frames. Roughly about 60 bucks and worth every penny.


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

*Always. *You only have one pair of eyes in a lifetime, and slingshots are a bag of unexpected surprises of the nasty kind at times. Bands breaking at the forks and zipping back at your face, snapping forks linked to structural weaknesses flying back at your face, "return to sender" (RTS) ammo after fork hits...hmm. &%ç*"&+ happens, right? :hmm: With that in mind, the following safety standards apply to protective glasses:

Some useful extracts from https://blog.safetyglassesusa.com/what-does-ansi-z87-1-2010-certified-mean/

(quote) "ANSI is an acronym for the American National Standards Institute, a nonprofit organization."

"The Z87.1 portion references the standard for personal Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices. These standards help ensure personal eye and face protection devices provide the necessary protection from impact, non-ionizing radiation, and liquid splash exposures."

"

What Are The General Requirements For ANSI Z87.1?

Since most people have never read the ANSI Z87.1 document, they may not fully understand what this certification covers. The ANSI Z87.1 certification helps in this effort by providing a certification system organized based on encountered hazards. This standard means the choice of safety eyewear revolves around what best represents the protection needed for the specific hazards encountered in the workplace.

The most common hazards include:


Blunt impact
Radiation
Splashes and droplets
Dust
Small dust particles
 What Is The Testing Processes?

ANSI Z87.1 certified safety glasses undergo intensive testing to ensure they'll protect eyes as expected. Tests include&#8230;


*Basic and high-impact for lenses and frames.*
Exposure to non-ionizing radiation and chemicals.
Durability to flammables and corrosion.

So now we know...well, sort of. The US military specifications go a step further, check this out:

https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/military-safety-glasses.html?_bc_fsnf=1&CERTIFICATIONS=Ballistic+%28MILspec%29

(Quote) "

Military Safety Glasses

Military Safety Glasses are designed to save your eyes and possibly your life in extreme environments. *The potential for high-velocity impacts from flying debris and shrapnel requires the use of protective eyewear that meets or exceeds Military Ballistic Standards for eyewear.*

As a veteran-owned company, we made it a priority to stock the best Military Safety Glasses from several well-known brands. These brands produce Military Eyewear that's specifically designed and rigorously tested to withstand higher velocity threats.

The eyewear listed in this section meets or exceeds the *U.S. Military Ballistic Standard MIL-PRF-31013.* *This standard subjects the eyewear to impacts of four times the velocity (650 fps +/- 10 fps) of the industrial ANSI Z87.1-2015 standard.* Several models are available with prescription inserts.

Sounds like this should cover most of our needs as slingshot shooters. Worth every cent.


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## tm3 (Apr 6, 2019)

Thanks for posting that information. Most safety glasses that I see for sale meet the ANSI standard, but for slingshot shooting it seems to me that it would be much preferable to have glasses that meet *U.S. Military Ballistic Standard MIL-PRF-31013.*

I did some searching around on Amazon and in fact found several kinds of safety glasses that meet the ballistic standard. But, there are many, many more that only meet the ANSI standard and like a lot of advertising some of the wording of the ad copy is kind of deceptive.

I ended up ordering a pair that cost $12. Hopefully they fit and work well for me.


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