Jeweler's Loupe
 

I have heard many members recommend using a loupe on older cards. Can anyone recommend a particular loupe?

A 10x loupe is what most use, although I also have a 15x that is to my eyes only slightly better. It doesn't really matter what brand you get because a loupe is a loupe...I think. There are some that come with light attachments but I've never had one of those.

Alex, I use a Bausch & Lomb 10x loupe, and I am really happy with it.

http://www.nobscotonline.com/media/c...8/1/814170.jpg

You should be able to get one on Ebay for about $15 delivered. Comes with a draw string cloth bag to keep the optics clean.

This has been good to me. The LED lights are very helpful, batteries last forever and it is much easier to read hallmarks and the like on watches, jewelry, etc. No more marching around for decent lighting. :) Around $5.00

I also use the Peak Scale loupe 7X, mainly for cards. It has a .1mm scale embedded that is quite handy in measuring centering. I have to have a good light source, either good ambient or a flashlight 'in the field'. Around $60.00

Heck, I went to a jewelry store and offered to pay them for one of their loupes and they gave it to me for free. Works fine. One with a light would be nice, but otherwise almost any will do.

I did some research on loupe's a year or less ago and found this to be one of the best bang for buck ones. You can get lucky with the super cheap ones that are available for $5 on Amazon but the quality control is supposedly dicey.

http://www.amazon.com/Loupe-Magnifie...keywords=loupe

I've used this one for about five years now. Bought it on eBay if I recall correctly.

Attachment 139330

I have a folding 10x that's small, and a cheap lighted folding 40x that's a bit bigger.

The 10X is nice, and was the more expensive. I got it from a stamp supplies dealer. Probably ran around $15-20.

The 40x is handy, I got it from a supplies dealer in an antique shop. The optics are adequate. The light hasn't worked in a while, because the switch was very cheap. And I had to put a touch of Loctite on the screws because they kept coming loose. But overall, it's not bad for $7

The lighted one SGC had at their booth at the shriners in NOV was really nice. Probably 10X maybe 20? Built solidly, and it had a very nice large lens making using it easier. I'll probably spring for one of those next.

For cheap light magnification a set of very cheap reading glasses with a higher number works well. Just don't use them for a long time or you might need them all the time.


Steve B

10x/20x /w small light for each

That Bausch + Lomb loupe is great. I have the same 10x... Really high quality for a pretty low price

loupe
 

mine is the same as Jim M ( the one on the left).
It's great for most anything and the lights make things a whole light easier.
all the best,
barry