I just got a new BelOMO loupe and it's fantastic! I want to recommend this loupe as a great, low cost alternative to higher priced "name brand" loupes. I bought mine from Geo-Tools.com. They had a good price on it and they shipped it very quickly. I ordered it on a Monday and got it that Thursday. This is my first "real" loupe. I've had a cheap knock-off before and I was previously using a 2x or 3x large magnifying glass. Let's just say that this new BelOMO loupe at 10x has opened up a whole new world to me. I can see so much more detail on my coins (some things I find are good , some not so good )! The loupe itself is a triplet and has very little distortion. The loupe housing is also made of all metal and has what feels to be a tough finish on it. I also got the lanyard that Geo-Tools offers which seems great with a velcro strap that surrounds the loupe to keep it held in place until you're ready for it as well as it provides a good level of protection. I just thought I'd post about this because we've had several discussions before about which loupe/magnifyer is best. Now, 10x magnification is not for everybody, but for making out doubling, die cracks, etc., it seems perfect! To make it even better, this thing cost me $19.80 with shipping!
You sound excited about that thing. Did you try Walmart, Homedepot, Menards, electronic stores? We have a scientific store near where I live and they had a mountain of magnifiers of all types, sizes, shapes, etc. Try places like that next.
Thanks for the link!...I just bought a new B&L 4x and just love it.... I hadn't ever heard of BelOMO Loupes! Speedy
I may have sounded a bit...overly excited, but, I was just thrilled to see all the things on my coins that I hadn't seen before! :goofer: For instance, I found a die crack on a $10 gold piece I have that I never knew was there because I couldn't see it before.
It's a good thing to get excited about stuff sometimes, without a bit of excitement, collecting wouldn't be much fun anymore.
