How should temple arms fit?

[Chrissoa19]

Hey all

First time post.

A few months back, I purchased a pair of Oakley Steel Plate’s (132mm size)

The straight temple arms is a interesting but welcome feature, I wasn’t able to ever get “behind the ear” glasses comfortable - whether this be OCD or what I don’t know.

What I’ve noticed though, is the Oakleys seems to be pushing my right ear out and rubbing it a little and it’s becoming annoying.

My question ultimately is how should the temple arms fit?

Should they not touch my head until they meet my ears and then follow the skull round the back of my head, or should they be making contact just after the temple of my skull - long before the ear?

 

[drfish]

Hey all

First time post.

A few months back, I purchased a pair of Oakley Steel Plate’s (132mm size)

The straight temple arms is a interesting but welcome feature, I wasn’t able to ever get “behind the ear” glasses comfortable - whether this be OCD or what I don’t know.

What I’ve noticed though, is the Oakleys seems to be pushing my right ear out and rubbing it a little and it’s becoming annoying.

My question ultimately is how should the temple arms fit?

Should they not touch my head until they meet my ears and then follow the skull round the back of my head, or should they be making contact just after the temple of my skull - long before the ear?

They should be following as close as possible along the side of skull, matching the curve. They should be holding onto you with friction, not pressure.

A common problem is trying to have them hold on by hooking on to the back of your skull, creating a three point fit of sorts. The contact point behind the ear can push the temples out away from your skull, pushing the tops of your ears out and causing discomfort.

 Fitting Straight-Back and Skull Temples
A straight-back or library temple has no vertical bend behind the ear. As the name implies, it goes straight back. A skull temple is bent down behind the ear.
Many temples can be fit with or without a bend at the ear as a skull or straight-back temple. To begin with, we will consider how to fit a temple without a bend. In doing so, we can consider first the way the temple fits against the side of the head. Later we can add the bend.
AB
Figure 9-7. A library or skull temple should be adjusted so that the whole side of the temple is parallel to the slope of the head above the root of the ear. A, Proper parallel fit. B, Not parallel.
Figure 9-8. A common dispensing error committed by an untrained fitter is that of bowing the temples to achieve a snug fit.
All the principles applying to a straight-back or library temple also apply to the skull temple.
Adjustment of straight-back temples consists of bending inward that portion of the temple that lies just past the top of the ear. This is done in such a way that the inside surface of the temple lies fully against the portion of the head directly behind the top of the ear. The temple must contact the head continuously from the top of the ear back, exerting uniform pressure all along that area.
A common error used to tighten up a frame that slides down the nose is to bend the very last portion of the temple too far inward. The result is that the end of the temple exerts excessive pressure at a single point on the head. This maladjustment usually bows the rest of the temple away from the head (Figure 9-8). At first the wearer is happy because the glasses no longer slide down the nose. But the inward bend of the temple displaces the upper lobe of the ear and eventually digs a painful
     CHAPTER 9 AdjustingtheFrame 179

 180 Ophthalmic Dispensing P A R T O N E
    Figure 9-9. The error in the previous figure is shown in this photo of a skull temple. Note how the temple presses both outward on the lobe of the ear (arrow A) and inward against the side of the head (arrow B).
pit into the side of the head where the tip presses against it (Figure 9-9). This all too common error is seen with both straight-back and skull temples.
When bent inward too far, the excessive pressure of the tips against the head causes the endpieces and the bridge to give, bending out. This in turn eventually releases the lateral pressure that holds the frame up. For the inexperienced fitter unaware of the source of error, the erroneous “remedy” is usually more of the same. This means increasing the temple arc to restore the tip’s contact against the side of the head. A vicious circle occurs, resulting in widely bowed temples and an exces- sively bent frame front (Figure 9-10).
If the structure of the skull is such that there is a dip or hollowed-out convolution in the side of the head, heat the temple and bend it to follow the side of the head as precisely as possible. The objective is to establish as much friction through contact of the surfaces as possible so that a “disc brake” action is introduced. The dispenser may heat and press an indentation into the bent-down portion of a skull temple with both thumbs. Because of this, many call this “adding a thumbprint” to the temple. If this is too difficult to do with the thumbs, eyewire forming pliers can be used as shown in Figure 9-11. (These pliers were pictured earlier and are normally used to shape the eyewire of a metal frame as was seen in Figures 7-14 and 7-15.)

 

[Chrissoa19]

Ah wow figure 9.8 is exactly how mine are right now.

Now whilst the bow is not that extreme, there is most definitely a “gap” between the skin and the temple arm where I can run my fingertip down it.

So it should fit much closer??

 

[drfish]

Ah wow figure 9.8 is exactly how mine are right now.

Now whilst the bow is not that extreme, there is most definitely a “gap” between the skin and the temple arm where I can run my fingertip down it.

So it should fit much closer??

Pretty much. Where the temples meet your ears they should already be flat against your head and not pushing the tops your ears out. If they do, they need to be adjusted or you should be wearing a different frame. They should be providing friction against your head over as wide a surface as they can, not pressure at a single point.

 

[Chrissoa19]

Pretty much. Where the temples meet your ears they should already be flat against your head and not pushing the tops your ears out. If they do, they need to be adjusted or you should be wearing a different frame. They should be providing friction against your head over as wide a surface as they can, not pressure at a single point.

So maybe a gap at my actual temple, then run flash from side of my head down?

Mine most definitely are not touching until my ears

 

[Droll]

@Chrissoa19 I totally agree with you.

 

[e3Marketing]

I have Carbon Plates and they don't contact till just above my ear as well. Fitment seems good and they've always stayed put.