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What’s in Your Toolkit?

9 expert optician-recommended, must-have tools for your own arsenal

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVID KRESSLER

opticians need tools. And, whether it’s for dialing in expert fitting or fixing, every optician has a go-to collection of instruments.

“You can’t put a price on repairs,” explains Paul Garcia, business manager/buyer at Charlotte’s Optical in Colorado Springs, CO. “Resurrecting a favorite frame from the dead brings an appreciation that cannot be achieved by a new pair.”

Here, three veteran dispensers deliver their recommendations for your toolkit.

—Stephanie K. De Long

PICK-UPS
“My favorites are the pick-up screwdriver and fine-tip, needle-nose pliers,” says Roxanne Harless, ABOC, dispensing optician at Andersen Eye Associates in Saginaw, MI. “I use one of those every time I replace screws in an eyewire or bridge area.”
Shown: Pick-up screwdriver by Vigor

HAMMER & ANVIL “With today’s retro/techno looks, rivets are back,” says Alex Yoho, ABOM, from Wichita, KS. “They are peened with a hammer to mushroom the end until the wire presses against the hinge plate. This requires an anvil to provide a solid resting point and prevent it from pushing out.”
Shown: AIT Industries riveting hammer with one flat-face end and one chisel-shaped end—designed to be balanced and versatile for varied repairs.
Shown: Western Optical Supply’s Bench Anvil Kit provides an angled, tabletop surface on which to place a frame when inserting eyewire and hinge screws or making general repairs.

OTHER ESSENTIALS
What else do opticians have in their toolkit?
Smart phone? Check.
Caffeination? Check.
Eyecare Business? Double-check.

BRACING PLIERS & STAND
“Other than my hands,” says Dianna Finisecy, ABOC, owner of Wagner Opticians in Washington, DC, “my favorite tool is bracing pliers with one plastic and one metal jaw. The plastic protects metal surfaces and plastic frame finishes, and the metal rounds out corners, flattens unwanted bends along the temples, and braces areas to manipulate by hand.” 
Shown: Santinelli stainless steel bracing pliers with durable plastic jaws, and stand, from its Visionary Plier Collection. Longer handles provide optimum leverage with minimum force.

ALL-PURPOSE METAL FILE
“This is a must-have,” explains Alex Yoho, ABOM, from Wichita, KS. “The safe edge is smooth, but let the file do the work. Sawing back and forth or pressing down can cause teeth to shell.”
Shown: Hilco metal file from its six-piece Rx files kit, which also includes the key files you’ll need for fixing and fitting, from two-sided half round-rasp and smooth files to an equaling file and more.