I highly recommend cable temple covers to extend the life of your temples.
Before discovering covers, I was replacing my cable temples every two
years, which as you probably know by now if you've found the Attic, is
not that easy. Now I just replace the covers every few years and have kept the same pair of
cable temples for over ten years! Experience has also taught me that
while clear cable temple covers seem like a good idea at the outset and I do
carry them, they will eventually show dirt and oils
that get underneath, so I recommend any of the opaque covers rather than clear
covers.
If you're purchasing frames or temples you may want your
covers installed. If so, please select the ''Installed'' option from the menu
before placing your order. Note that once installed, the covers themselves are
no longer eligible for a return, though the frames or temples remain eligible. If you have any questions about
temple covers
or anything else, please feel free to contact
me.
Please note
these are harder to find for me these days and many of the old ones will
be out of stock until I run across more. When I find more, I update the
shopping cart database.
Below you'll find several varieties of the
old-style plastic covers in the real-deal vintage "flesh"
color, the only way they used to make them!
The plastic comes in the curve shown, but they'll take on any
shape you want and offer great protection for both your cables and your
ears!
From left to
right: 1.3 mm, 1.6 mm (no longer available), 1.9 mm and
2.1 mm.
Please note that these are nominal sizes. Actual size is a little
larger.
This
is the most commonly used cover diameter for vintage temples. It's about 1.3 mm. The open
end is tapered for a snug fit. They're almost 3 3/4 inches (93 mm)
long.
Measuring
0.3 mm is not easy, so I've used coins to illustrate core diameters.
Here's a penny shown next to a 1.3 mm temple cover.
The cover opening
is slightly narrowed to ''hug'' the temple, but once opened, the
thickness of a penny is a good match for these.
Note that these
really are a snug fit on most vintage cable temples, so if you're
planning to install them yourself, you may want to consider one of the
other options below.
This is a more flexible version of the 1.3 mm
core diameter ''flesh'' covers. They're just shy 4 inches (101 mm)
long. They work best on very stiff cable temples. On very flexible
temples, they can make the temple straighten out, which is not good for a
cable temple.
You
can see the opening is about the diameter of the thickness of a penny,
maybe slightly larger.
The material is more flexible and not quite so snug a fit as the curved
ones above.
Note
since they slip on easily, that also means they slip off
easily! To keep them from sliding off while you're wearing them,
plan to either bend back the very tip of your temples or use a little
silicone adhesive on the cables.
These are the old-style plastic covers
in ''flesh'' in about 1.9 mm core diameter. This diameter is sometimes
called for on some older safety goggles, some 1950s aluminum or black
plastic frames and some middle 1960s and even early 1970s frames.
You'll see this core diameter is very close the
thickness of a nickel.
This
is not the most commonly used size and is usually too big for a
traditional 1920s through 1950s wire frame. They're almost 3 3/4 inches
(93 mm) long.
These are the old-style plastic covers
in ''flesh'', about 2.1 mm core diameter, the largest diameter. These are like
rigatoni they're so thick!
This diameter is sometimes needed for the really old Shuron
''Aztec'' and ''Relaxo'' cables, as well as some 1950s safety frames and
goggles. This is not a very common size, so do check your dimes!
You'll
see this core diameter is slightly narrower than the thickness of a two
dimes pressed together. They're almost 3 3/4 inches (93 mm) long.
The modern approach to cable temple covers is heat
shrink tubing. Slide it onto the temple and heat it using a frame warmer
(or a hot hair dryer) and it shrinks tight onto the cable. It's flexible
and wears well, too. When I do the installation, I finish the tip with a
little silicone.
It comes in a wide variety of colors and two different sizes. I stock only
the more subdued colors, reminiscent of some of the hard coatings
sometimes used back in the old days. You can find heat shrink elsewhere
and most shops will have some, but I really like this version because it's
twice as long as the normal 4 inch pieces. These come in one 8 inch (~20
cm) piece you can cut in half for one pair of glasses or you can use more
than one piece if you want longer covers!
Experience has taught me that while clear cable temple covers seem like a good idea at the outset and I do carry them,
for most wearers, they will eventually show dirt and oils that get underneath, so I recommend any of the opaque covers rather than clear covers.
This selection is the thinnest version. It
begins life with about a 1.5 mm (~1/16 inch) core diameter and will shrink down
to about 0.5 mm (~1/32 inch).
The thin stuff only comes in black and
clear. I recommend black because clear will eventually show dirt and
oils underneath.
They come in a single 8 inch (~20 cm) piece,
intended to be cut in half, 4 inches for each cable.
These days, most heat shrink for one pair of
glasses comes in two 4 inch lengths. That's fine if you only want to cover
the cable area of your temples, but if you want to cover more of the
temple or perhaps cover the entire temple, then these are the only ones
I've found that come this long - a real help for covering entire temples!
Item
Number
Item
Name
Price
Per Piece
#6546
Cable
covers 1.5mm shrink black
$5.00 for 1 piece
$4.00 2 pieces and up
$3.00 7 pieces and up
This selection is the thinnest version,
the same as the one above, but in clear. It begins life with about a 1.5 mm
(~1/16 inch) core diameter and will shrink down to 0.5 mm (~1/32 inch).
They come in a single 8 inch (~20 cm) piece,
intended to be cut in half, 4 inches for each cable. I
recommend opaque covers because clear will eventually show dirt and oils
underneath.
These days, most heat shrink for one pair of glasses comes in two 4 inch
lengths. That's fine if you only want to cover the cable area of your
temples, but if you want to cover more of the temple or perhaps cover the
entire temple, then these are the only ones I've found that come this long
- a real help for covering entire temples!
Item
Number
Item
Name
Price Per Piece
#6547
Cable
covers 1.5mm shrink clear
$5.00 for 1 piece
$4.00 2 pieces and up
$3.00 7 pieces and up
These are larger diameter, useful for
vintage safety glasses and old combination-style frames from Shuron and
American Optical, among others. It begins life with about a 2.8 mm (~1/8 inch)
core diameter and will shrink down to a little over 1 mm (~1/16 inch). I recommend black
or brownbecause clear will eventually show dirt and
oils underneath.
They come in a single 8 inch (~20 cm) piece,
intended to be cut in half, 4 inches for each cable.
These days, most heat shrink for one pair of glasses comes in two 4 inch
lengths. That's fine if you only want to cover the cable area of your
temples, but if you want to cover more of the temple or perhaps cover the
entire temple, then these are the only ones I've found that come this long
- a real help for covering entire temples!
Item
Number
Item
Name
Price Per Piece
#6548
Cable
covers 3mm shrink black
$5.00 for 1 piece
$4.00 2 pieces and up
$3.00 7 pieces and up
These are larger diameter, useful for
vintage safety glasses and old combination-style frames from Shuron and
American Optical, among others. It begins life with about a 2.8 mm (~1/8 inch)
core diameter and will shrink down to slightly over 1 mm (~1/16 inch).
They come in a single 8 inch (~20 cm) piece,
intended to be cut in half, 4 inches for each cable.
These days, most heat shrink for one pair of glasses comes in two 4 inch
lengths. That's fine if you only want to cover the cable area of your
temples, but if you want to cover more of the temple or perhaps cover the
entire temple, then these are the only ones I've found that come this long
- a real help for covering entire temples! I
recommend opaque covers because clear will eventually show dirt and oils
underneath.
Item
Number
Item
Name
Price Per Piece
#6561
Cable
covers 3mm shrink clear
$5.00 for 1 piece
$4.00 2 pieces and up
$3.00 7 pieces and up
These are dark brown, larger diameter,
useful for vintage safety glasses, old combination-style frames and
temples with really big ball finials on the ends. It begins life with about
a 3 mm (~1/8 inch) core diameter and will shrink down to a little over 1 mm (~1/16
inch). I recommend black or brown because clear will eventually show dirt and
oils underneath.
It comes in a single 8 inch (20
cm) piece, intended to be cut in half, 4 inches for each cable.
These days, most heat shrink for
one pair of glasses comes in two 4 inch lengths. That's fine if you only
want to cover the cable area of your temples, but if you want to cover
more of the temple or perhaps cover the entire temple, then these are the
only ones I've found that come this long - a real help for covering entire
temples!
Item
Number
Item
Name
Price Per Piece
#6549
Cable
covers 3mm shrink brown
$5.00 for 1 piece
$4.00 2 pieces and up
$3.00 7 pieces and up
These covers are not heat shrink tubing. No heat necessary.
These have a 2 mm core diameter, which is pretty
large, bigger than most all the temples I carry. They do have the advantage that
you can work them over some ball or keystone tips you sometimes find on the
end of cable temples. They really
are soft. Squishy soft. They're 3 3/4 inches (95 mm) long and come in a
pair.
Item
Number
Item
Name
Price Per Pair
#6562
Cable
covers very soft clear
$5.00
Quantity
(1 pair)
Not installed or installed
Add
to cart
** - Please note that once installed, the covers
themselves are no longer eligible for a refund, though the frames/temples
remain eligible per the Attic return policies.
If you have any questions about these temple covers
or anything else, please don't hesitate to contact
me. I try to answer all questions promptly.
