shades
05-17-2010, 06:08 PM
I have read many posts on this issue. Be assured, your local dealer/optician may not use KBco lenses, which are the true Costa lenses. This may not matter if you are happy with plastic lenses. I wanted glass lenses, with the mirror layer encapsulated between the two glass lenses, so they would not get scratched. This is how the non prescription Costas are made. My local "recommended" dealer, listed on Costa's web site did not want to fool with glass lenses. They said they would have to send them off to be made in glass. The plastic lenses, however, they make in house. When I told them I wanted glass so the mirrored part would not get scratched, they said they would get scratched anyway because the mirror layer was on the outside of the lens. This certainly seemed like it was not how I understood Costa's to be constructed. And also...how could they be "Costa" lenses if they were made at this local optician. It sounded like I would only get Costa frames. And finally, I have a friend who had a pair made by this shop, and the lenses did not even fit the frames properly. There was a large gap in the outer upper corner of each side. And beware, this shop, though local for me, seems to have a very large online presence. I don't want to falsley accuse this dealer...maybe I would have gotten true KBco lenses if they sent them off. But to discourage me from getting glass, and to tell me the mirror was on the front of the lense...did not make me comfortable about dealing with them.
They may be "Costa Certified" lenses, because maybe that is how Costa handles it...they "certify" the lab itself, so the lab can use whatever lenses they want. I don't know.
I said all of that to say this, Costa gave me the name of Optics, in High Point, NC. They made a pair for me exactly as I wanted. True KBco lenses, mirror encapsulated in glass, lenses fit perfectly in the frames, and turn around time was barely over a week. They are not cheap, but they were what I wanted, and since I plan to get many many years of use, I was willing to pay for what I wanted. I dealt with Chuck Swaim, and he could not have been more helpful. I don't want to swamp them with business, if they don't want to be swamped, but I did want to pass on the info.
They may be "Costa Certified" lenses, because maybe that is how Costa handles it...they "certify" the lab itself, so the lab can use whatever lenses they want. I don't know.
I said all of that to say this, Costa gave me the name of Optics, in High Point, NC. They made a pair for me exactly as I wanted. True KBco lenses, mirror encapsulated in glass, lenses fit perfectly in the frames, and turn around time was barely over a week. They are not cheap, but they were what I wanted, and since I plan to get many many years of use, I was willing to pay for what I wanted. I dealt with Chuck Swaim, and he could not have been more helpful. I don't want to swamp them with business, if they don't want to be swamped, but I did want to pass on the info.