I obtained a gas mask recently that has one orange tinted eye piece and one much lighter tinted eyepiece, sort of a yellow. The orange eye piece has the printing on the edge, and the spare eye pieces in the canister are the orange pieces as well. Any ideas on why the eye pieces in the mask are different tint?
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Age is the primary cause for the lens discoloration…......After almost 100 years many things can change depending on the environment the object is in.
This is the same on all gas mask lenses; WW I and WW II. At the time of manufacture they were all clear, or should have been. Time and the circumstances of their post-manufacture storage contribute to the fogginess or discoloration of the lenses.
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Gents
Another point to consider. Chemicals dispersed during WW1 gas attacks leave a film, usually yellow discolouring items including brass, celluliod or anything manufactured. Cant be washed off, its eaten away at the material. If the lens feels rough on the surface like sandpaper. It could of been in an attack.
Happy New Year
EricComment
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I think what might be happening here is that the lighter yellow coloured eyepeice is missing its inner lens while the orange coloured eyepiece has the inner lens in place.
The Lederschutzmaske was designed with two lenses per eyepiece in an attempt to reduce fogging. The orange inner celluloid eyepieces are removable and usually have the date printed along the rim. The spare eyepieces you mention are these inner lenses. The outer lenses are fixed permanently, are unmarked and are a lighter yellowish colour.
Try carefully unscrewing the inner metal lens holder and see if this is the case.
HansComment
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Happy New Year Hans,
Good information. Thanks.
ChipComment
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Hans is very likley right, but there is another possibility, the lighter lens cound have lost its gelatin coating, it is very fragile, and can flake off easily, if you will notice, the wrapper for the spare anti fog lenses usually have instructions not to wipe the lens, or you will damage the coating.
Best
GusComment
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Yea Gus
I dig that, but I thought the Gents question was about the clear lens that,s turned yellow?
Your a mask guy. Have,nt you seen masks that been subjected to gas before where the clear lens have turned yellow?
EricComment
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Thanks for the info guys. I'll look a bit closer at the mask and see if an inside lens or something is missing. It just looks odd, because the two eye pieces are completely different tint. It looks multicolored right now and it's bugging me a bit.Comment
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Hey Eric,
Most lenses from that period are discoloured, if if is from the exposure to gass, or just an ageing process of the material, I can not say. Many of the lenses found in US SBRs are discoloured to the point that they are opaque and even black.
Best
GusComment
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Pictures taken in good light would be helpful.Comment
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Here are photos of the two eyepieces in the mask. The replacement lenses in the can are identical to the orange tinted one in the mask. They have the same date printed along the edge. As far as I can tell, the lighter tinted piece has no printing.
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Hey RH,
Unscrew the inner frame on the lens that is clear, and I think you will find that there is no Klarscheiben (anti fog lens) in that eye piece.
Best
GusComment
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As Gus pointed out, it does look like the right eyepiece just needs a new inner lens. In case you want to leave the original set that came with the mask untouched, spare inner lenses are easily found and inexpensive.Comment
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It raises an interesting collector question. Leave the mask untouched as it may have left whoever its wearer was, use one of the spare lenses in the can to keep the group together, or bring in an outside lens to keep the spare lenses untouched.Originally posted by Hans K. View Post
I've been thinking about that one. I'd like to replace it, as it may have just fallen out or broken any time, maybe just a week before I bought it even. Who knows.Comment
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