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Determining Model Number of Vintage B&L 7x26 (1 Viewer)

J

JohnVan

Active member
I have a pair of metal-bodied Bausch and Lomb 7x26 Custom Compact Binoculars that were purchased new on 2/14/1992, with green-coated lenses, serial number AA0723, and marked National Audubon Society.

Does anyone know what model number these would be?

Were these the last metal-bodied ones produced?
 
I haven't ever seen a model number associated with the name.
The coatings and the association should mark them pretty well.
 
I found the number AA0723 stamped on the front of the hinge after "Japan". I am assuming that it is the serial number.

Yes, there are model numbers associated with Custom Compacts and they are 6 digit numbers, with a dash, following this format: xx-xxxx.
 
JohnVan said:
I have a pair of metal-bodied Bausch and Lomb 7x26 Custom Compact Binoculars that were purchased new on 2/14/1992, with green-coated lenses, serial number AA0723, and marked National Audubon Society.

Does anyone know what model number these would be?

Were these the last metal-bodied ones produced?
Click to expand...

Based on the date and your description, I think you have model 61-7261, which was the last model without the plastic overhousing. I can't remember where the model number is written, maybe on the underside of the hinge.

--AP
 
Alexis, thank you for your opinion on what my model number is. My research pointed toward that serial number also, but I was not 100% sure.
 
Alexis gave the proper model number for the Bausch & Lomb 7x26. This was the final version of the metal bodied Custom Compact and it should have the green coatings and the National Audubon emblem on it. I have a pair I bought brand new in 1993 and still NIB (the star of my Custom Compact collection). The model number appears on the housing of the left eyepiece and is printed in a black on black raised ink or paint of some sort. Not that it matters if it is there or not. There was only one model marked B&L instead of Bushnell in the metal bodied version, and it is what you describe. The number you referenced is the serial number BTW. Take a look at this thread a few pages back and you can get some good history on the series. I posted a bunch of photo links to each model in my collection on page 2. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=222858

Amendment: When I got home I checked my B & L 7x26's and my memory slipped just a bit. The model number is not on the focus wheel. It is on the housing of the left eyepiece and it is in raised glossy black paint or ink of some sort Corrected above to reflect this.
 
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Hello Mike V.

I have read through the link you provided in your post, above. I found the model number where you said it was, "on the housing of the left eyepiece". Now it is absolutely confirmed that I have the 61-7261 model. Thanks for the detailed write up on these.

I called Bushnell today looking for an eyecup set, but was told nothing was available. They wanted me to send them in so they could look for a pair that might work, but I am not going to do that.

My eyecups have been in the folded down position since I originally purchased these in 1992. Today I folded them up to inspect them and they seemed to be in excellent condition, however I applied 2 applications of "303 Aerospace Protectant" to the rubber. I just wish that I had done that when I bought them, and periodically thereafter.

Hopefully these eyecups will last for as long as I need them. I am 65.

If anyone has any eyecups for sale, or knows of any that will fit please post that info. Thanks.
 
Hi John,
I really find it amazing that Bushnell won't resupply the rubber eyecups for this classic binocular, and others, like the B&L Elites. If somebody wanted to start a business of selling replacement roll down rubber eyecups for many classics, they would do quite well! If you caught yours before they started to tear and treated them, they just might hold up. Most of mine are doing fine, including older ones than the B&L's but I treated them with silicone regularly over the years, and never rolled them down as even with glasses on, I don't need to roll them down. The ones that are trouble are the ones that have been rolled down and stored that way since 1992. The rubber gets permanently stressed and then they usually come apart when you roll them up for the first time, so you were lucky.
 
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Mike, If you had a pair of these purchased in 1992 and the eyecups had been rolled down and untreated for 23 years, what would you do:
1. Leave them rolled down permanently and treat the outsides periodically with protectant
2. Roll them up and leave them up, and treat periodically (note that I need them rolled down or i can't use them, and then rolling up and down when used could be worse than leaving them rolled down permanently)
3. Any other options?

I know someone must have a small horde of these, and if they do, and if they would like to part with a pair, please contact me as I think my user name is clickable.
 
John,

You have a Bausch & Lomb model.

Some time around 2005 they became Bushnells. I got one of their first Bushnell Birding Series models in December 2005 (SN AO 0036) and it still had rubber eye cups then. On the Focus Wheel it says from top to bottom: 7x26, Bushnell, CUSTOM, AO 0036, FOV 363FT. The word "Elite" is not on it anywhere.

I believe that the next reincarnation of them came with hard twist up eye cups so it is quite possible that they don't have any rubber ones left in stock. I would call them and ask them if they have ones for their first models after they took the Bushnell name. They might fit yours.

Bob
 
There is a guy on EBay who started out offering to copy your eyecup,
with subsequent copies costing less. Now I see he's offering copies flat out.
I think he's making molds with Silastic or something.

Anyway, you might try searching for the eyecups.
He might have made a mold for those.
Or, if you have a basically intact eyecup, he could copy it..
 
JohnVan said:
Mike, If you had a pair of these purchased in 1992 and the eyecups had been rolled down and untreated for 23 years, what would you do:
1. Leave them rolled down permanently and treat the outsides periodically with protectant
2. Roll them up and leave them up, and treat periodically (note that I need them rolled down or i can't use them, and then rolling up and down when used could be worse than leaving them rolled down permanently)
3. Any other options?

I know someone must have a small horde of these, and if they do, and if they would like to part with a pair, please contact me as I think my user name is clickable.
Click to expand...

Well, all of mine, save one e-bay acquisition, were in good shape, so I treated the rubber a few years ago and they are all still in good shape. I re-treat periodically with silicone. Oddly, the really old ones with the original thick rubber cylindrical eycups hold up better than the later flared out style. The one bad one was, as you say, in rolled down condition and was that way for years, a set-up that is no good for me either with or without glasses on. I rolled them up and they promptly partly cracked at the fold line. What I did was use flexible Cyano-acrylate glue (it really does not flex much!) and ran a bead around the inner rim of the cup at the fold line tear. They no longer fold down, as folding will rip the glued tear line open, but are still usable in the up position, which is what I needed anyway. (These are my beaters!)

Mike
 
After reading Optic Nut's post above, I did find an eBay seller who fabricated eyecups, however ofter reading the details on his page it appears that he casts them from hard plastic, and that they would not be foldable. To make sure I think he would have to be contacted to clarify exactly what he is talking about though. I really do not understand why if he's going to the trouble of casting these, why he would use hard plastic, when silicone rubber or something similar could be used.

After having folded mine up, after them having been down for 23 years, without incident, in order to treat both sides with 303 Aerospace Protectant, I think I am going to now leave them in the folded down position permanently, from here on out, since I am the only user, and I wear glasses. I believe that the damage happens during the folding process, although it is likely complete disintegration could occur, without folding, after numbers of years far in advance of 23 had passed.
 
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That's my scheme; just push them down for glasses and enjoy!

Sad about the hard plastic molding only.
All he has to do is spray mold release and fill with 2-part Silastic (silicone).
Maybe his method is thermoplastic..
 
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