When it comes to eyeglasses, I always thought those things that go around the ears were called ARMS. I sure was wrong. In this guide, I am going to teach you exactly what a TEMPLE is, that the word SHANK is not something used to hurt someone, and that it is ok to wear a BUTT on your face.

BASIC PARTS

• FRAME - The frame is the actual portion of the eyeglasses that holds the lenses in their correct position before the eyes

1.    A frame generally consists of the front, which holds the lenses, and the temples, which attach to the front and hook over the ears and hold the eyeglasses in place. When a frame does not have a temple, they are held in place by pressure on the sides of the nose, oxford or pince-nez, by attachment to another frame ,clip-on, or by being held in the hand, lorgnettes.

• FRAME FRONTS

1. The bridge is the area of the frame that rests on the nose.
2. The eyewire or rim is the area that goes around the lenses
3. Endpieces are the outer areas of the frame front that attach to the temples
4. A shield on is what may hold the hinge in place on plastic frames
5. The hinges hold the temples to the front and consist of an odd number of interfitting barrels, either 3,5, or 7.
6. Nose pads are the plastic pieces that rest on the nose to support the frame.

• TEMPLES

1. The butt end or butt portion is the portion of the temple that is nearest its attachment to the front
2. A bend is where the temple first bends down to go over the ear
3. The shank or shaft is the part of the temple between the butt end and the bend
4. The earpiece,bent down portion or curl is the part of the temple that is beyond the bend and behind the ear
5. A dowel hole is the hinge barrel in the temple