I say reclaim your body in any way you see fit. I think it's an awesome idea, and those who are "put off" by it can suck an egg.

I'd go with the shiny steel ball, no carvings. I think that would be far classier.

the only issue I see is that while those who are ""put off" can suck an egg" you do need to be able to provide income for yourself. One thought would be to make sure that while you have a "cool" eye.. you should also have one that's less shocking for being able to bring home the bacon and lots of it.

working at MTV I see lots of different colored hair and piercings, but I'll tell you the people that move up the fastest are the ones that do have some of those things, but also know how to turn it on and off when needed.

how do u take it out and put it in? is it easy? if its really easy, go for it, it looks badass!

and upon reading all of the posts (who are u calling impatient), i really think you may regret getting a metal eye. Stainless steel would be waaay to heavy. Titanium clouds and scratches very easily. Both probably have health issues, with metal rubbing off inside your eye socket, near your nerve endings. I think you could get a plastic one with a very nice finish that would look identical

i'd be like, 'whoa cool eye!'

i guess it depends on where u live too about it being 'acceptable or not' and about 'making a statement'.

for instance, if u live in grenich village nobody would look twice at you.


although like Shpoop said, i think you should look into the health ramifications of it. if u just want metal u could prolly go really cheap and get a ball bearing! seriously though, if u get all metal u might just be uncomfortable physically from its weight.

I think he's just going for appearance, there are many options i think for him to consider. And I don't think there would be any health issue, if there is such a problem with a metal ball you could laminate it in a safe composite clear plastic. Or whatever term you would use for "thin layer of plastic around the titanium/platinum/steel prosthetic eyeball"

Check out your options man and go for it! It sounds like a great idea to me

that is way cool.....totally awesome and somewhat sexy :D

Maybe this has been mentioned before, but what about a mirrored contact lens for the prosthetic eye? Is this something that can be done easily/economically?

(Reminds me of the Stephen Wright line about knowing a friend with false teeth, but he had braces on them)

Regardless, I think it would be a great show of individuality and nonconformism. Yes, I totally guessed on that word. Do post pics if you find something that pleases you!

Not to make light of your disability, but you seem to have a great outlook on it, and a sense of humor, but I almost want to have a prothetisistststst so I can get that look, I think it's an awesome Idea! Go fricking crazy with it!

that is KILLER! You can change it so go for it!

So cool!

enough said

it's your body, who cares what others think?

I also say go for it. I've actually thought that it wouldn't be so bad to lose an eye, because you could have cool ones instead! :)
Stainless steel would look really good, but so would:
An 8-ball
Wood (several types, different finishings, should be easy and cheap to make)
Clear glass (to show people that you Really Have No Eye)
Oh, and if you ever need to smuggle small stuff, this will be the last place they look... a hollow eyeball? ;)

First, I think something like that would be cool, in a "shake things up" kind of way. It would be totally unexpected, so it would shock some people. But most people, I believe, would be intrigued.

Forgive my ignorance of prosthetic eyes, but I have a couple questions:
Are they perfectly spherical? If so you could use a ball bearing of steel (though it would be heavy) or some other material. They are made in just about every imaginable size, so I'm sure you could find something off the shelf that would fit.
Can you take it out yourself or do you need to go to a doctor or something? You could have box of eyeballs - one for every occasion!
Could you get one that turns around? Say, "normal" eye on one side, and mirrored(or whatever) on the other?

I see no reason why you should not explore the expressive possibilities of your eye.

those fake eyeballs that are made to look like real ones.. I really don't like them. They really bother me. Not that I have an issue with the person or disability, but it looks so obviously fake, it draws so much negative attention and promotes it as a disability.
This steel ball is awesome. It will do quite the opposite. You may be missing an eye, but you can do something that most of us can't do, and be artful and creative about it.
rock on.

I would think a solid, metal eye would be too heavy. Maybe have a layer of stainless steel affixed to a regular plastic unit.

I bet you could take a regular eye to a machine shop, tell them what you need done. They could fix you up. As far as etchign a design onto it, I would think that would be a lot more expensive and difficult.

Go for it.

As my Dad said when I tried to break the shocking news to him about my (gasp) earring, "Well, it's you body." (It was 1985, gimme a break)

Go for it!! Sure it's gonna get some strange looks, but you're putting the ball in your court. You're saying" Yes, I know that my eye is missing. Can we now move on to me being cool?" I have a medium sized keloid scar across the back of my ear and down my neck as the result of a bad car accident. So I kinda know where you're coming from. Do it, man, I would.

Gitcha one that squirts water. :p

You could also get a regular plastic eyeball chromed... that would look cool as well...

Get the steel bering thing, and then tell people they told you you'll learn how to see with it, in time.

I wonder if they make one that has a battery and a light-bulb in it. Imagine if you could make it glow with a remote in your pocket.

You could impress girls in a darkened club! Tell them you're a Cylon or something! :lol:

I like the metal. Don't forget a monocle for it too.

So, any news? Did you find the chrome eye yet?

No, I had a fairly major discussion with a collection of piercers who came up with a few theories on how it could be made...

Titanium paste seems to be the way go, surgical grade when hardened and easy enough to work with to get the appropriate shape.

Everyone thinks it should be coated with plastic before i would wear it though, with the problem being the exact type of plastic that's recommended for occular prosthetics...

So, there's limited theoretical progress, but no concrete progress.

Also, kinda related, I've decided to go back to university to study Medical Engineering. Maybe I could make myself an eye in a few years time...

;)

Aside: If anyone has Steve Haworth's email address, that'd be nice.

I definitely agree with going for the unique look; you'll stand out and it's another way of expressing your individuality. Do what makes you happy, not what other people are comfortable with.

That said, from an engineering standpoint you could probably pick up a metallic sphere from a supply store like www.smallparts.com or something similar. I would recommend against any solid material; the density of metal makes it prohibitively heavy.

How much does your eye weigh, and what is the diameter? Based off of that information, you could probably figure out a more stylized replacement. I would recommend a hollow sphere made out of a material that is compatible with your body; chances are you already know people who would be able to tell you what materials would and would not work. Getting the actual product made wouldn't be too hard.

You could also consider getting an interesting pattern etched into the sphere. Something like a crosshatch or a logo would be really interesting.

Ok, serious now....I think you should get several eyes. You can accessorize to your wardrobe, your mood, or for whatever reason you see fit. I have never been put off by monocular people. Curious more than anything. If you are wearing black belt, and black shoes, you can dress your eye accordingly. Brown belt, etc.....you know what I mean? It is certainly not mainstream, but why shouldn't it be? I think it beats a patch or a really fake eye. I like to give someone eye contact when I speak to them. Sometimes, I am not sure which eye to focus on when speaking with someone with one eye so this would help the situation.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. You never know, there might be a market for your new fashion eye business.

http://www.eyecancer.org/Innovations/prosthesis.gif

thats the layout of the type of eye prosthetic i have, so no ball bearings will do i'm afraid.

;)

The main 'ball' is coral. The eye muscles are attached to it, and the body then grows into the spaces of the coral, eventually swapping out the structure of the coral for bone, i believe. It _is_ a living part of me with blood vessels, nerves and the whole shebang.

The cosmetic prosthetic is just a thin piece which goes over the inner ball. It can either be molded via injection techniques to the exact layout of the inner ball, or it can be handcrafted for comfort.

Damn, everything always has to be expensive...

More Info On Prosthetics, If You Want It...

I think the shiny eye would look cool, but since when does it constitute a political statement?

Metal will be way too heavy. Non-conductive plating on a hollow plastic prosthetic should work. I would try to put a laser pointer inside it.

Just fyi, that much platinum would be a couple of thousand dollars, on top of the fabrication costs.

Anyway, I think the "eye of steel" would be fucking cool.

I smiled at the initial picture. It looks great. =)

Should you go for an etched iris and pupil, or something else on it?

I think it kicks some serious ass man. I would do that if I had the same 'disadvantage'. More power to ya in re-taking your body!

that is the coolest thing I've ever seen!

I'm off now to go gouge my eye out...I want one!

have you tried emailing the site where ou saw him? They may have contact details for him, and if they won't give them to you, they will likely contact him and ask him to get in touch.

I say go for it! I think it looks awesome. Good luck finding a way to make it work. :)

Somehow install a miniature laser pen into a steel prosthetic eyeball. The laser must always be on. Insert in eye socket: Insta Cyborg.