I got unexpected amusement from reading that there used to be exactly three glass eye makers in the UK. I know that doesn't actually mean anything, but I couldn't help it.
It's kinda like making violins and such, it seems like a really satisfying job but it's ultra niche. Probably similar to trying to be a full time poet.
I'm thinking more in market saturation terms. There arn't that many full time violin makers, similar to there not being many healthy poets being gainfully employed for their poems.
Neat! I have for the past 40 years had a new prosthesis made every second year or so by F.Ad. Müller Söhne [1] – it is always a wonder to see the ocularist work with miniature glass blowing equipment creating an eye fit just for you.
From the grandparent link: When to replace your eye?
The tissue around the eye socket changes over time, and the eye can become scratched, even with careful maintenance.For these reasons you should replace your eye every three to five years, more often for children.
I can see that your question has already been answered, but I can confirm what it says. The cavity left after surgery changes over time, and the prosthesis, even if it is glass, eventually gets worn, leading to irritation. I presume that this is due to sand and grit in the air, which scratches the surface.
Additionally, you can have the ocularist recenter the eye prosthesis so that it better matches the orientation of your normal eye. Most eye prosthesis are approximate hollow quarter spheres resting on the eye musculature so that they can move in unison with the other eye.
Interesting, acrylic applied in multiple layers. I can see how this would be superior to glass from a manufacturing standpoint (easy to cast and layer), but my experience with acrylics is they scratch and aren't very durable. Perhaps that's another benefit - customers coming back more often for replacements.
https://artificialeyes.net/ocularists/iowa/coralville-vbulga...