Was at work all day and not able to respond. Didn't think I was going to ruffle any feathers with this thread.
The main thing for me though was the visibility because it made it harder to find the queen or eggs.
@Aucoop94- Your comments match my initial reasoning for posting. Thanks for your feedback!
@ mppatriots- The only time I really have a problem with it is the first few minutes and then as others have said you get use to it.
Part of what sparked this thread was that my dad has bifocals or trifocals maybe? But either way, his eyesight isn’t even poor. It’s terrible. And I’m guessing he’s not the only person that has poor eyesight that puts on a veil when beekeeping.
Combine the glasses and a veil and he must have a real hard time. (I don’t know how others with glasses fare or what they experience, because I don’t wear glasses but I would think that they have a difficult time).
@sqkcrk- I noticed you’ve edited your post multiple times. I didn’t get a chance to see the first version (I’d love to see it, because there is value in understanding where you’re coming from and your frustration).
So maybe one thing I failed to do in the OP was give everyone a little background info on myself. See the following:
1)Yes, I’m really new to bee keeping. (Started my two hives on May 15th)
2)I’ve made lots of mistakes but have been reading as many books and talking to as many experienced bee keepers as I can.
3)My professional background is in product design; I’m an industrial designer that has a wide range of interests.
4)I’m 24 years old, and have worked for a number of companies designing everything from gloves for outdoor companies, toys at Hasbro for Star Wars, firefighting equipment, jewelry, medical equipment, surgical tools, etc. I could go on and on. But one thing I’m not is an expert in any of those product categories. So anytime I know nothing about a product category, I do everything I can to learn about it and the nuances that are involved with it. This way the person that uses the product I worked on is able to have a positive experience.
5)I got into bee keeping because I wanted to keep bees. Then as I was looking around for equipment. I noticed everything is either made at home (I’ve made all my hives and will continue too), or does not look as those it’s changed much over the years (of course there are newer products but my statement is towards the bulk of existing products). So if I can make a small contribution and a few people out there can benefit from some of my work; all the better.
6)And sometimes, having no prior experience with something like bee keeping can lead to some great discoveries, because I don’t have 20 plus years of training that has lead me to think a certain way. Being new to it, I have an incredibly open mind (not that others don’t) but I’m learning and have questions about everything. And sometimes I look at stuff and ask why the heck a product is the way it is, i.e. the veil.
7)You might hate me, because I’ve got a list of products I could design for bee keeping. They’re in my idea book. But I’ll save those for another day once I can show everyone that I’m not a crazy person trying to change bee keeping, just improve certain select aspects of it with functional improvements.
Wider mesh can be stronger, it all depends on the weave and if the mesh is coated. But if the openings in the mesh get a little bigger, generally the mesh becomes thicker to compensate for the strength because stronger weaves, materials or coatings are more money.
But if you can list the things you like and dislike, then I can work with you to make something that everyone here would appreciate and find useful.
I’m not looking to get rich, just looking to find a way to do something that might be useful.