Mike M.

Mike M. is the hands-on owner behind Iron Mako Media, the independent portfolio of gear sites that Lens & Lead belongs to. He ranks eyewear on the certification the maker publishes (ANSI Z87.1+, MIL-PRF-32432, APEL), the lens system and the fit, and labels every pick with how it was researched.

How Mike ranks eyewear

Every pick on Lens & Lead is labeled "Spec-page researched, not worn by us." That means Mike read the maker's product page for the pair, quoted the certification it states in the maker's own words — "ANSI Z87.1+", "MIL-PRF-32432A", "APEL approved", "tested to" — recorded the lens system, the tints in the box, the Rx route and what the maker says about temples and ear muffs, and scored the result on the public rubric at How We Rate. Where the maker's page would not load, the card cites a retailer or a press page and says so. It does not mean he owns, wore or shot in the pair, and no page on this site says otherwise.

If a specific pair is ever worn or used for a page, that page will say exactly what was done and for how long, with original photos. Until then, "researched" is the honest label.

Who he writes for

The shooter who reads the stamp on the temple before the style photos, and who is buying for a child as often as for himself. That is why the youth pages quote the American Academy of Ophthalmology rather than a marketing line, and why the rating column exists at all.

What you won't find here

• Credentials or job titles he doesn't hold. No optometry, no military or law-enforcement service, no competition résumé is claimed.
• Claims that he has shot in, dropped or fired anything at a pair he hasn't.
• A price he cannot verify. The buy buttons check Amazon live; the pages print none.
• Rankings paid for by a brand. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick.

Contact

Questions and corrections go to mike@blackironathletics.com. Mike reads every message. More about the publisher is at Iron Mako Media.