Custom Molded Ear Plugs – E.A.R. Inc.

I stopped at the last Dixie Gun show in Raleigh, and had a pair of custom molded ear plugs made by Lenny Kahn of Ear Inc. The process for getting them made was pretty simple. Lenny had me sit on a stool, and he places a small piece of cotton in the ear to keep the earplug away from the ear drum, and then he just squirts in the ear plug material, and lets it set up for a few minutes. I was expecting a nasty liquid in my ear, but I was pleasantly surprised when I found out it isn’t really a liquid when it goes in. After about 10 minutes or so, Lenny removed the plugs, and told me to come back in 30 minutes, to let the plugs cure for a bit.

The next night, I used the plugs at the Wake County Action Pistol match, and they are nothing short of amazing. Very comfortable, and they do a fantastic job of blocking noise, much better than foam plugs, or muffs. (I also took 1st place in the match, maybe it was the plugs?) Lenny suggested that I have some sound filters installed in the plugs, to make it easier to hear range commands. I did not have the filters installed, as I wanted to make sure the plugs were comfortable before spending any more money on them. After using them in a couple of matches now, I will probably have the filters installed, although I have not had trouble hearing commands, casual conversation on the range does take a little effort.

All in all, I am very happy with these plugs, definitely worth the $60 I paid. I’ll visit Lenny at the next show and have the filters installed, just to see how much difference it makes. I would highly recommend getting some custom plugs made for anyone involved in shooting sports, and Lenny Kahn of EAR Inc. is your man. Lenny mentioned that he travels to all of the Dixie Gun and Knife shows, so find one near you and get some plugs made and support the local economy.