WOOD -  FRAMES

  The frames can be made of  WOOD , they are very light and comfortable.

Out of the woods:

The frames are made with different kinds of woods, they can be colored, and have also silk sheet to have beautiful colors. The frames are light and comfortable.

Wood works wonderfully. It has a vast range of colours and grains to please every taste, and is widely used in interior design, furniture, top-class household goods, even the trim of exclusive cars. Now it is a rising trend in eyewear. Janet Halliday takes a walk in the woods.

Why choose wood? "We wanted a more aesthetic, less technical look; using wood with metal gives a warmer effect"; "The wood develops an attractive patina in use" and "Wood's strength to weight ratio is unbeatable, not to mention the beauty of its various colours and textures", are among reasons given.

Ranges using wood include Cottet's Öga line. Its Swedish designer Jonas Blanking has worked in several areas of design, from interiors and furniture to sports goods and fashion accessories. "As I was raised in Scandinavia wood has always been part of my interior design tradition, and I am also inspired by the Asian domestic tradition, for example their use of bamboo in everything," he says. "It was important to find that link between interior design concepts and portable accessories like eyewear... Sweden is in the north, life used to be harsh and there was little time for decorative arts for common people, so you had to design your utensils well from the beginning and keep them simple. Today it is more a case of making it look simple but using the latest technology to advance one's thinking."

Our current interest in all things natural, the way the warm tones of wood flatter the wearer's complexion, and the comfortable feel of wood against the skin, make wood a desirable material for eyewear. However, it is also a challenging one. It must be dense and free of defects to accept machining; precision engineering is required to ensure a perfect fit between the wood and metal parts; and the effects of changes in temperature and humidity must be countered. "Since steel and wood react differently to the same conditions, we put in a lot of time to come up with a bonding material with not only the right strength but the right flexibility to link the two materials," says Mr Blanking.

Woods are selected for their grain, colour - which besides being attractive in itself, must complement the metal parts of the frame or case - and technical properties, such as hardness. Ebony, sycamore, bubinga, snakewood, kotibe, box, cherry, carbalho, rosewood and both European and African walnut are among those chosen.

Frames incorporating wood are popular because every one is unique, since wood grain is never the same twice; they follow the fashion for nature, and they have the stamp of craftsmanship and quality.

However, when ordering frames and accessories incorporating real wood, retailers should check that the manufacturer is using wood from a sustainable source. Wooden eyewear has been around since the 19th century at least - the Lapps protected their eyes from glare with splitted wooden masks. Now it is a growing fashion story at the start of the new millennium.

M - A - D - E   Panorama

HERRLICHT the eyewear frame completly in wood even the join.

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