BUFFLE HORN - FRAMES

Buffalo horn is a collective term for horns from various races of buffalo.

The animals come from:

• Asia Minor and the Middle East
• Africa

The type used predominantly is the horn of the Water Buffalo ("Bubalus" species).
The water buffalo is kept in Asia as a domestic animal and about 80 million of them are extant.  These domestic animals, in particular the "Bubalus arni" sub-species so well known in Western India and Nepal, provides the high-grade material, so to speak as a by-product, from which exclusive spectacle frames are manufactured.

The horns of "Bubalus arni" grow up to 1.95 metres long, are sickle-shaped, curve backwards, and are broad and flat at the base.

No more than 20% of all horn produced can be used to manufacture spectacle-frames, because of the high quality standards demanded.

Because the horns of animals living in the wild always show signs of "damage" (from the daily rough-and-tumble of free ranging life), and are often cracked or marred, it cannot be used for manufacturing spectacles.  The irregular feed the animals receive because of natural periods of drought and rainfall also has an effect on the quality of the horn.  This leads to harder or softer parts in the horn.

For these reasons the horn of wild animals cannot be used for manufacturing spectacle-frames.  It is only horn from domesticated animals that is used for this purpose. 

Buffalo-horn combines the exclusivity of natural material with the professional handicraft of the almost forgotten frame-maker.  This individual exclusivity can be made clearest by a direct comparison:

On the one side is plastic, produced and coloured by the ton by giant chemical corporations, and on the other side a natural product, of which every single piece is automatically unique and is distinguished by its "one of one" character.

The comparison of the workmanship is equally impressive.  While plastic and metal frames are produced in huge numbers on automatic production lines, buffalo horn frames are hand-crafted by highly qualified craftsmen. 

This traditional work provides an ideal opportunity to bring out the optician‘s craftsmanship, as he is the person who makes an individual pair of spectacles out of a high-quality frame and the functionally selected lenses.
 

As a natural material, buffalo horn is extraordinarily kind to the skin.  This skin-compatibility is of ever greater importance in this day and age, with chemicals and plastics dominating our environment.  Particularly in recent times, contact allergy and skin sensitisation have greatly increased, so that for many wearers of spectacles the material they are made from has taken on an almost medicinal significance.
In such cases of skin sensitivity and particularly contact allergies there is simply nothing better than a spectacle-frame made of natural materials. Comfort in wearing a buffalo horn frame distinguishes it clearly from the frames traditionally supplied.

On the one side, the specific gravity of buffalo horn is very low, and on the other side the natural surface of the material has pleasant characteristics for the wearer.  This is because this natural material, after it has been worn for a short time, takes on a slightly matt surface at the point where in comes in contact with the skin.  It often happens that at these points the fibrous structure of the material becomes visible.  This does not represent any lower quality, but on the contrary increases comfort in wearing.  The slightly rougher surface grips better on the skin.  The same effect is achieved as with "soft pads", with their porous surface, in that the frame does not "slither" so much, even with heavy lenses.

Low weight, comfort in wearing, and freedom from allergies are thus important functional advantages of buffalo horn frames.