In the past few years there seems to have been a boom in the production of wooden sunglasses. Handmade, artesanal products have been made by brands all over Europe, such as Ribot, Palens, ORIGINeyes (selling in the Blickers online shop, click here), and British brands such as Woodsies. Today I want to introduce you to another British wooden eyewear brand that has made eyewear into an art form by using skilled craftsmanship to make amazing products - Moat House eyewear.
Moat House eyewear was founded by Sam and Nick Clarke, almost by accident, as they were inspired by a beautiful piece of wood that was about to go onto the fire. After experimenting with it and producing humorous results, Moat House eyewear was born, and became an eyewear brand that prides itself on handcrafting wooden sunglasses in England, using local suppliers and therefore helping to keep British manufacturing alive.
Moat house eyewear has made a conscious effort to ensure that their products are not damaging to the environment, both by limiting their carbon footprint (the whole manufacturing process is based in England) and by giving something back. Every time a pair of sunglasses is bought, Moat House eyewear provides payment to Endangered Species International to plant a rare Ebony Kamagong tree in The Tarsier Sanctuary in Southern Philippines, which helps to restore the rainforest.
Each pair of Moats sunglasses is made using veneer laminates, that make the products stronger than solid wood. The sunglasses are sanded by hand and painted with a ‘skin friendly’ protective finishing product. The lenses offer 100% UV protection for your eyes, making them safe and practical.
Not only is the spirit and ethos of this eyewear brand amazing, the sunglasses themselves look incredible...
You can even choose which combinations of wood you want for the arms and frames, as the colours vary... check out the designs in the collection! Click on the names of the styles to go to them directly in the Moat House website.
