Glasses have become a firm element of the style equation. We wear them not because we have to, but because they enhance and alter our looks.
I often look for British-made style in my clothes and accessories but have always worn eyewear made elsewhere because that is what is available from most opticians. I was pleased to be able to collaborate with Banton Frameworks (links below), who manufacture in Scotland, to have a pair of prescription glasses made to my prescription.
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| Banton Frameworks B-TRT prescription frames (L) and sunglasses (R) |
I chose a pair of B-TRT glasses (priced at £149). They were quickly glazed and sent to me in a stylish case. Robust and stylish, they are among the most comfortable glasses I've owned in over 40 years of wearing specs.
Banton Frameworks was founded by Jamie Bartlett and Lucy Ross (pictured above) and I asked Jamie to tell me about the business and how they came to be making glasses in Scotland:
GF: How did Banton Frameworks come about?
JB: Oh boy. Now there’s a story. Lucy and I studied together at University in Glasgow. We were both in our final year of Industrial Product Design and Lucy’s final project involved designing glasses frames. I got involved helping her with some prototypes using the University workshop equipment.
We graduated. Phew. But we but felt we could do better than the glasses we’d made for her project. So we just kept going. But to do that, we had to keep using the university equipment. And we were no longer students… So, we started sneaking into the university workshop at night and at the weekends. Just so we could continue tweaking and learning how to make glasses frames. We did this until the last day of the summer break, right before all the students came back.
Long story short, we sold what we could to make enough money to buy some equipment of our own. After that, we just kept going. Making, prototyping, selling and buying more machines and equipment. It’s been 7 years of trial and error. And here we are.
GF: Is British manufacture important to you?
JB: For various reasons, yes. Besides the economy and Brexshit… for me it’s about setting an example of what can be made right here in the UK. Good quality frames, designed and made by right here in the UK.
As a wee back story. Britain used to produce millions of spectacle frames during the mid-century. We had a genuinely thriving optical industry. However, very few of the original factories remain because it all got outsourced overseas. It used to be about who could make the best glasses. Then it became about who could make the cheapest.
So we’re building a new factory. Because we want to be the best. And that means we’ve had to take the long road.
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| Banton Frameworks products are made in Scotland |
GF: Why did you choose to manufacture frames in Scotland?
JB: Many of the world’s best things were invented within sheds and barns in Scotland. We felt we should add to that list. Especially considering our workshop is at the bottom of our garden. No kidding.
GF: How do you go about designing the frames?
JB: The process always begins with a basic sketch. From there, we digitalise it into a 2D drawing where we can refine the lines and proportions of the frame front. We’ve always compared this stage to designing your own typeface. The correct balance and weight of a frame can be a matter of half a millimetre. This process can take a while before it’s finally taken into a 3D modelling programme.
From there, we make prototypes to see how the glasses look and feel in physical form. Again, this can take multiple iterations before we even consider making as a pair of glasses.
(Back in the day, we used to make wee sections of glasses, rather than whole ones. This way we could on the part that needed refining without having to make the rest of the frame for nothing. ‘Waste not want not’ and all that.)
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| Making glasses frames at Banton Frameworks |
GF: How do you see BFW developing over the next few years?
JB: A lot’s changed since our illicit university ploy. It’s taken a long time to establish our own processes and machinery to do all this. In turn, it’s really dictated our direction and language as a manufacturing-brand.
I’d say we’re definitely looking to grow our team in order to take things to the next stage. Right not it’s just the two of us. So we’re planning on taking what we’ve built and applying it at a larger scale. A bigger workspace, skilled staff and even better glasses to come. Designed well. Made well. In the UK.
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Banton Frameworks design and manufacture prescription eyewear and sunglasses which can be bought online.
Here are the optical frames I selected. The Banton Frameworks sunglasses were provided by Sir Gordon Bennett who sell a well-curated selection of British-made products - for more see my recent feature here on the blog.
Both glasses were gifted - this feature is otherwise unsponsored.
