Sunglass frames made from whiskey barrels

Portland's Shwood — a manufacturer of wooden eyewear — offered a (now sold-out) limited run of wooden sunglass frames made from Bushmills whiskey barrels. I toured the Bushmills distillery in the 1990s (top tip: volunteer to do the whiskey tasting at the end!), and was struck by the fact that these amazing barrels' only afterlife was being "turned into rubbish bins by a man from the town." Good to see that these storied casks are finding more imaginative third lives.

Shwood has joined forces with BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey and Boston, MA boutique, Bodega on a limited run of Shwood's "Canby" frame style, crafted from genuine BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey barrels. Limited to 100 pieces, the White Oak used for the frames dates back over 100 years. The eyewear is packaged in a custom wooden whiskey crate, with a crowbar to pry it open and get the goods.

Based in Portland, Oregon Shwood creates handcrafted wooden eyewear using fine exotic hardwoods. Shwood's in-house manufacturing process merges precision technology with classic skilled craftsmanship to create a timeless art form. Every step from veneering and precision lens cutting, to shaping and finishing is conducted in our own Portland-based workshop to promise an entirely handcrafted eyewear piece.

Shwood | Wood Sunglasses | Projects

(via Core77)