Artisan Eyewear: Worth It? The Process Will SHOCK You!

The Surprising Process of Making Artisan Eyewear
In this video, you’re taken behind the scenes of the artisan eyewear process to see how artistic vision, precision engineering, master craftsmanship, passion, and extraordinary patience come together to create frames that are designed not just to be worn, but to endure. You will discover why handcrafted frames are far more than “just glasses.” From the first pencil sketch to the final polish, you’ll see how art, Why does true artisan eyewear cost more — and is it actually worth it?

From the first pencil sketch to the final mirror-like polish, you’ll follow the complete journey of a handcrafted frame through hundreds of deliberate steps, including hand sketching, CAD modeling, acetate lamination and curing, CNC milling, hinge installation, multi-stage tumbling, and months of hand polishing by master craftspeople. Every stage requires restraint, experience, and respect for the material — knowing when to shape, when to refine, and when to wait.

Along the way, you’ll learn why details like base curve, pantoscopic angle, titanium core wires, and seamless temple joints matter — and how these decisions directly affect comfort, balance, durability, and how a frame feels on your face over years of wear. This is engineering guided by human judgment, and craftsmanship refined through repetition and discipline.

To understand the mindset behind artisan eyewear, it helps to start with a philosophy that has guided some of the world’s finest makers for more than a century.

Japanese eyewear manufacturer Masunaga (増永眼鏡株式会社), founded in 1905 in Sabae, Fukui, is known not just for its frames, but for its uncompromising values. The are widely known as the best independent artisan eyewear manufacturer in the world. The company’s mission statement says it plainly:

“We manufacture excellent eyeglasses. We want to make a profit if we can, but we don’t hesitate to take a loss. It is always in our thoughts to manufacture excellent eyeglasses.”
「良い眼鏡をつくる。儲かるなら儲けたいが、損をしてもよい。常に良い眼鏡をつくることを考える。」

This philosophy captures the essence of artisan eyewear: profit matters, but perfection matters more. It’s a mindset where quality is never compromised, corners are never cut, and time is treated as an essential ingredient — not an expense to be minimized.

The Spirit of Monozukuri (ものづくり)
To truly understand why Japanese eyewear is revered worldwide, you need to understand Monozukuri (ものづくり). While the word translates simply as “making things,” its meaning runs far deeper. Monozukuri represents a philosophy rooted in pride, integrity, and devotion — the belief that an object carries the care, patience, and spirit of the person who made it, and that true quality is never accidental.

In Sabae, Japan, craftsmen often spend years mastering a single process, whether shaping titanium, engraving core wires, or hand-polishing acetate. A single frame may pass through more than 200 individual steps, many performed entirely by hand. The goal is not speed or scale, but consistency, longevity, and quiet excellence.

This mindset is why Sabae (鯖江市) became the artisan eyewear capital of the world, and why its acetate frames retain their depth, luster, and structural integrity for decades. Monozukuri rejects the disposable mindset of mass production in favor of patience, permanence, and respect for materials. To wear eyewear made under this philosophy is to wear something infused with intent — an everyday object elevated into art.

This video is for anyone who has ever wondered why independent artisan eyewear commands a higher price — and why those who experience it often say they can feel the difference immediately.
Eyewear doesn’t just determine how you see the world — it determines how the world sees you. When made at this level, it becomes wearable art, shaped by patience and passion, and built to support your life, your work, and your identity.

👉 If you found this behind-the-scenes journey valuable, please like and subscribe for more content exploring independent eyewear, craftsmanship, and design.

💬 Comment below and let me know which part of the artisan eyewear process surprised you the most — I’d love to hear your perspective.

Thanks for watching, and welcome to the world of artisan eyewear.

If you are interested in artisan eyewear, give Hicks Brunson Eyewear a call. You can find them at call at 918-743-6478, or shop online at https://hicksbrunson.com
email: [email protected]

[00:00] Intro
[02:01] Overview
[03:10] Segment 1: Concept & Design
[04:38] Segment 2: Acetate Production & Preparation
[08:13] Segment 3: Shaping the Frame
[11:24] Segment 4: Hardware & Structure
[15:45] Segment 5: Polishing & Finishing
[17:15] Segment 6: Temple Arms & Core Wire
[21:02] Segment 7: Alignment & Assembly
[23:04] Segment 8: Final Finishing & Quality Control
[27:48] Segment 9: Lenses & Final Assembly
[33:38] Conclusion and Summary
[34:00] Outro