ROLF – Mehr als nur Brillen
In den Bergen Tirols werden seit 2009 von einem kleinen Familienbetrieb hochwertige und sehr leichte Brillen-fassungen aus Holz, Stein und Horn in Handarbeit hergestellt. Ein Schwerpunkt von ROLF Spectacles besteht darin, Trends im Design zu setzen und neue Ideen erfolgreich umzusetzen. Eine dieser Ideen ist das patentierte Verglasungssystem, welches die Herstellung von dünnrandigen, eleganten Brillenfassungen ermöglicht.
Was 2007 in einem Keller mehr als provisorisch mit Mopedbremsen, einer Melkmaschine und alten Zylindern begann, gipfelte schon 2009 auf der Pariser Silmo mit dem Silmo d’Or in der Kategorie „Technik und Innovation“ – für eine junge Firma aus Tirol ein unglaublicher Erfolg. Bis heute haben sich zahlreiche internationale Aus-zeichnungen dazugesellt – in diesem noch sehr jungen Jahr konnten bereits beachtliche Erfolge erzielt werden.
ROLF – eine Freude zu tragen
Das klassische “Espada” Modell ist nur ein Beispiel und besticht durch seine Individualität und seine klassische, zeitlose Form. Das Design der „Espada“ erinnert an einen italienischen Oldtimer aus den 70er Jahren, eines der erfolgreichsten Modelle seiner Zeit. Die ROLF „Espada“ feiert bereits erste Erfolge und wurde bei der Copenha-gen Specs in Dänemark mit dem besten Design ausgezeichnet.
ROLF Spectacles ist immer auf der Suche nach neuen und einzigartigen Materialien, die der Firmenphilosophie entsprechen. Die ROLF „main | stein“ collection ist die perfekte Kombination der beiden natürlichen Materialien Stein und Holz und ergänzt die bereits bestehenden Kollektionen aus Holz und Horn. Das neue, innovative Modell “Islero 41” ist Teil der “main | stein” collection und Optician Awards “Frame of the Year 2014” Finalist.
ROLF Spectacles hat den Anspruch neue Maßstäbe in der Brillenerzeugung zu setzen. Dreidimensionales Design, neue Holzkombinationen und feinster Endschliff in Handarbeit machen aus jeder ROLF „advanced“ Brillenfassung ein Stück Handwerkskunst. Die “Arabella71” aus der “advanced | horn” collection verleiht durch ihre harmonische Linienführung der Brille einen besonderen Glanz. Das Design wurde mit dem “Red Dot Award 2014” für hohe Designqualität ausgezeichnet.
Mit der ROLF pureHORN werden jegliche „Hornbrillen-Paradigmen“ gebrochen. Wie jede ROLF Spectacles Brille kommt die pureHORN ohne Metalle oder andere Zusatzmaterialien aus. Die pureHORN von ROLF Spectacles komplementiert nicht nur das Streben nach Perfektion – sie untermauert auch die Einzigartigkeit und Präzision in der Herstellung. Die ROLF pureHORN Brille ist die erste Brille, die aus purem Horn besteht.
finest wooden eyewear | handmade in tirol . austria | ROLF Spectacles from ROLF Spectacles | wooden eyewear on Vimeo.
About ROLF Spectacles
A small, family-run business situated in the heart of the Tyrollean Alps, ROLF Spectacles produces hand-made, lightweight wooden, bamboo and wood – stone eyeglass frames. The ROLF collection is produced completely out of natural materials and without any metal parts and screws. For ROLF’s line of eyewear the research and development team has created a new and innovative hinge and utilize the optimized ROLF-lens-system. To ensure that the high quality standards are met each ROLF frame is produced in their own factory in Weißenbach / Tirol.
The aim is to set new trends in design and to turn new and innovative ideas for spectacles into reality.
„With loving attention to detail and bold use of innovative techniques, ROLF makes each frame a unique, one-of-a-kind, piece of eyewear.“
ROLF was founded by Roland Wolf and Marija Iljazovic, who both apply their extensive experience and knowledge of various branches of the optometrist’s field to this project. ROLF‘s team also includes the founder‘s siblings, Christian Wolf and Martin Iljazovic.
Production
Between the blank stages to completed set of frames there are 78 working steps. Crafting a pair of ROLF glasses requires several hour of work and high degree of craftsmanship. The rasping stages require lots of concentration and precision, which we leave to experienced hands.
More about ROLF . . .
In 2007 the founders started out carving eyewear frames in the home basement with the simplest tools.
The first prototype was ready after only a month, but results were not satisfactory. The team needed to learn lots of things. CNC machining, press processes and creating new machinery…
At Opti 2009 additional prototypes were showcased and for the first time it was possible to gauge responses to the product. People were thrilled, but the desired quality was lacking because of imprecise processes. Without support from the banks, the project seemed headed for failure despite the positive feedback. But with some help from their families the founders were able to continue and invest in new machinery and optimized production processes. Finally, in August 2009 ROLF could submit the first perfect set of glasses for the Silmo d`Or. Being nominated was incredible fro ROLF – winning was beyond comprehension!
The glasses are unique in terms of materials and production techniques. Almost all machinery needs to be built or retrofitted specifically. In the early stages, moped brakes, old actuators and other items were used provisionally because money was lacked to outfit machines for production. One example is the Silk-Cut 300, which produces the special thread for our glass fittings. It was entirely made from scrap parts from our friend, the junk dealer, and still manufactures all ROLF threads. And on order to be able to bend the first parts into shape, the first pieces of wood was pressed from a living room table with the mechanical milker of the neigboor, who had retired from farming. The press is still in use. Even the stone frames had their start this way. Nowadays precise machines are used until the point where the frames are passed on to highly sensitive additional processing by hand.
Frames made of wood
Wood is an interesting material and ROLF always used it heavily for private applications. When ROLF started out, it was barely used in the eyewear industry. Only a few materials are as timeless as wood. Wood has always been processed in the most varied ways, from arrow tips to picture frames, sculptures and furniture. It is a highly relevant material. Who would prefer a chair made from metal to a wooden one? And great wine always comes from a wooden barrel.
Throughout its long growth phase, each tree develops its own unique structure that is different in terms of consistency, size and texture. Which is why the material needs to be treated on an individual basis. Wood is not a homogenous material. You need to choose the right tools for optimal results in order to get the material into shape and process it.
Wood is alive. This characteristic also makes it interesting. Some kinds of wood will lighten over time, others assume darker shades. And when wood collects moisture, it will swell. If moisture is extracted, the wood will fade away. So in order for eyewear frames to maintain their shape, raw materials need to be chosen with great care. ROLF has developed his own technologies to bring wood into the desired shape while eliminating warping and torsion of the material.
Frames made of stone
ROLF is always searching for new materials that correspond with the company philosophy.
The challenge was to try out a material that was not yet used on the market.
Stone is the perfect addition to wood and bamboo frames, since stone also offers unique characteristics, which have grown over thousands of years. The layered structure of shale lends a lively upscale surface to the frames. Shale is prone to splintering and breakage.These characteristics have caused doubts about the viability of the project. In order to avoid destroying the stone during pressing, new technologies had to be brought in to use. The wear on tools and the processing timeline for making the “woodstone” are higher than the entirely wooden glasses.