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Metal Frames

Metal frames: titanium, stainless steel and the thin lines only metal allows.

72 frames

About Metal Frames

Seventy-three frames online are metal throughout, from eleven brands. Cartier has 22 of them, Blackfin 14 and OVVO 11; KUBORAUM and J.F. Rey have six each, Traction Productions four, DITA three, and Sabine Be, Gamine and Matsuda two apiece, with one from Blake Kuwahara. Another 28 frames pair a metal front or temple with acetate; those are tagged combination and appear under their shape rather than here.

Metal frames run large here. Eye sizes go from 39mm to 62mm with a median of 53mm, and 37 of the 73 measure 53mm or more; only eight are 46mm or under. The shapes follow: 23 rectangles, 16 geometrics, 15 rounds, eight squares, eight cat-eyes, two aviators and a single oval. The smallest is a 39mm gold round from KUBORAUM; the widest are Cartier’s at 62mm.

Thin rims, different metals

Metal keeps a rim thin, which is the reason to choose it: the lens shape shows and the frame recedes. What the metal is varies by brand. Blackfin makes its frames in titanium, light and rigid, in its own workshop in Agordo. OVVO cuts a composite of surgical steel and titanium and closes it with a patented screwless hinge. Matsuda works in titanium, sterling silver and gold alongside acetate, and DITA in titanium and 18K gold. Gold is the most common colour name, on eleven frames, then silver.

A metal frame arrives as a frame, without lenses, for your own optician to glaze; a thin rim takes most lenses well, but a strong prescription may call for a thinner material, so read the lens guide before choosing a size. US shipping is free and insured, with a signature on delivery.

Are metal frames better than acetate?

They are different. Metal keeps the rim thin and the frame light on the face, and titanium adds rigidity, so the shape stays true. Acetate carries colour through a thick rim and hides a strong lens edge. If you want the glasses to disappear, metal; if you want them seen, acetate. We hold 73 metal, 210 acetate and 28 combination frames, so both routes are open.

Are titanium glasses worth it?

Titanium is light and rigid, so a titanium frame weighs less than a steel one of the same size and holds its shape better. Blackfin makes all 14 of its frames here in titanium, in Agordo in the Italian Dolomites, and has specialised in the metal since 1991. OVVO uses a surgical steel and titanium composite. DITA and Matsuda use titanium alongside gold. The listing names the brand; ask us about a particular frame.

Are metal frames hypoallergenic?

It depends on the metal, and we only repeat what a brand states. OVVO describes its surgical steel and titanium composite as hypoallergenic, light, strong and flexible; all eleven OVVO frames here are made of it. Blackfin makes in titanium, which is light and rigid. For any other brand, or for a specific frame, ask us and we will tell you what the brand says rather than guess.

Can I get prescription lenses in a metal frame?

Yes. Each metal frame ships as a frame, and your own optician glazes it. A thin metal rim does not hide the edge of a lens, so with a strong prescription your optician may suggest a thinner lens material or a smaller eye size. Our lens guide at /collections/lens-guide walks through the options. Discounted frames are final sale, so settle the lens question first.