The Redwood Sunglasses Made From 19th Century Train Tracks

By Matt Bell Published September 13, 2013

Capital Eyewear Limited Edition Reclaimed Redwood Sunglasses Train Tracks Rare Buy Purchase Cool Eyewear Mens Designer — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Wearing the shade of Redwood Forest on your face sounds kinda strange…and shady, like maybe something Mr. Burns would do…but with this suave pair of sunglasses constructed out of reclaimed redwood it’s none of those things.

It’s actually taking part in the process of recycling. The guys at Capital Eyewear, an indie company out of San Francisco that has made quite a name out of hand crafting stylish shades, came across some old redwood pieces that had been used in railroad construction back in the 19th century. Turns out the wood was put into storage in the 1950s when they updated the track and recently resurfaced when someone bought the lot to build a beach house.

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Rather than ditch the scraps, Capital Eyewear got their hands on ’em and turned out just 25 pair of Wayfer-styled waterproof shades, adorned with 100% UV protective Carl Zeiss lenses and stretch-fit hinges that you may now say are made out of recycled, reclaimed redwood that were once part of a train track. And that are old. The tree used dates back to about 1000 years, as evidenced by the fine grains of reddish brown wood. A conversation piece—yes, but also you’re now a very stylish part of the circle of life. $350 at capitaleyewear.com

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Matt Bell is a travel and grooming writer. He's endured Thai face slapping massages, swam in a cage with crocodiles and…

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