Only when every detail is carefully crafted can a sense of exuberance be created.
You mentioned that you had always been reluctant to work with sheet metal.
Nakagawa: There is no particular trigger for this, it is really a feeling. I have been in the eyeglass industry for a long time, and I think I have always been curious about it. It was a material that I had not touched, and I thought it was time to start working on it.
So you feel that the time is ripe, or something like that.
Nakagawa: It was created in the early 2000s, and it's been a quarter of a century. I think it deserves to join the ranks of the classics.
Nakamuro： This is a personal impression, but I feel that many people who wear sheet metal eyeglasses have a clear preference. I have an image that many people choose modern items rather than classic ones. On the other hand, people who like classic items do not choose sheet metal items. But this item is designed to be liked by such classic lovers, isn't it?
Mr. Nakamuro, may I ask you to actually hang it up?
Nakamuro： It doesn't feel out of place at all. It still has a classic atmosphere rather than a modern one.
Nakagawa: It looks like a middle ground between celluloid and metal frames. Mr. Nakamuro, they look great on you.
Nakamuro： Thank you very much! In a good way, there is no freshness to it (laughs), but I have the feeling that I am very familiar with it from the very beginning.
How is the comfort?
Nakamuro： I had an image of it being light because it is titanium, but it feels comfortably heavy.
Nakagawa: The area where they hit the face is larger than that of ordinary metal glasses. They are made to hit the face with a flat surface instead of lines, so they feel firm and comfortable to wear.
Nakamuro： I see! I really like this feeling. Looking at the actual finished item, is there any difference from what you originally envisioned in your mind?
Nakagawa: I was surprised at how well it turned out (laughs). Normally, I would have come up with something within the realm of my imagination based on my experience, but this time, I was a little concerned about how it would turn out. I wanted to do something that was that interesting from the very beginning.
Nakamuro： It's nice to be able to do something beyond the imagination.
Did you have to go back and forth with the factory during the design process?
Nakagawa: That's every time now.... I am really sorry to the people at the factory, and I always have to be selfish.
Nakamuro： In what ways do you reflect your selfishness?
Nakagawa: Basically, the design is simple and straightforward, but in reality, it is not so. These are metal-to-metal, so in general, they are just waxed together like welding and that's it, but in the case of Ivan, they are riveted and fixed with silver parts. In the case of "Ivan", however, the silver parts are fixed by riveting. Waxing is a process that can be completed in an instant, but it is a tedious process....
Nakamuro： The craftsmen at the factory probably think, "Why don't you just wax it?
Nakagawa: This silver-colored part is usually made of a material called "samplatinum," but this one is made of 925 silver. This is 925 silver, so it is a little soft. The final polishing process requires masking around the parts. That process is also very detailed.
Nakamuro： It's a very annoying thing to do (laughs).
Nakagawa: Without masking, the temples would be polished together...(smiles).
The back side of the frame is engraved with a detailed pattern, expressing the attention to detail even in areas that cannot be seen from the front.
Nakagawa-san, you have your own reasons for waxing and masking, don't you?
Nakagawa: We only simplify the process and make it look expensive. I don't want to create something like that. I believe that only by creating products that are well detailed can we create a sense of excitement.
Nakamuro： 10 Ivan's glasses are very simple and are created by subtraction. I think it's easy to make something look expensive by adding up the numbers, but Ivan's glasses are the exact opposite. I guess that's why they look expensive even though they are subtractive.
Nakagawa: I wonder.
The black color is expressed by IP plating over the material. The surface is finished with hairline processing, which was considered difficult to achieve, to create delicate lines, giving it a more metallic look.
Nakamuro： Even if the brand name "10 Ivan" did not exist, the glasses would still have the same appeal, and I feel that is what makes them so compelling. When people I meet at work wear "10 Ivan" glasses, there is something different about them. Ivan" glasses, there is something different about them. It is obvious that they are wearing good glasses.
Nakagawa: Maybe it's the quality of the materials and something like the strangeness of the parts.
Nakamuro： For example, celluloid has an appealing deep color, doesn't it? You can see that it is totally different from the black of acetate. I understand that such material differentiation makes it look expensive, but I think there is more to it than that.
Nakagawa: Even when it comes to parts, we carefully select them. For items using rim wire, we have them made by a craftsman who has been handling only wire for more than 40 years. We try to choose the best products one by one.
I think there is a difference in aura due to the accumulation of such craftsmen's skills.
Nakagawa: I am sure that this is true. We should not ruin that handiwork by adding strange flavors to it. That's what I think.
