The world seen through walnut

EKASAK “JACK” Chuenchob is out to “tickle” you with his Jackagee eyeglasses (usually tinted for the sun) that boast wooden frames.

The advertising executive loved American Shwood eyewear with its hand-carved wood frames so much that he set out to make his own – starting from scratch.

“I wanted to design sunglasses using my own ideas,” Jack says. “It was just a hobby – I started from zero. I didn’t know any of the basics of carpentry or optics. Everything I know now I got from Google searches, YouTube videos and craftsmen I met who’ve been making wooden furniture for decades. They taught me how to choose the right tools and some tricks with hardwood.”

Google provided the fundamentals on different types of wood and YouTube has lessons on how to fit lenses into frames (you really can find everything on YouTube these days). With the direct training in carpentry added, Jack was ready to make some glasses. It took him 14 months, but finally he was peering at the world through walnut.

He started out in retail two years ago on a different tangent, though, selling his Jackagee wallets on Facebook – genuine leather in three sizes. They were offered alongside his handmade eyewear with frames of maple, rosewood, cherry from the US and African mahogany. Even Jack was surprised how popular they proved. 

Maybe people were drawn in particular by the name, Jackagee, a pun on the Thai word for fun – and tickling.

Simple, smart and durable, they come in five designs – Sky, Forest, Ocean, Wind and Rain – and carry UV400 polarised lenses with springs 

 at the corners. The prices range from Bt3,900 to Bt5,500 depending on the material. (If you buy just the frames it’s Bt500 cheaper.) All come with a three-month warranty. 

“Each design is different in the details and the shade of wood, but I follow the eyewear trends. Sky, for example, is oversized, like RayBan’s popular Wayfarer model, and Ocean has round frames that look vintage,” Jack says. 

“I use two kinds of wood for a two-tone effect, with maple for the arms and bridge. Mahogany is a lovely dark brown and beautiful texture. The Forest line is the newest, with frames of cherry, which is in light pink. Part of proceeds go to a reforestation project in Nakhon Ratchasima.”

The wallets are inscribed and embossed and range in price from Bt1,700 to Bt2,250. Have a look at the lot at Jack’s stall on the Volk Walking Street at The Walk community mall on Kaset-Nawamin Road every Tuesday adn Thursday. Some of the models are also sold at Tokyobike and Bakery Deeper.

 

LOOK FOR A SMILING FACE

>>Check out the latest designs on the “Jackagee Wallet” page on Facebook. 

Find out even more at (081) 850 5560.