Acknowledgements

Many people and companies have contributed directly and indirectly to the Kayu project and we would like to thank them.

Andrejka Klašková

for the unceasing support and constructive criticism, which sometimes almost killed me, but always moved the development a lot further. And thanks also for the patience with which she endured my endless staring into space as I pondered the technical solution to many details.

To my non-believing friends

which made me grit my teeth and keep working even in seemingly unsolvable situations. Surely after so much visionary talk I could not tell them that they were right and I had given up.

Mark Sattler and Benjamin Hirt

My high school classmate Marek helped me overcome the language barrier and frantically translated my first emails into German for Benjamin from Schmidt, with whom we finally agreed on a shipment of parts and now we communicate directly.

Martin Kašík

from Paulín, who recommended a suitable product for the final surface treatment of the wooden parts on the feathers.

To my mom, dad and little brother

for their support and practical help in the development of pens and other things related to them, even though they weren’t and maybe still aren’t completely convinced that it will all work.

Peter Kamenik

my friend, co-author of the Brno Astronomical Clock and founder of PUXdesign, who spent several really long evenings with me designing the pen and its parts and who introduced me to design software.

Sonia Krejčová

Another classmate from high school who took care of the super translations of printed materials into English.

Mike and Linda

from the American website Indy Pen Dance, who sent me the first fountain pen tips in the summer of 2013, even though they didn’t officially sell anything to the Czech Republic. And they added a beautiful handwritten note urging me to hang in there. How did they know all this?

Milan Petrl

To the master goldsmith, who, in addition to making my engagement and wedding rings, selflessly advised me on technical details and the finishing of some parts. And also for the beautiful engravings he creates on clients’ pens at their request.

Honza Vaclav

from Individual CZ, with whom we started working around 2017 and became an indispensable
cosntructural-manufacturing unit of our team, which willingly solves even the most outlandish ideas.

Ondra Straka

to a professional photographer who, since the first moments of this project, whenever he has time, takes pictures of Kaya without asking me for any fee. So at least he got a lot of pens.

MCAE companies

For his indispensable help in prototyping the pen and individual parts. Especially to Ales Juránek for agreeing that I could realize my ideas in the company’s premises, to Jiří Vyvleček, who patiently printed my constantly changing models on the 3D printer, and last but not least to Martin Květkovský and Jirka Svoboda, without whom I would not have cast a single inch.

Eva Kvasničková

from Building plast. Although I don’t use their products at the moment, I can honestly say that she was probably the most willing person I’ve ever dealt with, even though she knew I would bring almost no profit to the company.

To my fellow believers

who loved the whole thing and often said they would buy Kaya when it was finished. They also made me believe that the idea is not completely out of the question and worth pursuing as more than just a hobby.

Pavel Michlik and Honza Adamek

Pavlik for starting up our first website for no fee, because in his words “he has a soft spot for budding entrepreneurs”. And to Honzik for his proactive help with basic e-marketing tools.

Peter Dressler

For the expert level in lasering to the pen.

Jan Kratochvíl and Jiří Janot

from PZK Brno and Unimagnet, who initially met my very non-standard requirements for the production of customized magnets.

Peter Litomysky

for being perhaps the only one in the country with a huge selection of different pipes and rods of all sizes and sending them quickly across the country.

Thanks again to everyone, those on this list and beyond. I couldn’t have done it without you.