The world’s first pen made from a toothbrush
Curaprox in Kriens, Switzerland, produces hundreds of millions of toothbrushes a year. A fraction of them will not pass the demanding final quality check. We in the foothills of the Vysočina take these seemingly worthless renegades a give them a new life. We love Curaprox toothbrushes, which is why we’re upcycling them to premium ballpoint pens.
What color do you like best?
Kaya Cura comes in all the iconic Curaprox Velvet toothbrush colours. They’re just lovely.
Funny
It will cheer you up whenever you pick it up. It triggers out-of-the-box thinking at just a glance.
Upcycled
Made from premium Curaprox Velvet toothbrushes that have not passed an exit inspection.
Will it last
It is easy to change the cartridge or any part. It’s so simple, it can’t actually be broken.
Premium
It glides across the paper so easily thanks to the EasyFlow refill. It opens smoothly and quietly thanks to the top-quality mechanics.
Other versions of Kayu Cura
Preparation
The transformation from trash to treasure begins.
Any toothbrush that doesn’t pass the final quality check must first has its head cut off. Don’t worry, it’s looking forward to it like to the Christmas.
CNC Milling
As accurate as a Swiss watch
It is then clamped in a special holder and machined on a very precise milling machine so that its shape is absolutely perfect. To the hundredth of a millimeter.
Manual assembly
Everything fits perfectly
This is followed by manual assembly of each piece, during which we make sure that everything fits perfectly.
Careful packaging
Into highly sustainable materials
The finished pen is then wrapped in a recycled paper box and secured with a strip of sheep wool felt.
And the magic is done
Kayu Cura is ready to make you happy Instantly.
Just unpack it from the box and start enjoying the pen’s nice balance, premium metal mechanics and miraculously smooth writing feel.
I enjoy taking Kayu Cura to work with me every morning. Whenever I write with it during the day, I am reminded of sustainability and upcycling, which are close to my heart.
I love my Cura. It is beautiful, light and playful. You can't write gibberish with it, and it has a deeper message too. It's a symbol of sustainability for me and that's what I like about it.
I carry Cura with me on my travels around the world. I've added it to my packing list and I'm confident that I'll always have something reliable to write with. And the smiles people get when they see it and understand!
I enjoy reusing a toothbrush for another useful item. The pen is well made, so I don't have to worry about its durability even in the field.
Kayu Cura is a great idea, and writing is much better with a great idea than without it.
Refilling
Easyflow refillable cartridge
Just unscrew the metal mechanism and you'll see the high-capacity EasyFlow refill. We have it in blue and black. The refill is dimensionally compatible with a range of refills from other manufacturers. But none glide as smoothly across the paper as ours.
Pen length
Fits perfectly in both smaller and larger hands
Thanks to its length of 128 mm, it will be loved by hands of almost all sizes. At the same time, it is not unnecessarily long, so it fits comfortably in any pocket. Simply the ideal partner for action.
Grip ergonomics
Just pick it up and write
Cura tapers towards the tip, so you can find the ideal grip position yourself within a range of 8.7–12 mm. Thanks to its typical octagonal cross-section, it feels very natural and comfortable to hold.
Balance and control
Agile and so smooth
The pen has an ideal weight of 18.8 g, so you can feel it in your hand, but it is not uncomfortably heavy. At the same time, however, its center of gravity is shifted backward, so it feels lighter toward the tip and seems to glide across the paper like a feather.
What you want to know most often
It’s an inspiring story of how a Czech skill, along with a bit of courage, managed to reach the CEO of a global company and started a journey that could lead to a global upcycling campaign. Read more in the article Toothbrush pen appeals to Curaprox CEO.
Of course it can! We’re not gonna upcycle a pen to make it one-use only. Just unscrew the metal pen mechanism and a high-capacity refill peeks out. You can find a compatible cartridge type in every other stationery store. But we definitely recommend using our Easy Flow 9000 refills, which glide across the paper like no other!
Yes and no. Technologically, of course, it is realistic and in the prototyping phase of the project, we planned to work with the used brushes. However, at the moment we are not able to handle the logistics. The process would have to look something like this:
1/ Collection
2/ Owner identification
3/ Sterilization
4/ Production
5/ Return shipment
At the moment it is not possible, but we would love to open this possibility to the world in the future. If you are interested in the possibility of making a pen directly from your toothbrush, have a notification sent to you when it becomes available.
That would be great! Unfortunately, we almost always receive the brushes without bristles, so we are left with only the bare brush head after production. But if you have an idea how to use the bristle-less head, get in touch and we’ll be happy to provide you with the leftover material.
Email me at [email protected]. I’ll be happy to answer you and if it’s something that might be of interest to others, we’ll be happy to add your question and answer here.
You may still be interested in
How did a toothbrush become a pen?
Read the article about how the whole project came about and what all led up to the moment when you can enjoy your Kayu Cura with your own hands.
Shops with Cura
If you would like to touch the Kayu Cura before you buy it, we have several options for you to buy the pen in Prague, Brno, Znojmo and Bratislava.
The story of Kayu
We are a purely Czech brand producing premium stationery since 2015 and constantly discovering new challenges. We pride ourselves on doing the entire design and manufacturing process ourselves in the Czech Republic. Innovation is our passion.
Read about Kayu
