One pen
out of 1 000 000 toothbrushes
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.
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.
Long lasting
Easily replace the cartridge or any part in it. It’s so simple that you can’t really break it.
Premium
It glides across the paper so easily thanks to the EasyFlow refill. It opens smoothly and quietly thanks to the top-quality mechanics.
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.
What color do you like best?
Kaya Cura comes in all the iconic Curaprox Velvet toothbrush colours. They’re just lovely.
Kayu Cura Lite
€41
Kayu Cura is an upcycled pen from the iconic Curaprox toothbrush. We’ve equipped it with a high-quality click mechanism with incredibly smooth operation and a stylish clasp that accentuates the brush’s design. We make Cura in many different colours so you can find yours. And to make sure you really enjoy writing with Kayu Cura, we’ve packed it with a German-made refill to ensure your lines are completely fluid. Unlike the classic Kayu Cura, Cura Lite does not have a clip. The pen is thus two grams lighter and, moreover, cheaper by a part that you may not even need.
The body: Upcycled Curaprox toothbrush
Colour: Apricot, Baby Pink, Cobalt-Blue, Ice White, Mauve, Mint Green, Pure Black, Teal Blue
Refill type: High capacity Schmidt Easy Flow 9000
Refill color: Blue or Black
Tip thickness: Fine or Medium
The package contains: Pen in box, Thank you card
| Weight | N/A |
|---|---|
| Pen Color | Apricot, Baby Pink, Cobalt-Blue, Ice White, Mauve, Mint Green, Pure Black, Teal Blue |
| Refill (Cura) | Fine Black (0,5 mm), Fine Blue (0,5 mm), Medium Black (0,7 mm), Medium Blue (0,7 mm) |
Related products
More versions of Kayu Cura
Reviews by real people
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.
Features you ‘ll love
Filling and Repacement
Easily replaceable Easyflow cartridge
Just unscrew the metal mechanism and the large-capacity EasyFlow refill will peek out at you. We have it in blue and black. The cartridge is dimensionally compatible with a number of cartridges from other manufacturers. But none glides as smoothly on paper as ours.
Pen Length
It fits perfectly in both small and large hands
Thanks to its length of 128 mm, hands of almost all sizes will love it. At the same time, it is not unnecessarily long, so it fits comfortably in every pocket. Just the perfect partner for the event.
Ergonomics and grip
You just take and write
The Cura tapers towards the tip, so you can feel the ideal grip in the grip range of 8.7 - 12 mm yourself. Thanks to the typical octagonal cross-section, the grip is very natural and comfortable.
Balance and Handling
Dexterous and so smooth
The pen has an ideal weight of 18.8 g, so you can feel it in your hand, but it's not uncomfortably heavy. At the same time, the center of gravity is shifted backwards, so it feels lighter towards the tip and it seems that you are gliding with a feather on the paper.
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’s designation
3/ Sterilisation
4/ Production
5/ Sending back
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
