On Saturday, March 19, Mikov received the “Manufacturer of the Year 2015, Award of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic” for its collection of pocket knives, which was designed for the company by the Olgoj Chorchoj design studio. The studio also received the “Designer of the Year 2015, Award of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic” for this design.
“It is a great honor for a small knife made in a factory on the northernmost tip of the country, and it is certainly an honor for the town of Mikulášovice as well, because the tradition of knife-making has been passed down through generations there since the 17th century,” said Mikov CEO Miloš Pařík as he accepted the award from Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mládek and actress Ani Geislerová.
The “pocket” collection consists of three knife sizes—miniature (M), medium (S), and large (L). It is made from high-quality materials, and its production emphasizes precise craftsmanship down to the smallest details.
Designers Michal Froněk and Jan Němeček presented their design for the Pocket collection to Mika fifteen months ago. It was then launched in October 2015, when it also won the Editors-in-Chief Award at Designblok 2015 for Best New Product.
“I’d like to thank all the Mikova team members who made it possible for this little knife to exist and not just remain on paper,” continued CEO Pařík, who concluded his acceptance speech with the wish that “every man have this knife in his pocket.”
The Pocket knife collection can be viewed through May 1, 2016, at the “Czech Grand Design Award: 2015 Finals” exhibition at the National Technical Museum in Prague. The knives can be purchased at the company’s online store at www.mikov.cz and from select retailers.
Mikov is a traditional Czech knife manufacturer. In addition to its Pocket collection, it produces a range of other sports, hunting, and pocket knives. Mikov will launch its latest product, the Patron fixed-blade outdoor knife, on April 3 during the SILVA Regina exhibition in Brno.
Full transcript of the acceptance speech by Mikov’s CEO, Ing. Miloš Pařík, upon receiving the “Manufacturer of the Year – Industrial Design Award”:
“It is a great honor for a small knife made in a factory on the northernmost tip of the country, and it is certainly an honor for the town of Mikulášovice as well, because the tradition of knife-making has been passed down through generations there since the 17th century. So I believe everyone in Mikulášovice will be delighted as well. I’d like to thank the Olgoj Chorchoj studio, because that’s where the idea originated, and 15 months ago, designers Froněk and Němeček sketched the “Pocket” knife, showed me the sketch, and said, ‘This is what it should look like.’ I’d like to thank all the people of Mikulášovice who made it possible for this pocket knife to exist and not just remain on paper—and especially Ondřej Němec. He’s that cheerful young man you saw a moment ago. He was in charge of the entire project and brought it to a successful conclusion. Although the Pocket knife, in its smallest version, is also designed for women—perhaps to fit in a purse—I’d like to express my wish: that every man carry this knife in his pocket. And a big thank you to the jury as well."