Craft Focus - Apr/May (Issue 66)

Tell us a little about Jakar – how long has the company been in business? Jakar International is an established family business. My grandmother Lydia Sacki started the company with Julius Kaufmann in 1949. Lydia’s son Kenneth joined the company in the mid-1950s and I entered the business in 1979. In the beginning, we imported drawing instruments and cuckoo clocks from Germany. Soon after, other stationery products were added to the range. A little over two years ago we moved into a new, larger office and warehouse and we are already starting to burst at the seams again. We are proud to have come this far and look forward to celebrating our 70 th anniversary in 2019. What are Jakar International’s key product ranges? We sell our own Jakar products, including artist, craft and stationery lines. Since 1960, we have also been importing Caran d’Ache artist materials and colour products, which are Swiss-made. We are the exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland for this prestigous brand. Which are your best-selling products? On the Jakar side, our bestsellers are artist products such as cutting materials, knives, cutting mats and palettes. As for Caran d’Ache, the company produced the first metallic clutch pencil in 1929, the Fixpencil, and the first water-soluble colour pencil in 1931, the Prismalo. These two products are still part of the range, together with a vast selection of colour/graphite pencils, wax pastels and fibre-tipped options. What sets Jakar apart from its competitors? We offer quality products at affordable prices. Our dedicated sales team is out visiting customers on a regular basis and our staff are happy to help. We also offer a fast courier delivery service and most orders are dispatched within a few days and arrive within 24 hours. Have you got any key product launches coming up this year? Paul Sacki, Managing Director at Jakar International, tells us about the company’s seven-decade history and its exciting new product range down to a fine art 72 craft focus