Many lawyers don’t get a chance to express themselves in creative ways on a daily basis. So when Eido Walny, founding partner of Walny Legal Group LLC in Fox Point, needed a creative outlet he turned to something he already loved. Cufflinks.
“I got this idea to take these watches and turn them into cufflinks,” he said. “I was always that kid who liked taking things apart and as a lawyer there is always some correlation with time and even an infatuation with clocks, watches and watch collections.”
For the past few years, Walny has been designing and creating Kokolani Cufflinks, a brand name he came up with based on the names of his two children.
“I started wearing a few of the pairs I created and got a lot of comments on them,” he said. “People really liked them. I decided I needed to give them a name.”
Over the years, Walny has discovered which brand names and types of watches make the best cufflinks, he said. He regularly finds antique watches from online sites such as eBay or flea markets and yard sales.
Walny takes great care in matching the watches so that the right and the left cufflink are exactly the same.
“That can be the most challenging part,” he said.
Walny tries to keep an inventory of 100 to 200 cufflinks at a time. He regularly gives Kokolani Cufflinks as gifts to people and donates them to charity events. He also sells them for anywhere from $85 to $150 depending on the rarity of the pieces and the material.
“It’s different and I love doing it,” he said. “Many lawyers don’t get a chance to have a creative outlet like this. It’s fun for me to do and it also allows me to take advantage of some of my personality quirks where the movements have to perfectly match. They make for great heirlooms that can be passed from generation to generation. It’s something I really enjoy.”
For more information on the Kokolani Cufflinks contact Walny at 414-446-5776.
