About us
Four Generations of Engineering and Music
The name EFEL carries our family legacy: "eF" for Forman, "eL" for Luboš. Behind these letters stands more than just a brand—it is a story of unbreakable will and a journey from industrial patents to violin virtuosos.
Roots in Visionary Engineering
It all began with my grandfather, Václav. A farmer by trade but an engineer at heart, he made a radical choice: he sold the family fields to build a workshop. His patented grease guns were sold worldwide—until the company was nationalized in the 1950s.
After 1989, the workshop returned to our family. My uncle, Kamil Horný, inherited the passion for machinery and rebuilt the shop, designing drilling machines and unique industrial solutions. Though I initially studied chemistry, fate eventually pulled me back to the family craft.
Today: The Circle Closes
Gabriel Forman
The fourth generation, my son Gabriel, is now my primary consultant. As a professional violinist and teacher, he rigorously tests every prototype.
When an engineer understands music and a musician understands engineering, the result is a tool that truly empowers the artist.
"Father proved it with one hand. Brother proved it with his ingenuity. I proved it by building on their legacy. And Gabriel proves it every time he plays."
Our Journey
Four decades of innovation, one family at a time
Grandfather Václav's Vision
In the village of Křivice, grandfather Václav was a farmer and innkeeper. But engineering fascinated him—he could visualize technical solutions in his mind.
He sold the fields and inn, built a workshop, and manufactured grease guns with patents sold worldwide. After his early death, grandmother successfully ran the business until the communists nationalized it in the 1950s.
Uncle Kamil Rebuilds
After the Velvet Revolution, the empty building returned to our family. Uncle Kamil Horný inherited his father's passion for engineering and rebuilt the machine shop.
He manufactured drilling machines, special-purpose machines, designed and invented solutions. This work fulfilled him—and kept the engineering tradition alive for over 25 years.
The Kitchen Oven Prototype
My wife at the time—a violinist—asked me to fix her shoulder rest, which kept falling off. I realized the entire system was flawed and started developing my own.
I cut the first plexiglass pieces at my father's workshop and hand-bent them at home in a kitchen oven. When I showed the prototype to my father, Dušan Forman, his eyes lit up.
Despite having a paralyzed left hand from an injury, he returned a few days later with a professional-grade product and custom fixtures he had built himself. He proved that "where there is a will, there is a way."
A Family Relay
EFEL's survival is a story of family solidarity:
- Father & Mother: Spent the early years bending wires and assembling parts
- Sister Jana: A nurse who took over production when our parents no longer could
- Brother Dušan: An innovator who invented revolutionary fixtures that doubled our production speed and enabled the Plus and Artist versions
From Automotive Precision to Modern Craft
During the economic crisis, I joined an automotive design firm, mastering CAD, 3D printing, and laser forming.
Eventually, I left the security of the corporate world to bring these advanced technologies back to our family workshop, combining modern precision with traditional soul.
Modern EFEL: Tradition Meets Technology
I brought automotive precision back to family craftsmanship. Today EFEL combines:
- Brother's ingenious fixtures + modern laser cutting
- Father's craftsmanship + 3D printing for prototypes
- Grandfather's engineering genes + contemporary manufacturing
- Gabriel's musical expertise + technical innovation
Every piece still hand-assembled. Every design still tested by musicians.
Where Tradition Meets Technology
Our workshop combines the best of both worlds
From Kitchen Oven to Modern Workshop
The journey from heating plexiglass in a panel apartment oven to today's precision manufacturing shows how far we've come—without forgetting where we started.
Father made the first EFEL fixtures with one functional hand. Brother invented revolutionary assembly methods. I brought automotive technology home. Now we combine all three generations' expertise.
- Bambulab X1C 3D printer with filament storage
- Creality filament dryer
- Laser cutting (evolved from brother's manual fixtures)
- CNC wire bending
- Hand assembly (still, always)
"Where there's a will, there's a way."
Father proved this when he built professional fixtures with one functional hand. Brother proved it by inventing tools that doubled production speed. I proved it by leaving corporate security to return home.
Evolution of Manufacturing
From revolutionary manual fixtures to laser-cut precision
Brother Dušan's Revolutionary Fixtures (1990s-2000s)
The Innovator's Touch
My brother Dušan inherited grandfather's engineering vision. He invented fixtures that doubled production speed and made it possible to create the Plus and Artist versions. His ingenuity transformed what father started with one hand into a scalable manufacturing process.
Modern Laser-Cut Precision (2014-Present)
Evolution, Not Revolution
I brought automotive laser-cutting technology to brother's original concepts. Faster, more precise, but still honoring his fundamental design principles. Modern tools executing timeless ideas—this is how tradition evolves without losing its soul.
By The Numbers
What Drives Us
The values we inherited and the principles we uphold
Unbreakable Will
When father built professional fixtures with one hand, he proved that limitations are just challenges waiting for solutions. This spirit runs through four generations.
Family Relay
From grandfather's grease guns to Gabriel's violin expertise. Each generation passed the baton, adding their unique contribution to the family legacy.
Continuous Improvement
From kitchen oven bending to laser-cut precision. We never stop evolving, but we never forget that quality comes from caring hands, not just smart machines.
EFEL Isn't Just Shoulder Rests
It's 32 years of continuous improvement, engineering thinking, and a family tradition that began in one small village workshop.
Shop EFEL Shoulder Rests