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Cryptex® Security Box
Specifications and Definitions

Standard Cryptex® Security Boxes are very similar in specifications to the custom handcrafted DaVinci Line and Nevins Line boxes, with a few differences in materials and options.
 

  • Diameter – 2.375 inches

  • Length – approx. 8.25 inches

  • Weight – 2 pounds 13 ounces. The weight is due to the solid hand-polished  brass components, which give the boxes a very solid feel.

Primary elements of a Cryptex® Security Box include: 

  • code rings

  • spacer rings

  • end caps

  • security tube

  • added security feature

  • mechanically changeable code


Details for each of these elements are in the next section below.

Code Rings

  • Encircling the box between the spacer rings, the code rings are made of  hand-polished brass and are laser engraved with the 26 letters of the 

  • English alphabet in a Times New Roman font. 

  • The letters can be coded (and recoded) to serve as a lock to the box  and its contents, reaching nearly 12 million possible combinations  (11,881,376) and nearly 33,000 “false combinations” (see “Added Security Feature" below.) 

  • There are typically 5 code rings on a box, although at times I have  had the materials in stock to make boxes with 3 to 7 code rings.

Spacer Rings

  • Spacer rings alternate between each code ring, and are also set between the code rings and end caps. Set between the code rings, the spacer rings indicate where the password should be aligned in order to open the box.

  • These rings are stationary and decorative, and are made from a marble photo laminate over a durable polycarbonate ring (for added strength and to allow for the mechanically changeable code feature – see below). 

  • Spacer rings are available in a variety of  different colors to match your personal taste (currently White Marble,  Black Marble, Green Marble and Blue Marble, but more options to come in  the future). 

  • The mechanically changeable code feature (and uniform size - each ring is 0.75 inches wide) allows for these  rings to be removed and could even be replaced with a different set of  spacer rings to give you a different look for your Cryptex® Security Box without having to  purchase an entirely new box.

End Caps

  • End caps are precision-machined from solid brass (giving the boxes a nice “heft”),  then hand-polished and inlaid with a laminate that matches the spacer rings.

  • One end cap on every Cryptex® Security Box is marked with a Registered Trademark and limited edition serial number.

Security Tube

  • A security tube is the inner storage cylinder that is revealed when the box is opened. It is made of the same material as 

  • the code rings (usually brass).

  • A security tube on a 5-code ring box measures 1.75 inches in diameter and has a length of approximately 7.2  inches, which allows a substantial space for storing your treasures.

Added Security Feature

Anti-lock picking feature: This added security feature works by setting several false notches into each code ring which someone with a very light touch might think would be the correct letter. This results in a number of possible false combinations which increase exponentially with the number of code rings on a given box. 

Mechanically Changeable Code Feature

  • One of the best features of Cryptex®  Security Boxes is the mechanically changeable code. This allows for the owner of the box to change the password to  whatever they like after receiving the box, and at any time afterwards (boxes are shipped from my workshop with  password X,X,X,X,X).  

  • The ability to change the password is important in case someone else learns your password, or for those who would like to repeatedly use the box with  puzzles, riddles, or challenges that they write themselves.

  • The Mechanically Changeable Code feature is quite easy to use. It  does not require any special tools, and is designed to be quite robust so as to maintain the solid feel and tight-fitting design. A box can ONLY be recoded while it is in the unlocked and open  position - this prevents someone changing the code without  knowing the original password. 

  • Examples of uses of the changeable code:
    ~~Families sometimes use their Cryptex® Security box as an ongoing Christmas or other holiday gift box, each year putting a gift inside the box and setting the code to the answer to a new puzzle or challenge. 
    ~~Teachers can use the box  for multiple challenges in a given year or for different sets of  students each semester.
    ~~As a gift, a box with a changeable code is useful because the giver may set the code to something meaningful, and then the person  receiving the gift can change the password to something that only they know.

WARNING!!!

​

Please DO NOT change your password to a random set of letters (by changing the password to  something random without looking). If you change your  password and forget it, you might have to go through the 11,881,376 possible combinations to find it!
 
Cryptex® Security Boxes are indeed security boxes and while they can be used in combination with  puzzles, riddles or clues that you write yourself, without such clues it is nearly impossible to figure out the password to the box.

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