FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

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The current design does not allow for a person to change the password after the box is made. Passwords are customer specific so you choose your own password, but once the box is made the password is fixed. I am working on a new design that would allow a person to change the password, but this may be a while away.

The Cryptex® Security Box is not only a sophisticated security box, but also a piece of art. Plans for artwork are rarely developed for general reproduction purposes, which is why there are currently no such plans available for sale.

Every Cryptex® Security Box is individually hand crafted to the customer’s specifications - making each piece an original work of art commissioned by and designed for the customer. Since each piece is custom crafted, I do not make them until they are ordered so they have a unique “one-of-a-kind” element to them.

Depending on the materials, size of the box, fonts, features and options selected it can take between three and six weeks to create a box. Each box is custom crafted by hand and great care is taken to provide the highest quality possible. Delivery time can vary depending on current work load or wait list. If there is a particular date you need the box by, please specify this when requesting a quote.

The letters are laser engraved on the metal Code Rings, not painted. There is a lot of flexibility in what types of letters or symbols can be used. Generally I use a Times New Roman font with 26 letters on each Code Ring. But this can vary depending on the language or style of font you would like. Special fonts or character sets can cost extra depending on the complexity. The code rings can support up to about 36 characters, but the size of the rings works best with 26 as the more characters you add, the smaller the letters will need to be to fit on the Code Rings.

Examples of lettering done in the past include English, Elvish (from The Lord of the Rings), Russian, Klingon (from Star Trek) and Da Vinci's handwriting. Musical notes have even been used, where a tune was substituted for the password! Basically, the choice of lettering is limited only by your creativity!

The box described in "The Da Vinci Code" was made entirely of marble with a brass framework. Due to the fragility of marble, especially for the moving parts, I have opted to use metal for the Code Rings with wood/marble/metal Spacer Rings to indicate where the password should be lined up. The functionality is the same and provides a more durable alternative to an all marble box. This also allows for the box to have a larger storage capacity and still remain a manageable size. My current design does not support vials filled with vinegar as in the book, but I am working on a design that would include this feature.

The security tubes in the center of the boxes are approximately 1 inches in diameter (depending on customer specification) and a variety of things to be stored inside, from rolled notes or poems, to jewelry, small heirlooms, car keys, money or whatever small items you would like to keep safe. The boxes are often used to present a small, treasured gift to that special someone such as an engagement ring, anniversary gift or tickets for a special vacation. The security feature can be useful if you want to send a gift to someone without them being able to open it until a specific time or date (my wife has a tendency to open Christmas gifts on December 12th if they come that early), or if you want to develop an elaborate puzzle they will need to solve before being able to open the box.

The choice of materials is really up to the customer. I try to work with each customer to create a box that will be meaningful as well as beautiful and convey the sentiments they are looking for. I can offer recommendations to customers who are not familiar with various woods or stone based on what the customer is looking for - a classic or traditional look, exotic or mysterious, elegant or sophisticated. The coloring of wood can vary from a deep black (ebony) to an ivory white (holly), a traditional classic brown (mahogany) to more exotic purple (purple heart) or red (bloodwood). If a customer has an idea of what they are looking for, I am happy to work with them to help decide on materials.

The stone boxes are exquisite and feature gold or silver leaf inlay. These are my personal favorites to make so if you are looking for something really special, this would be my recommendation. Cryptex® Security Boxes made from stone are rather expensive, but they are well worth the additional cost.

The "Added Security Feature" is something I developed to hinder any attempts to "pick the lock" by slowly turning the code rings and trying to "feel" where the lock tumblers should line up (much like how a safe cracker would "crack" a safe). In essence what I do is create a number of "false codes" to 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. For example, the number of "false combinations" a person trying to pick the lock on a 5 Code Ring box would first have to find and then systematically check to see if it is correct would be equal to 7,775 on the Hand Crafted Cryptex® Security Boxes and 32,767 on the Replica Cryptex® Security Boxes (due to the ability to incorporate more false codes on the code rings for the replica boxes than the hand crafted boxes). This feature is an option on the Hand Crafted Cryptex® Security Boxes, but comes Standard on the Replica Cryptex® Security Boxes (although the Replica Boxes are so precision tuned that it is next to impossible to feel these false codes anyway).