The Replica Cryptex® Security Boxes are very similar in specifications to the custom Hand Crafted Cryptex® Security Boxes, with a few slight differences.

Diameter – 2.375 inches (slightly larger than 2.25 inches for the hand crafted boxes).

Length – approximately 8.25 inches

Weight - 2 pounds 13 ounces.  This is due to the solid hand polished brass components which gives the boxes a very solid, quality feel.

At this time, the Replica Cryptex® Security Boxes are limited to 5 Brass Code Rings (options for different number of Code Rings or Materials will be available at a later date).

Primary elements of a Replica Cryptex® Security Box include:

• Materials Selection
• Code Rings
• Spacer Rings
• End Caps
• Security Tube
• Added Security Feature
• MECHANICALLY CHANGEABLE CODE FEATURE*

Each Element and Its Function

Material Selection

• At this time the Material used for the Code Rings, End Caps and Security tube are limited to solid hand polished Brass.  In the future I may offer nickel plated brass for those customers who prefer a silver toned metal (I would prefer nickel plated brass to polished aluminum due to the durability and weight – aluminum is a very light metal).
• Spacer Rings 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).  Like the Hand Crafted Cryptex® Security Boxes, these Spacer Rings are available in a variety of colors (currently White Marble, Black Marble, Green Marble and Blue Marble).  Note – the Spacer Rings are not made from real marble (this would be much too costly to provide on a large scale).  If you are looking for something really unique and special made with real stone or exotic woods, please see my “Custom Hand Crafted Cryptex® Security Boxes http://www.cryptex.org/h_home.htm)

Code Rings

• Encircling the box between the Spacer Rings, these rings are made of hand polished Brass and laser engraved with letters or symbols.
• Each Code Ring holds 26 letters of the English Alphabet  with a Times New Roman font.  In the future additional fonts, languages or symbols will be available.
• The characters 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)
• The Number of Code Rings is limited to 5 at this time, but in the future, I will be offering Replica Cryptex® Security Boxes with 3,4,5,6, or 7 Code Rings.

Spacer Rings

• Stationary rings made from a marble photo laminate over a durable polycarbonate ring.  The 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 allows for these rings to be removed and could even be replaced with a different set of Spacer Rings giving you a different look for your box without having to purchase an entirely new box.
• Sitting between the Code Rings, the Spacer Rings indicate where the password should be aligned in order to open the box.
• Widths of the Spacer Rings are 0.75 inches wide and since all Spacer Rings are the same with respect to this width, it is possible to replace them with different color rings if you so choose.

End Caps (“Deluxe” Option Only)

• Precision machined from solid brass (giving these boxes a nice “heft”), these end caps are then hand polished and inlay in the style of the “Deluxe End Caps” with a circular piece of material matching your Spacer Ring Selection.
• Marked with a Trademark and limited edition Serial Number.

Security Tube

• Made of the same material as the Code Rings (currently Brass).
• Personal engraving on these security tubes is not available on the Replica Cryptex® Security Boxes at this time.
• Measures 1.75 inches in diameter with a length of approximately 7.2 inches which gives a substantial space for storing your treasures.

Added Security Feature

• This feature is an “anti-lock picking” feature which comes standard on every “Replica” Cryptex® Security Box.
• The Added Security Feature works by setting a number of “false codes” into each code ring which will deter any attempts to open box by slowly turning the Code Rings and trying to “feel” where the tumblers for the locking mechanism line up.
• There are 7 false codes on each code ring which would first need to be found (a very daunting task in itself) and then individually checked to see if each one is the correct password.  The number of “false combinations” that would need to be checked for a box with 5 Code Rings would be 32,767, which would take a person a VERY long time to go through.

MECHANICALLY CHANGEABLE CODE FEATURE

One of the best features of the “Replica” Cryptex® Security Boxes (and something people have been asking me for for the last two years) is the newly designed Mechanically Changeable Code Feature.   This allows for the owner of the box to change the password to whatever they like after receiving the box (boxes are shipped with password X,X,X,X,X).  They are also able to recode the password as often as they like which is ideal for people who would like to periodically change their password (in case someone is told or figures out the password somehow) or who would like to repeatedly use the box with puzzles, riddles, or challenges that they write themselves. 

I plan to use this Replica Cryptex® Security box as an ongoing Christmas gift box where each year I put a gift inside the box and set the code to the answer to a new puzzle or challenge each year.  I can then put the box under the tree or in a stocking and provide the riddle, puzzle or clues to the password when I am ready for the fun to begin.  The Mechanically Changeable Code Feature allows one to use the same box over and over for unlimited puzzles or challenges.

This feature is also good for teachers who might want to use the box for multiple challenges in a given year or for different sets of students each semester.  It is also very nice for companies who provide team building challenges to different companies since a new challenge, puzzle or exercise can be created without having to purchase a new box with a set password.

This feature is also nice for those wishing to give the box as a gift.  They can set the code to something meaningful and then the person receiving the gift can change the password to something that only they will know keeping the security code personal and known only to the owner of the box.

The possibilities for uses of this new design are limited only by your own imagination.  If you can think of another use for these boxes and the Mechanically Changeable Code Feature, please feel free to let me know your idea in an e-mail.

The Mechanically Changeable Code Feature is quite easy to use.  It does not require any special tools, pealing and reapplying of stickers, and is designed to be quite robust so as to maintain the solid feel and tight fitting design.  The only tools required to change the password are your own two hands.

The box can ONLY be recoded when it is in the unlocked and open position so there is no chance of someone changing the code without first knowing the original password.  It is quite easy to do and could actually be done with your eyes closed (although you wouldn’t know what you had changed your password to).