Back when we were the only ones trying to produce a robust, user-friendly cold storage wallet (ages ago, in early 2014), our job was not easy, but our mission was simple: make the best product, adjust as we go, figure out how to reach our target and learn, learn, learn.
The biggest challenges were technical. How do we build an error-proof production line? How do we package and deliver our product? How should we balance the dynamics of supply and demand? And of course how do we do all this without generating bank debt or sacrifice ourselves to “angel” investors.
The easy part those days was formulating our philosophy. We knew we wanted to play in the same sandbox as the sharing economy. Make our blueprints open-source, invite others to build on our idea, contribute to the community. We vowed to be responsible employers and solid partners. We make our product in Europe. Made of German steel. Our staff has health insurance. Fair play and transparency and all that.
Now that we’re on the other side of one learning curve, we’re up against another kind of reality check. What’s a brand to do when its politics are undone by the practices of its competition? Neither quoting Ayn Rand nor listing the virtues of the sharing economy seems like enough. One thing that’s for sure is that we’re not about to start comparing Cryptosteel to inferior clones of our own product. So while the newbies in the arena are busy shouting their heads off, we’ll be over here, making the best cold storage wallet money can buy. Like the wise woman said, a creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. The same goes for a creative company.
Cryptosteel is the first and remains the best. As for some of the claims made against us by newcomer competitors, we hope we can clarify some things below.
1. The 304-grade steel we use in fact has better heat tolerance than the 316-grade steel in some other products being created using our original blueprints. We use only top-grade, environmentally safe German steel. Engineering knowledge is important. Quality is important. The environment is important. We believe any “savings” in this regard come at too steep a cost.
2. We do not manufacture in China. Working in-house gives us the ability to fine-tune our product in real time. We also get to support the local economy and retain more control over the quality of the build. By working hand in hand with our employees, we come to know them. We’ve found that when we care for our employees, they care for our customers.
3. Our packaging methods have been redesigned to prevent tiles from mixing during shipment. This early problem has been long fixed and does not affect any units currently in stock.
4. Why are we using an antique letterpress machine older than the Titanic to print our packaging? It’s because we love quality craftsmanship. We don’t accept shortcuts or compromises. We use the best materials, paints, paper stock and printing techniques, and we consistently feature bespoke artwork by Japanese-French artist Rafael Akahira on every Cryptosteel package.
5. Why are we using a 120 Tone blank-die press to produce letter tiles? We pay attention to the details. The typeface used to create the letter tiles was chosen deliberately, for both its aesthetic and practical value. No concessions, no shortcuts. We spent months researching an optimal font that would be elegant and legible — next season and in the next century.
6. Our lifetime warranty covers all user claims in perpetuity.
7. We are constantly looking at ways to make worldwide shipping less expensive. For now, it’s what it is. We strive to make it affordable and fair.
8. We are spending our time and resources to build a strong, socially responsible company. We use resources to research better methods of production and keep our pollution footprint to a minimum. This affects the product price, but it also trims our profits. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
9. We consider community involvement part of our mission. We strive to educate our customers and share our knowledge with local producers, manufacturers and workers. Spreading the word on cryptocurrency is part of our company mission.
10. We are listening, learning, researching, observing and aspiring to learn from experience. We are constantly investing our means and our time in further development of the Cryptosteel project.
About Us
Cryptosteel is the premier backup tool for optimal offline storage of private keys, passwords and wallet recovery seeds without any third-party involvement. The technology combines the age-old idea of engraving with a DIY assembly format and materials that are stainless, rust-free, and fireproof up to 1200°C/2100°F to survive extreme conditions and unthinkable abuse.
The Cryptosteel company headquarters are in the UK and all Cryptosteel products are assembled in Poland’s ore-rich Lower Silesia, home of company founder and cryptocurrency enthusiast Wojtek Stopiński.
Cryptosteel backup tools are compatible with the awesome Bitcoin security hardware wallets solutions Trezor and Ledgerwallet.
