Review - Seed Mint
The seedmint is a tool designed to easily secure your 12 or 24 bitcoin backup words on highly durable stainless steel.
Background
The project describes itself as FOSH (Free Open-Source Hardware) in that the designs (2D Drawings, 3D models and .H CNC code) are freely available online. Anyone with access to the required tools can make their own, those without can commission a local machinist.
The founder of seedmint (@satnick) was joined by @antomousB to bring the product to market in a small private offering of just 21 items. I was fortunate to hear about the project in October 2021 when nick and antomous were guests on the BitBuyBit Podcast (link to episode) and I placed my order the very next day when the product went on sale - Thank you Max!
Sidenote: I set up a PO Box to preserve my privacy when ordering. This was straightforward albeit expensive at £35.10 per month with a 3 month minimum (longer contracts are available, a 12 month contract is £23.63 per month). If any UK plebs know of a cheaper option please let me know.
The order was dispatched in early December 2021. I tracked the delivery online but after a week the system reported that the product was on hold at customs, I sent seedmint an email asking if they knew of any hold ups. The seedmint guys promptly replied assuring me that they had not received any messages requesting additional information so I made a weekly pilgrimage to the local sorting office. (UK Imports/Exports are currently strained, seedmint have found that shipping to the USA from Europe is currently quicker than shipping to GB).
For many weeks I went to the sorting office to check my PO box and left empty handed, good things come to those who wait and today I took receipt of not one but two deliveries - my seedmint and a copy of bitcoin magazine.
Review
The seedmint is machined from the highest quality materials
- Tool Steel (1.2510) for the guide and base
- Brass for the face plate, retainer and slider
- Chrome-nickel steel washers, screws and nuts.
The faceplate has a mirror finish with the SeedMint lettering proudly presented in the centre above the high knurled screws which hold the faceplate to the base.
From the mirror finish on the front plate to the hidden travel limiting slot on the underside of the slide the attention to detail is exceptional and the expertise of the designer / machinist is obvious. The spring plunger ensures consistent indexing resulting in accurate and repeatable letter positions.
The seedmint arrived with a complete set of punches (2mm numbers and letters, 4mm numbers) and a generous supply of chrome-nickel steel washers, nuts and bolts. Additionally a bottle of silicone oil is provided for long term maintenance.
Needless to say - the product is a joy to use and produces superb results.
The functional design results in a product with a beautiful aesthetic which will no doubt become iconic within the bitcoin design world.
Finally I wish to send a message of thanks to the creators of this product. Not only have they made a product which I will cherish, they have also inspired me to begin designing bitcoin related hardware. I am eternally grateful.
SeedMintThank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post please share it.
Ben
