VIVA LAS VEGAS!
Ahoy!
I'm here in Vegas waiting for most of my immediate family to arrive for a week of desert fun. My Father's been wanting to see the Grand Canyon his whole life, so that will be the highlight of the trip. I just wanted to let you all know where I'm at, and why I'll be fairly sparse on twitter and Kickstarter this week. As a matter of fact, save for my Yale Safe Dial money clip, I haven't brought a single lock or lockpicking item with me!
What's allowing me to take this sort of unprecedented vacation time with my family? Everything I outlined in that video update 2 weeks ago. After I dropped off material samples to the guy running production of the picks I received an email saying that he got everything and has his "Materials Guys" looking at it. That blew my mind. I've been searching about in the dark trying to figure out tempering and differences in steels, etc.
The one thing I'm still waiting for on my end is an estimated in-hands date. I'll probably keep a certain level of tension until I've been given a date, but still, for this week? I can relax a bit with my family, catch up with my Sisters, tell me Mom how excited everyone's been about her cases and see the Grand Canyon with my dad. I can't wait for them to arrive.
Thotcon, Source & BeaCon
I'll do a full write up at some point, but in the last couple weeks I've run villages at Thotcon in Chicago, Source in Boston and spoken at both Source and BeaCon. Beacon was a treat because I got to talk about lock engineering and history a bit to an enthusiastic audience. I love lockpicking, but after 8 days of constant picking and instruction, getting to explore some of my other lock passions was awesome.
In both Chicago and Boston there were backers coming up regularly. I loved being able to put the prototypes in their hands and let them see my Mom's cases. Reactions have been very positive so far. Especially after being disconnected for so long, getting to meet so many backers and watch them inspect the picks and admire the case was really validating.
If you don't know - now you know
For those of you that don't know or haven't noticed, I'm much more consistent communicating via Twitter than I am via Kickstarter. I'm bridging that gap, and communicating more on Kickstarter, but if you'd like to track me down elsewhere, here's the details:
On Twitter I'm @Shoebox and have recently started tweeting as @OpenLocksport as well.
Additionally, I have a FormSpring account. If you haven't used formspring before, the idea is that you ask a question and I answer it. Simple as it gets.
Hope those of you that celebrate are having a lovely Easter. I'm going to go get some breakfast and meet my family at the airport!
1,159
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Funding period
Jul 15, 2010 -
Sep 24, 2010
- First created · 36 backed
- Schuyler Towne 796 friends
- Website: schuylertowne.com
Pledge $5 or more
33 backers
Anyone who donates will get templates of the tools in EPS, PDF, PNG, SVG, etc. formats (basically every format I can export, which will include CAD files) along with instructions for making these tools yourself. I'll offer material suggestions and finishing ideas too.
Pledge $20 or more
44 backers
Practice Makes Perfect! A practice kit with 3 locks progressively pinned, security pins, tweezers, plug follower and instructions for repinning your own locks. All packaged in a lovely tin. [+ Templates!]
Pledge $35 or more
269 backers
Hors d'Oeuvres! A set of 5 picks! There will be two options available, either 5 advanced picks or 5 starter picks. Your choice! This selection will come with a small case as well. [+ Templates + Practice Kit]
Pledge $50 or more
90 backers
First Course! A set of 10 picks! There will be two options available, either the 10 starter picks or the 10 advanced picks. This selection will come with a large case as well. [+ Templates + Practice Kit]
Pledge $75 or more
587 backers
Main Course! The full set of 20 picks! You will get every pick I have designed from the starters right through to the advanced designs. This selection will come with a large case as well. [+ Templates + Practice Kit]
Pledge $100 or more
103 backers
Save room for Dessert! A hand screened, 2 color "Open Locksport" t-shirt and a bunch of other Open Locksport shwag. Temporary Tattoos? Absolutely! Stickers? Heck yes! And more! [+ Templates + Practice Kit + 20 Picks]
Pledge $250 or more
10 backers All gone!
Custom Kit & Full access to me! My Mother, who did all of the prototyping for the pick cases, will make you a custom, hand made pick case to your specifications, including any illustration or dedication you may want. Additionally, you'll be given everything I've ever written or recorded on the subject of Locks & get 3 hours of Skype time with me to ask questions, discuss locks, run demos, whatever you want. [+ Templates + Practice Kit + 20 Picks + Shwag]
Pledge $500 or more
15 backers
Lock Library! 50 Locks of various types, including pin tumblers, wafers, levers, and dial & sesame combo locks. 30 individual picks and the full set of 20 in a case. You'll also get handcuffs and a cutaway pin tumbler to help explain how they work. You'll also get all of the shwag of the $100 level! Great for new clubs and hackerspaces.
Pledge $1,000 or more
2 backers
Uber Lock Library! Everything in the Lock Library times 2! 100 locks! 60 individual picks! 2 full sets of 20 in cases! 2 different sets of handcuffs and a 2 cutaways! One of a pin-tumbler lock, one of the locking mechanism in handcuffs! In addition to all of this I'll send you training materials. Nicely illustrated guides to lockpicking, impressioning, bumping, overlifting, etc. etc! I can guarantee 10 different reproducible worksheets and I'm hoping to do 20+!
Pledge $2,500 or more
2 backers All gone!
Physical classroom! I fly to you! I'll bring the picks, locks, handcuffs, combo locks, cutaways, high security locks, and, most importantly, the knowledge, to run 2 days of classes for as many people you like. You let me know how many people I can expect and your nearest airport and I'll do the rest. Great for Colleges & Universities, Hackerspaces w/large membership, offices or law enforcement! (This offer open to continental US only. If you are outside of the US & want to subsidize the airfare, we can talk!)
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