Oceanus Brass Snap-Shackle's Ring

First, I want to apologize for not getting a post out on Monday morning like normal, I have been incredibly busy lately and had some technical difficulties that prevented me from reaching a satisfying conclusion to the post. In addition, I will not have a post Friday. Otherwise, the next couple of weeks are going to be incredibly hectic at work so I am aiming to get all of the posts for that time period completed early so that I can stick to my schedule. Now that that's out of the way, lets continue.

Today we have another Kickstarter to check out. The Snap-Shackle's Ring by Oceanus Brass launched this week and I thought some people might enjoy it. First and foremost just to get the obvious out of the way, the Snap-Shackle's Ring is in essence an updated split ring. Most of us should be familiar as the split ring is one of the most classic ways of carrying your keys along with a multitude of other items. Your first thought may be that split rings don't need an update and certainly not an increase in price and that would be understandable. However, this is where Oceanus Brass comes in, they are a company based out of Boston that combines dependable brass with timeless nautical themes. They may not be marketed as a traditional EDC source in some peoples minds but their tools are designed to be practical and serve a purpose in your everyday life. Most of these products are their take on commonly used items like pens, capsules, lighters, bottle openers, and many more. Last year Oceanus Brass launched their first Kickstarter, the Bow-Shackle Pen and have been successful since. That campaign was my first interaction with the company, but unfortunately they have somewhat slipped under my radar until this new campaign. The Bow-Shackle Pen campaign also served to remind me to make sure I read the information carefully as I had a misunderstanding that was completely my fault, just a side note and a reminder to all Kickstarter enthusiasts out there. That campaign is actually where I got the bows-hackle that is typically attached to my keys, which you might have seen in other posts.

Lets look at the whole reason we're here today, the Snap-Shackle's Ring. Oceanus Brass decided to take a look at the classic split ring. Many of us have had these items corrode over time and when you are handling it everyday this can be rather annoying and unsightly. To combat this they decided to take the same approach that most keys do. Make it out of brass. The brass construction will enable the rings to resist corrosion while also giving it a very classy look. Oceanus Brass has chosen Alpha Brass (~30% zinc and ~70% copper) as the material of choice in order to give the rings the right balance of strength and ductility during machining. These rings are currently designed to have an outer diameter of 25mm, and inner diameter of 21mm and a thickness of 3mm, so they should feel right at home carrying your keys or whatever else you might want to attach them to.

Currently, at the time of this writing the Snap-Shackle's Ring campaign as far surpassed its goal of $300 and has reached well over $1,000 with the backing of nearly forty people. This is just in the first couple of days. The campaign actually ends on April 11 so there is still plenty of time. If you are interested in this campaign I recommend you hurry and take a look as there are some early bird specials that might not be there for long. The rewards come in packs of 5, 10, and an ambitious 99 count. They are also offering stretch goals at the $15,000 mark where they will jump start production, the $25,000 mark that will add another size to the campaign, and the $50,000 mark that will introduce a special "tinned" variant that will help prevent discoloration. Other than that, there really is not a ton to say about either the actual product or the campaign as Oceanus Brass is not reinventing the wheel but rather giving us a better option for something incredibly common. Regardless, I am pretty excited as I have really started to like brass lately and would like to add a new piece. You can check out the campaign for yourself here, and their website.