12 Best Crypto Steel Wallets for Seed Phrase Storage 2024

This tutorial discusses steel metal crypto wallets, how they work, how they are made, etc along with the comparison of top Crypto Steel Wallets:

A steel wallet is a metal wallet on which the mnemonic or recovery phrases are engraved to make them last long and unable to delete.

The metal wallet does not come with seed phrases engraved or stamped, but with tools to accomplish this on your own. Different wallets use different techniques for engraving and stamping.

Remember metal cannot be damaged by ordinary fire or water easily and is hard to tear. Besides, it can last longer to lose the passphrase even if it is kept in an unfavorable condition because they are made from stainless steel. Unlike other metals like Titanium, stainless steel metal wallets are hard to detect using metal scanners when hidden.

Crypto Steel Wallets – Review

Other metals used to make crypto wallets are titanium and aluminum. This tutorial discusses steel metal crypto wallets, how they work, how they are made, and how to use them. We will also enlighten you on the top steel wallets you can make use of to store cryptocurrency safely.

Global hardware wallet market will grow at a CAGR of 33.7% from US $167.7 million in 2020 to US $1220.1 million by 2027:

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How Steel Crypto Wallets Work

• Steel wallets emanate from a desire to keep your private keys in your wallet because the keys give you full ownership and control of the stored crypto. With a seed phrase, you can easily and quickly recover your wallet and crypto stored in there in case something happens to the wallet or computer, or company with which you trade or keep the crypto.
• Stainless steel wallets let you store any kind of password and passphrases on steel metal pieces as engravings or as mechanically visible stamps/punches. A user buys a wallet and then engraves or stamps their passwords and phrases. This secures them from easy damage by water, flooding, fire, and other unfavorable conditions. They are also as safe from hacking as online and hot wallets are. They are also resistant to mechanical/electrical/electronic spoilage/damage as ordinary hardware wallets are.
• Metal wallets work together with software wallets in that you have to use software to generate a wallet and then copy and paste that wallet’s recovery phrase on the metal plate. They can also be used as backup recovery phrases for other hardware and software wallets that you use or as an extra backup method.
• You must also take responsibility to keep the steel wallet in a safe and secure place, as someone who knows your other details may steal crypto. But it is not that easy.

How You Store Your Seed Phrase on a Metal Crypto Wallet

Mnemonic seed phrase

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• Steel wallets do not come with passphrases engraved. Depending on the wallet, you may use a pen to highlight the exact position that you are going to punch and then punch letters each after the other.
• Most are sold with engraving pens or other punching tools which you can use to easily engrave or punch your passphrase after opening a wallet.
• Some come with letters or characters engraved on tiles. The user can choose these tiles one by one to correspond to their mnemonic passphrase words and store or keep the characters in special areas of the wallet in the manner in which they follow each other in the passphrase words. For instance, they may have capsules and capsule cores or cassettes onto and into which the letter and character tiles are secured.

Crypto Steel Wallet FAQs

Q #1) What is a crypto steel wallet?

Answer: A crypto steel wallet is a pocket-sized metal plate – stainless steel in this case on which passphrases are engraved or punched letter after letter to store them securely and free from water, fire, and other types of possible damages.

They are also great for preventing possible tampering, heat damage, tearing, mechanical/electrical/electronic damage as happens with other non-metal electronic hardware wallets and free from hacking as may happen with online crypto software wallets.

Q #2) Which crypto hardware wallet is best?

Answer: Electronic hardware wallets like Ledger Nano S, SafePal, Trezor, Steel Bitcoin, Secux are considered best as they can easily sync with other software wallets or their software wallet components in addition to securing the passphrase.

However, in terms of security, metal wallets may be considered the best crypto hardware wallets. They include Cryptosteel, Crypto Key Stack, Cryptosafe Cypherwheel, Cobo, Simbit, and Quadrat Register among others.

Q #3) What is the safest hardware crypto wallet?

Answer: The most secure crypto hardware wallet is the metal steel wallets including the Cryptosteel, Crypto Key Stack, Cryptosafe Cypherwheel, Cobo, Simbit, Quadrat Register, and many others. Other hardware wallets considered safe include electronic ones — Trezor, Ellipal, Ledger, SecuX, etc.

Q #4) Are crypto hardware wallets worth it?

Answer: Yes, they prevent the stealing of crypto through online hacking. They also limit the risk of losing crypto by losing passphrases, for instance when papers on which you had written them are spoiled by water, fire, and other agents. Besides, they are tamper-proof and if they are of metal, they are free from electrical, mechanical, and electronic spoilage.

Further Reading => Most Popular Cardano Wallets To Look For

Q #5) What if I lose my hardware wallet?

Answer: Losing a hardware wallet can be very daunting if you do not have a separate backup for your mnemonic passphrase. Otherwise, it is advisable to have a backup for your passphrase for instance using a metal wallet or paper wallet, or other backup methods.

Since metal steel hardware wallets work alongside your software wallets, you can always generate a new mnemonic passphrase from the software and then use another metal wallet for backup or other backup methods.

Terms Apply: Please read all the details and terms carefully on the below Crypto platforms before investing. Cryptoassets are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment, and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.

List of Top Crypto Steel Wallets

Popular and best metal crypto wallets list:

1. Cryptosteel
2. Crypto Key Stack
3. Cryptosafe Cypherwheel
4. Cobo
5. Simbit
6. Quadrat Register
7. SafePal CypherSeed Board
8. Keystone Tablet Plus
9. Steelwallet
10. Blockplate
11. Hodlinox
12. Ellipal Mnemonic Metal

Comparison Table of Some Steel Wallets

Detailed review:

#1) Cryptosteel

Cryptosteel is a pocket-sized stainless steel device that features engraved character tiles from which a user can choose character tiles corresponding to their passwords, codes, and crypto mnemonic passphrases. They then store the selected character tiles on a capsule or cassette and seal them for offline permanence.

They are made of 100 percent 303 and 304-grade stainless steel.

The Capsule is sold with over 800 stainless steel tiles with every printable ASCII character on each side, making it possible for a user to save up to 123 characters of information. The Cassettes, which have different letter packs, can store up to 96 characters worth of confidential information.

Features:

• Capsule or cassette to lock in the tiles which contain the characters engraved on them. Sold as Capsule Duo, Capsule Solo, Capsule Trio, Capsule Quintet, Cassette Solo, Cassette Duo, Capsule, and cassette parts.
• A tray or container containing character tiles. These tiles can be picked one by one when selecting the characters to correspond to the passphrase.
• Secure all types of recovery seed passphrases including the 157-long BIP39 which requires only backing up 4 first letters of each sentence. Others include Shamir Backup, Bip32 root keys, WIF, Monero, Random ASCII passwords, PINs, Insurance account numbers, master passwords, bank account info, GPS coordinates, poems and haiku, Rainbow Codes, Elliptic curve coordinates, etc.

How to secure passphrase with cassette and capsule:

Step #1: Open the cassette to access the slots to keep the character tiles. Open the character tiles casing container. Generate your passphrase using a software wallet or it can be a passphrase you have previously written down.

Step #2: Select each character from the character tiles container one by one as corresponds to your passphrase. Include the separators as well. Slot each one of them into the cassette slots in the same order they follow each other in the mnemonic passphrase words starting with the first word to the last.

For passphrases with over 12 letters, you can back up the first four letters of each word in that order together with the separators.

Step #3: Close the cassette and secure it.

Capsule:

Step #1: Open the capsule and the character tiles casing/container. Generate your passphrases or get them ready.

You are recommended to arrange on a flat surface, each character tile in the corresponding order in which they follow each other in the mnemonic passphrase starting with the first to the last word of the passphrase. Double-check that they are correctly chosen and arranged to correspond with the mnemonic passphrase.

Step #2: Slot each character tile including the separators into the core of the capsule one after the other in the manner they follow each other in the mnemonic passphrase. Fold and use the fastener to secure the tiles onto the capsule core. The tiles are loosely arranged on the core so you do not have to remove the fastener to read the letters or characters on the tiles.

You can then slot the core of the capsule into the capsule container itself. Enclose the capsule by screwing the lid in place and fasten it by welding or using a threading steel wire. Keep it safe.

To read the mnemonic, simply open the capsule or cassette and read each letter/character tile at a time as you write them to make up the words.

Pros:

• Secure crypto seed storage for a lifetime.
• Simple and quick to use.
• Quite affordable.
• 125% money-back guarantee.
• Free shipping.
• Crypto payments are accepted.
• A range of capsules and cassettes to suit different needs.
• Parts sold including the tiles so you do not have to worry about a loss of one.
• You can opt for the MotherLode Crypto Starter Kit product that comes with a Capsule and a choice of Trezor One/Ledger Nano S Plus/Blockstream Jade hardware wallets for just 165 Euros.

Cons:

• It’s a bit hard to insert the letters into the core of the capsule and the cassette slots. The letter tiles are tiny and can get hard to insert or easier to lose.

Pricing: Capsule Duo 135 Euros, Capsule Solo 85 Euros, Capsule Trio 190 Euros, Capsule Quintet 306 Euros, Cassette Solo 119 Euros, Cassette Duo 185 Euros, Capsule parts for 61/51 Euros, capsule separators 13 Euros, and cassette tiles parts 51 Euros.

Website: Cryptosteel

#2) Crypto Key Stack

Crypto Key Stack metal crypto wallet provides waterproof resistance of up to 2,200 degrees Farads which is above the temperature of a house fire. It is also waterproof and rustproof. It allows users to engrave or stamp the passphrase seeds letter by letter on the stainless steel cards. It is one of the most versatile steel wallets.

Features:

• Engraver and 4mm thick stainless steel plates. These allow you to engrave letters on the plate. You can use diamond-tipped vibrating engravers or battery-powered engravers. Electric or rechargeable battery engraver included. It features a 3mm A-Z letter stamp set made of hardened stainless steel.
• 2mm thick cover. Nickel-binding posts. A metal box to keep the plate.
• Add up to 10 steel plates per stack. Can back up up to ten 24-word seeds, hence removing the need to buy a new device every time you open a crypto wallet.

How to use Crypto Key Stack metal crypto wallet:

Step #1: Open the box, remove the plates from the covers by unscrewing them from the cover plates, and generate/prepare your passphrases and passwords.

Step #2: Use the engraver to write down the passphrase, letter by letter, on the metal plate. The words are entered from the first to the last on the metal plates because the metal plates have numbered lines for ordered entry.

Step #3: Screw the metal plates onto the front and back covers.

Pros:

• Corrosion and crash resistance to considerable levels.
• Compatible with Trezor and other hardware wallets.
• Up to ten 24-word passphrases. Reduces the need to buy multiple devices.
• You can buy expansion plates cheaply to add to the packs and back up more wallets instead of buying the entire wallet package.
• Back covers can also take passphrase engravings if you like.

Cons:

• Low popularity as a device for crypto seed storage.
• Seems expensive for its value compared to other hardware wallets.
• It’s not so easy to engrave letters.

Pricing: $54.99 for a package with one plate, $84.99 for three plates, and $159.99 for 10 plates. $139.99 per combo pack comprising three plates, three front and back plate sets, and a nut and bolt. Expansion plates are $17.99 each.

#3) Cryptosafe Cypherwheel

Cypherwheel features a wheel-designed 5/16 inch thick 303-grade stainless steel plate with rails and slots, letter and character tile casing, automatic center punch, tweezers, and a securing seal to make it tamper-proof after securing the passphrase. You can pick these tiles one by one to correspond to your mnemonic passphrase and then slide them into the rails.

Features:

• Bip39 and Slip39 are compatible.
• Fireproof up to 2,000 degrees. Rustproof, waterproof.
• It can store up to 96 characters of information.
• Rotating covers that can hide the passphrase.
• Each passphrase word has a one-way lock key which is not easy to remove once set up into place.
• Tweezers to fit the tiles into the rails and move them to the left.

How to use the Cypherwheel:

Step #1: Prepare your passphrase and open the wheel from the casing.

Step #2: Grab character tiles one by one using the tweezers and place them on the rail through the wheel slot.

Push them to the left using the tweezers as you arrange them in the order that corresponds to your passphrase word by word. After you go through with placing characters for one word, use the center punch to lock all the characters in place. This is done by pointing the center punch to the visible hole and pressing the punch down hard enough till it snaps. Do it twice.

Step #3: Rotate the wheel cover to expose the rail position for the next word until you are done with all 12 words. For 24-word passphrases, you can back up the first four letters of each word in the passphrase.

Pros:

• Compact and pocket-friendly.
• The cover hides the passphrase altogether.
• Tamper-proof, waterproof, and fireproof up to 2,000 degrees.

Cons:

• Takes some time to slot the tiles into rails.

Pricing: $250.

Website: Cryptosafe Cypherwheel

#4) Cobo

Cobo steel crypto wallet is made by a Chinese company that also serves dApp users, single and joint user custody clients, and developers. The hardware steel wallet is one of the cheapest at $39. It is sold in a box containing character tiles, a screwdriver, and instructions underneath.

The tablet is made of a 1/4-inch thick stainless steel. It is designed for BIP39 mnemonic phrases where every word can be backed by its first four letters. This is the most regular on crypto wallets.

Features:

• Tiles on which letters are engraved. The tiles are affixed onto a plate and you pull them out but that makes it hard for them to spill out. Stainless steel plates with rail slots in which you slot in the letter tiles.
• The rails on the metal plate are rather rectangular indents that can hold the letter tiles. The rails are divided into word slots. Each word slot accommodates four letters.
• Screwdriver to screw the metal plate out and in place.

How to use Cobo:

Step #1: Open the box and unscrew the plate. Prepare your passphrases.

Step #2: Remove letter tiles from the letter plate and insert them onto the rails one by one in a manner that they form a word that corresponds to your passphrase.

Step #3: Put the cover in place over the metal plate.

Pros:

• Very low cost for this steel wallet crypto device.
• Spare screws are provided just in case there is a loss.
• Offers great mobility, and corrosion resistance is waterproof, and resists quick physical damage.
• Fireproof up to 2,650 degrees but this may be spoilt by the small screws.
• Can be locked in with a padlock for further security and privacy.

Cons:

• Character tiles can snap out easily while assembling the passphrase. Affixing a letter when it becomes jammed risks spilling out the rest.
• Creating or assembling the tiles into a paraphrase is not that easy and takes some time.
• Very small screws are used to affix the metal plate onto the case during assembly. These are hard to handle and can be easily lost, are easy to pull out together with a plate, and offer little protection against excessive heat.
• May be more suitable for storing BIP39 mnemonic seed phrases and not private keys because there are no special characters, uppercase letters, or numbers. Besides, it is easy to confuse d for p and b for q when these letters are rotated.
• You may also possibly run out of some characters because they ship on uniform plates and aren’t randomized.

Pricing: $39

Website: Cobo

#5) Simbit

Simbit features a tile-based design where the tiles on which letters and characters are engraved. The tiles can be fitted onto slots in order to form words that correspond to your passphrase. The steel plate is manufactured from 316-grade stainless steel although the tiles themselves are thin.

Features:

• Tamper-proof, waterproof, corrosion-resistance, and can resist heat temperatures of up to 1,700 degrees Farads or 925 degrees Celsius.
• Over 400 characters to choose from including upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. You can store up to 114 characters. It provides more space than needed to back up the BIP39 mnemonic.
• The characters are etched deep into the metal for clarity and longevity. Etching was chosen instead of laser marking and stamping for more durability.
• The custom font is used for the characters for legibility and clarity.
• It can be locked with a 7mm shackle hold padlock for additional security and safety.
• The company accepts crypto payments.
• They used frequency analysis to provide excess letters and characters that are needed many times so you won’t run out of them. They can also send the missing letters free of charge where this is the case.

How to use Simbit:

Step #1: Open the casing and prepare your passphrase.

Step #2: Recreate your keys or seeds using the tiles.

Step #3: Use the provided small sliver of metal to which putty is attached so the tiles can stick to it. This is used to hold the small tiles which can be hard to handle with hands and to affix them on the metal plate rails or slots.

Return the metal plate to the casing. Lock the device and keep it safe.

Pros:

• Waterproof, heatproof, rustproof, and tamper-proof steel wallet crypto device.
• Easy to learn and understand.

Cons:

• Little-known steel wallet crypto device.
• Considerably expensive for what it offers.

Pricing: $110.

Website: Simbit

#6) Quadrat Register

Quadrat Register, also called qreg-hr, uses the countersink-with-a-drill method to secure passphrases, which, for starters, means the owner creates a backup by sinking holes for characters on a metal plate. The company utilizes high-grade 316-Ti stainless steel and the products are each hand-made.

The first type works by converting your seed word into a Bip39pos number using a qreg calculator 11, then convert that number into binary using qreg 62 calculators for steel cards 1, 2, and 3.

You can alternatively use any decimal-to-binary converter to generate the binary numbers. After this, you drill the holes into the steel plates according to the binary generated. It makes it the best crypto steel wallet in terms of backup permanence.

The second type uses a steel capsule, steel core, and characters. You choose the characters provided as per your mnemonic and insert them by order into the capsule core then lock the latter into the capsule.

Features:

• Use both sides of the stainless steel plate for two 12-word or one 24-word seed phrases.
• Extra plates are provided for purchase.
• Online Qreg calculator can convert 12 or 24-word mnemonic passphrases into binary easily and quickly. It converts for cards 1, 2, and 3.
• Raid 5 algorithm allows you to save your code across 3 hardware.
• Provides two types of devices — Series 11 and 62; and Series Q and P

How to use qreg-hr:

Step #1: Prepare your mnemonics. Open the casing and set it up for backup.

Step #2: Convert each mnemonic passphrase word into binary using a qreg calculator or other decimal-to-binary converters.

The easier way is to write your mnemonic passphrase and then visit the bip0039 word list on GitHub (the link is provided on their web page). Each word has its binary written down on that list, so you can check the binary for each of your words in your passphrase.

Drill the metal plate as per the binary converted per each word of the passphrase. Each binary number corresponds to a character on the passphrase and is backed up by drilling the corresponding line on the metal plate. If the binary reads 1, the hole is made in line 1. The binary for each word is backed up on each 4-clockface line.

Pros:

• Choice of two types of devices.
• Waterproof, shock-proof, laser-proof.

Cons:

• Expensive steel crypto wallet.

Pricing: 169 pounds starter set 249 pounds with a drill.

Website: Quadrat Register

#7) SafePal CypherSeed Board

Made of 304-grade stainless steel material, this metal crypto wallet costs just $44.99 hence considerably cheaper compared to many other options. It is based on the design of the tiles, comes with 288 letters, and can be used to store 12, 18, or 24 words passphrases on both sides of the plate.

You can also buy a leather case for 7.50 pounds for extra protection and a comfortable feel. It comes with a 2 year factory warranty and 30 day return policy for sealed unopened packages.

The metal plate contains slots and rails where the character tiles are fitted and the metal plate is covered with a top cover plate on both sides. The rails are on both sides.

Features:

• Fire and temperature protection for up to 1,398 degrees Celsius.
• 91x58x6 mm; weighs 190g.
• Corrosion resistant steel crypto wallet (water, salt, and acid).
• Can slot tiles on both sides of the metal place because both sides of the metal plate have rails/slots for the tiles.

How to use the Cypherseed board:

Step #1: Expose the metal plate by unscrewing it from the top cover plates. Prepare your passphrases.

Step #2: Remove/detach the character tiles on which letters are engraved, one by one, from their plate, and start to place/slot them into the metal plate slot one by one and word by word as they follow each other in the passphrase.

Step #3: Screw back the metal plate to the cover plate (seals) to cover the tiles.

You can repeat the above two processes with the other side of the metal plate. Keep it in a leather wallet and/or secure it.

Pros:

• Easy and quick to learn how it works.
• More affordable compared to the other devices on the list.
• Waterproof, tamper-proof, and fireproof.
• Pocket-friendly and portable.
• Keep all types of passwords, secret words, and passphrases.
• Compatible with other hardware wallets — MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Ledger, Trezor, and others.
• Provided with stickers and user manuals.
• 2-year warranty.

Cons:

• Letters and screws are small hence patience is needed when slotting in place ad screwing the hardware into place.

Pricing: $44.99.

Website: SafePal CypherSeed Board

#8) Keystone Tablet Plus

The tile-based design device is a redesign of the Cobo tablet and the metal plate is designed with a slot for each letter tile instead of a slot for every four letters as in the Cobo tablet. It also comes with 13 screws on each side, which makes sure that the letter tiles are held tightly and securely on each side of the tablet.

Features:

• Waterproof, fireproof (1,455 degrees Celsius), corrosion-resistant, and tamper-proof. However, heat stress tests reveal that the screws still won’t prevent the tiles from coming off when the plate expands.
• Metal plates with rails or slots for the letters. 304-grade steel. The metal plate has slots on both sides.
• Can store 12, 18, and 24-word BIP39 recovery phrases.
• Size is 70x105x6 mm. Weight 450g.
• 13 screws on each side. Three extra screws in case you lose some.
• Feels weighty and stashy.
• The drilled hole makes it possible to secure it with a padlock.

How to use Tablet Plus:

Step #1: Select the ‘1-12’ panel and unscrew the screws. Prepare your passphrase.

Step #2: Remove by pressing out the letters from the supplied sheets and add them one by one to the metal plate in the order they correspond to the passphrase word by word. If it is the BIP39 24-word passphrase, you need just the four letters of each word.

Take care because the letter tiles may have sharp edges.

Step #3: Screw down the plate on the securing panel while taking care not to dislodge the letter tiles.

Pros:

• Low-cost steel crypto wallet – $49.
• Sturdy and not easy to damage.
• Fireproof, corrosion-resistant, and waterproof.
• Individual wells for letters secure each letter better. Do not come out easily even if bent.
• Punched a hole for a padlock.
• Straightforward to use.

Cons:

• Company brand on the unit.
• Sharp edges on the letter tiles.
• Small screws and letters make them difficult to handle.

Pricing: $49

Website: Keystone Tablet Plus

#9) Steelwallet

The crypto Steelwallet features a center-punch design where the BIP39 passphrase-compatible backup is made by punching holes in a stainless steel plate. It features six blocks of columns drawn and numbered from 1 to 6 on each side of the plate.

Each block of the column contains four smaller columns to represent four letters of each word of the passphrase. Hence each side has 24 columns divided into 6 blocks. It can be ranked as the best crypto steel wallet in terms of the permanence of the backup.

The rows are also numbered from A to Z on both sides.

Features:

• An automatic punch to create holes in the metal plate.
• Tamper-proof, waterproof, fire-resistant, and corrosion-resistant crypto steelwallet. Radiation-resistant.

How to use Steelwallet:

Step #1: Highlight the first four letters of each seed word for the case of BIP39 24-word passphrase. Mark the letters of these words on the plate using a felt pen. These are the marks were to make the punch holes.

The first dot mark and hence the first punch hole corresponds to the first letter in the first word of the passphrase and is made inside the first column where the letter’s row meets the column. For instance in the word ‘bell’ you look for the row with the letter ‘B’ and then market where that row coincides with the first column in the column block marked 1.

Repeat until all the letters for the passphrase are marked. Double-check the markings against the passphrase.

Step #2: Use the automatic punch to create holes in the marks. Simply press down the punch onto the position until the hole is created.

Pros:

• Clear instructions.
• Easy to set up. It’s simple.
• Corrosion-resistant, fire-proof, water-proof, flood-proof.
• No dangers of losing letters despite harsh handling. Ageing-resistant.

Cons:

• Hard and takes time to read the letters of the passphrase because you must match the columns and rows. Easy to make mistakes when punching and reading passphrases.

Pricing: 65 Euros.

Website: Steelwallet

#10) Blockplate

Just like the Shiftcrypto Steelwallet, Blockplate also relies on punching holes in the stainless steel plate while matching rows and columns. Each side comprises 6 blocks of columns with each block corresponding to the words of the 24-word passphrase. This is the best crypto steel wallet in terms of features supported.

Each block has 4 columns with each column corresponding to a single letter of the passphrase. Hence you can store 24 letters on each side.

Features:

• Fireproof, corrosion-resistant metal plate.
• Automatic center punch

How to use Blockplate:

Step #1: Peel the letter locator template guide from the back. Stick it on the Blockplate. Position the template such that the letters fall inside each box.

Step #2: Mark dots for the first 4 letters of each word of the 24-word passphrase. Leave the fourth space blank where the word has three letters. Repeat for the rest of the words while double-checking to ensure no errors in marking.

Step #3: Use an automatic punch to physically punch holes on the steel plate over the marked dots. Press and hold the punch down with pressure until there is a loud click or until you feel a pop if the sound is muted.

Step #4: Peel off the template, which reveals the physical holes on the plate.

Pros:

• Marks are permanent and do not damage easily.
• Corrosion-resistance, fireproofing, permanent storage, resist harsh handling.
• Three types of blocks (Blockplate 24 for 24–words storage, Blockplate 12 for 12-word mnemonic storage, and Blockplate Passphrase for BIP39 passphrase storage) with different prices.
• It’s easy to create passphrases without the hassle of avoiding losing and buying more letters.
• Quick to learn.

Cons:

• Hard to read your mnemonic on the steel plate after creating and without the template because you must match the rows and columns.

Pricing: Blockplate 24 is $79, Blockplate 12 is $59, and Blockplate Passphrase is $89. The automatic punch costs $29.

Website: Blockplate

#11) Hodlinox

Hodlinox is a metal plate on which one can engrave seed phrases into a crypto wallet for secure and safe storage. Metal steel plates are locked using extra tamper-proof security seals.

Features:

• Protection of the wallet from fire, water, corrosion, and other damage.
• single plates and double plates. A single plate is numbered or engraved on both sides. Can be ordered with a 3D-printed plastic case which is available in different colors.
• Interlocking plates that can be screwed together using a common Phillips screwdriver.
• Hand-electric engravers are sold by third-party vendors. Takes 10 minutes to engrave.
• An all-metal tamper-evident padlock seal verifies at all times that the passphrase is not compromised. It is not possible to remove it without damaging it. You can always order extra seals.
• The single plate has 4 columns each sub-divided into two and rows numbered from 1 to 12. The back is numbered 13-24 in the columns. The double plates have one plate marked 1-12 on the columns and the second plate marked 13-24 on the columns.
• Unique code or the serial number of the tamper-proof seal that should be stored separately from the plates.

How to use Hodlinox:

Step #1: Prepare your passphrase. Use a waterproof marker pen to temporarily make marks on the plate/s. Mark the letters corresponding to the letters on the passphrase, word after the other. Each word is marked on its row, starting with the first, with each letter taking its space on the tile.

Step #2: Use the engraving pen to engrave the letters as marked with the pen. It takes just 1 minute.

Step #3: Lock with a security seal. Slide the opposing sides of the plates (double plates) into each other and hook the padlock seal through the slotted hole. The single plate is slid into its case and the padlock seal is hooked through the hole in the plate. Store the unique code on the seal separate from the plates.

Pros:

• Easy to learn and do the engravings.
• Permanent, water-proof, corrosion-resistant, and fire-proof markings.
• The letters can also be punched with a letter punching set – use 5mm or 0.2 inches.
• Tamper-proof evidence.
• Blank backup plates, seed phrase backup plates, and interlocking plates can be bought separately
• Very affordable.
• Buy 1 piece of plate up to 10 plates per pack.

Cons:

• Takes time to do the engravings perfectly without wasting space on the plates.

Pricing: Interlocking plates – $41, Single plate $15, Blank plate $11. Single plate with case $29, 3 pcs interlocking plates $97-$110, 10 pcs interlocking plates $299-$369; 5 pcs $1590$194. Extra seal for a single plate with case $1. Permanent marker $2. Extra seal for interlocking plates $2.

Website: Hodlinox

#12) Ellipal Mnemonic Metal

Ellipal follows the tiles-slot design and is used to store 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24-word passphrases. The tiles, which contain engraved letters, are slotted into slots on stainless steel plates. Ellipal is one of the most common hardware wallet brands because it also has an electronic hardware wallet.

Features:

• Easy to carry. Pocket-friendly.
• Fire, water, and corrosion-resistant.
• Quick to learn and set up.
• Put a lock on the mnemonic metal as an extra safety and security layer.

How to use Mnemonic Metal:

Step #1: Unbox and unscrew the metal plates. Two plates hold the letters. Prepare your mnemonics.

Step #2: Slot the letter tiles in the slots.

Step #3: Screw back the metal plates tightly. Secure with a lock.

Pros:

• Wide range of mnemonics types it can store.
• One of the most cost-affordable steal wallets.
• 1-year warranty.
• Resistant to water, fire, flooding, corrosion, and other ordinary physical damage.
• Anti-tamper evidence with a lock.
• Light, pocket-sized, and easy to carry.

Cons:

• A relatively less popular company.

Pricing: $49.

Website: Ellipal Mnemonic Metal

Conclusion

This tutorial dwelts on how stainless steel metal crypto wallets work, how to use them, and how they are made.

We saw they come in three major types – those that are based on character tiles that can be selected as per the mnemonic and slotted into rails or slots on a metal plate; those based on punching where holes are created in patterns corresponding with the letters and words making the mnemonic passphrase; and those based on writing or engraving the mnemonic letters and words on a metal plate.

All three types prove very secure and resistant to damage by water, flooding, house fire, and corrosion. Besides, they are hack-proof and sometimes tamper-proof if they have methods that can provide evidence whether or not they have been tampered with.

These wallets are advantageous in that they last longer and are resistant to mechanical and electronic/electrical damage like electronic hardware wallets. They are harder to detect when hidden in walls and other places.

Some of the main drawbacks include a lack of intuitiveness and although they can be used simultaneously with or as additional backup methods for software and other hardware wallets, interoperability with the software wallets is a problem when compared to electronic-based hardware wallets.

They are also harder to make especially because of the manual methods involved in constructing passphrases.

However, the best are those that contain the capability to store small case and capital letters, symbols, and numbers. These include Cryptosteel and Simbit.

Some can only store letters hence may be limited in what passwords you can store. Other differentiating factors include pricing with most of these devices costing between $20 to around $150. Ellipal is the best crypto steel wallet and most recommended in terms of cost.

Further Reading => List of the TOP and BEST Monero Wallets 

Research process:

• Steel wallets previously listed for review: 30
• Steel wallets actually reviewed: 12.
• Time taken to research and review: 30 hours.