MIN Belt - Less is really MORE.

MIN Belt has been shipping.
over 8 years ago – Mon, Nov 27, 2017 at 08:34:53 PM

Hi Backers,

MIN Belt has been shipping since early last week. It is quite a tedious task from having to deal with buckle colors, strap colors, strap sizes and number of boxes. It took us sometimes to figure out the efficient way to do and do it correctly. The process is a lot slower than expected. However, we have reach almost half way. The backers will get tracking number notification e-mail once we shipped your package. If you don't get the e-mail yet, please wait a little longer.

We have got a couple feedback from backers who received the MIN Belt. The common comment seems to be the MIN Belt slot tightness. Since MIN Belt is a new experience and we don't want user to have a bad first impression about whether MIN Belt is working properly. So we address the buckle tightness as the first priority. Because we don't want user to be in doubt about MIN Belt function. Each person has different feel to a particular tightness. So, some users might feel the buckle setup straight from the box is too tight or too loose. Eventually, you should adjust MIN Belt as you prefer following the guide line that you can find the link in the package.

I hope you will like MIN Belt and be creative with it. Any suggestions are appreciated. Please share your experiences and tag us on the Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/MINBelt/

Any problems using MIN Belt, contact us immediately. We are here to help.

Cheers!

Tim & Kin

Locking down and charging credit card
over 8 years ago – Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 05:48:09 PM

Hi Backers,

Today, Friday, November 17, 2017, we will lock down the Backerkit survey. It is the last chance to change address, belt size, color and order add-on. After today, you will not be able to adjust your survey anymore. Whoever want to change address, please do it now. Otherwise, your MIN Belt will be shipped to the wrong place. There are some backers who do not response the survey. There is no way we can send you the rewards without necessary information. So, please do it. Whoever wants to access your survey, go to the link below and entering your email address to receive the survey link.  

https://min-belt-less-is-really-more.backerkit.com/

We will also charge your credit card for the add-on items today. If there is an acknowledgement from your credit card provider for this transaction, please don't cancel or dispute.

Cheers!

Tim & Kin

Shipping time
over 8 years ago – Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 12:16:31 AM

Hi Backers,

Many questions about the update and shipping status keep coming in. Sorry for keeping you guys wait and worried about MIN Belt status. We decided to wait until we are confident with the shipping schedule. Good news, we are ready to start shipping.

MIN Belt is far more difficult to produce than we expected. Human care must come in place in every process and details. So, we can say that MIN Belt is the real hand craft belt that you guy will proud of. It took us sometimes to figure out the efficient workflow that can produce MIN Belt in mass production. Since this is totally new to anyone, a lot of trial and error brought us plenty of experiences which is a good learning curve. Thank you all our manufacturing partners who not gave up on it. Finally, we are so glad to announce that we are ready to ship in November 2017 as promise.

MIN Belt comes out really nice. Many details has been improved. We would say it is far better than our original design and we are so pleased. We love MIN Belt!

Towards shipping MIN Belt, so, this is the plan.

=> Credit Card Charging Date : Friday, November 18, 2017

For whoever want to add-on more MIN Buckle and MIN Strap on Backerkit, you should do it within this Friday. This would be your last chance to get MIN Belt at very low price. MIN Belt is the best surprised Christmas gift for 2017. For whoever already order add-on, we will charge your credit card on Friday, November 18, 2017. If there is an acknowledgement from your credit card provider for this transaction, please don't cancel or dispute.

=> Lock Down: Friday, November 18, 2017

After this Friday, you will not be able to adjust your survey anymore. Whoever want to change address, please do it now. Otherwise, your MIN Belt will be shipped to the wrong place. As we updated before, for whoever choose the Shiny Stainless Steel MIN Buckle, if you do not change the color, we will ship the Stainless Steel MIN Buckle by default. I hope everyone understand.

There are some backers who do not response the survey. There is no way we can send you the rewards without necessary information. So, please do it.

Whoever wants to access your survey, go to the link below and entering your email address to receive the survey link.

https://min-belt-less-is-really-more.backerkit.com/

=> Shipping: We are going to start shipping on Monday, November 20, 2017.

After we ship, we will acknowledge you with the tracking number. So, you just wait for it. To be reminded, each country has different regulations on how they handle imported goods. We recommended you visit this Duty Calculator (https://www.dutycalculator.com/) to get an estimate of what you will be charged when the package arrives. We do not pre-pay or cover any import fees and taxes.

Thanks for your patience. It is almost time to experience MIN Belt.

Cheers!

Tim & Kin

The production is running with some hiccup.
over 8 years ago – Mon, Oct 23, 2017 at 07:31:17 PM

Hi Backers,

After working in the production, we have learned so many things that would update and show the progresses to you today.

1. MIN Buckle has a special mechanism that need to work in conjunction with the MIN Strap texture and its own Stainless Steel and PVD plating surface. To figure out the right setting, it takes so much time to experiment with small quantities of MIN Buckle and PVD process in order to get the exact setting number that required for the mass production. Work in small quantity with the huge scale of PVD machine, there is nothing we can control or rush to have it as we want. We have to wait and wait until they have enough quantities to operate the machine with our work sneak in. It take a few weeks of collaboration, follow up and correction in the back and forth manner. Finally, we jump over that point and straight to the mass production.

2. After getting into the details, we once again realized that sample and mass production are different stories. We originally apply electro-polishing process to the Natural Stainless Steel MIN Buckle to get the Shiny Stainless Steel MIN Buckle. On the prototype, we make the only one sample on each color. We get the satisfied result as you can see. After working in quantity, we learn that it is impossible to get the satisfied consistent result on every Shiny Stainless Steel MIN Buckle. Most of outcome from our trial in quantity, the result is far from satisfied with many uncontrollable factors. It is hurt to tell backers that we have to cancel the Shiny Stainless Steel MIN Buckle. The cancellation of the Shiny Stainless Steel MIN Buckle will effect to some backers. We don't want this kind of thing to happen, but it happen sometimes in the process of develop new product. We are so sorry about that and hope everyone to understand. The backers who choose the Shiny Stainless Steel MIN Buckle can go back to make a change to others colors in the survey. The survey deadline is 31 Oct 2017. Everyone still got time to make adjustment in the survey. You can enter your email address to receive another survey link in the Survey Recovery Page URL below.

https://min-belt-less-is-really-more.backerkit.com/

Any backers who does not make change before the survey deadline, we would have to act in your behalf to ship the Natural Stainless Steel MIN Buckle instead since it is the closest substitute.

So, there are four available MIN Buckle colors: Natural Stainless Steel, Black, Copper and Gold.

3. The MIN Strap is also a process that go slower than we thought. We have to figure it out new method to make the texture as we have not expected before. However, the result is worth the time and energy we put into since the actual MIN Strap has great look and feel which be better than the prototype. Now, the mass production is on track and schedule.

4. Packaging is another part that we really put idea and energy into. It is minimalist design as same as the MIN Belt. We can show you just little sneak peek.

5. The survey deadline is 31 Oct 2017. Whoever has not complete the survey, please do it. Otherwise, we can not send you the MIN Belt. 

At this stage, MIN Belt has gone further than our original expectation as a product. It looks and feel so amazing. Everyone will love it. It is worthy every minute of waiting. Whoever wants to order more at low price, go to the survey page and add more MIN Buckles and Straps. You still got time. We are working hard to ship the MIN Belt on November as promise. Good news ... We are on schedule. 

Catch all you guy soon with the big progress!

Small Batch Run and PVD
over 8 years ago – Tue, Sep 26, 2017 at 12:46:31 AM

Hi Backers,

As some backers asking about the delivery schedule, we are still on track to deliver on November. I hope that would make you kinda relief. Some might ask why it take so long to produce such an easy belt. We will explain you more about it.

The MIN Buckles is almost 100% handcraft with some sets of special tools to help forming, the most challenge is deburring all the sharpness out of such the stainless steel material. It requires skills, a lot of attention to details and time. Simple look is not easy as you think when it comes to manufacturing. We don't want to rush the manufacturing process because the pre-formed material is very expensive. Since the MIN Buckle is a single piece material, any mistake in mass production will cost us to throw away the whole buckle without any possible way to repair it. I hope everyone would understand more today. This week, we finish the first small batch run of MIN Buckles. The result is pretty good. We learn a lot from this first batch.

The first MIN Buckle sample batch was sent to PVD plating and laser engraving. We decide switch to a new supplier who can provide us this two operation under the same roof. Plus this supplier is specialize in jewelry product. So, it is a perfect opportunity for us to have good hands to take care of our baby. It will also save lots of time and get rid of too many handling issue. We will see the first batch sample with PVD and laser engraving probably this week.

We are sorry that don't have picture for you guys this update. Too excited and forgot to take picture! Next update, we will have pictures for sure.

Most of the backers completed the survey. The survey was resent to backers who have not filled the survey yet. Please do the survey, it will us plan on the production since colors and size are really matter for planning. If you can not find the survey e-mail inbox, please check it in your junk box. In case you can not find any e-mail, please message me on Kickstarter. We will figure it out.

Thanks and see the more progress in the next update.

Tim & Kin