Dispense sanitiser, toiletries or any liquid on the go. Refillable and durable for everyday carry.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Production has begun
about 1 year ago
– Tue, May 02, 2023 at 10:58:22 AM
Dear Supporters
Hello! Thanks for your continued patience. We are pleased to be writing with another update to the campaign. The headline message is that production has begun, and we are on track for shipping to begin in late June and into July. The metal version is a high volume, and relatively manually produced item, and so production will take around 6 weeks. The plastic version will be faster because these units are simpler to mass produce. We have a detailed timeline below which should address most questions.
Latest samples
Our latest set of samples have been with us for ~2 weeks, and we have been performing extensive testing. We have been in dialogue with our production factory to make a few final tweaks, which they have already started on, and we have now green-lit production and paid our first installment.
We are again apologetic for delays suffered on this project. The updated timeline is as follows:
Production
Metal: this will take 6 weeks and will be completed by mid/late June
Plastic: this will be faster and take around 4 weeks, but we need to do some final color tweaks. Production for the plastic version will line up with the metal version.
Quality Control
Will be ongoing throughout production
There will be a QC process as our first production units come together
Packaging
Our packaging has been approved and is in production as we speak
Shipping
Packing and shipping will begin late June and into July
Delivery
Backers should be receiving their Soapstones around mid-July
Address Updates
Please make these at http://soapstone.backerkit.com or via direct message, and we will make the update manually. We will issue a final update before shipping, and there will also be a "locking" email sent out
Please ensure all addresses are up to date. We will upload tracking information for you to follow your order as it comes in.
Update frequency
Out next update will come in 2-3 weeks when we have the first production units rolling out of the factory. From there, we will issue an update as production finishes, as shipping begins, and as shipping concludes.
As always, thank you very very much for your ongoing support!
All the best,
Pete and Eli
Packaging samples
Pre-Production Sampling - March Update
about 1 year ago
– Sat, Mar 11, 2023 at 04:38:39 AM
Dear Supporters,
Thank you for your ongoing patience and kind words, we know the importance of getting this stage right and not rushing something into production we (and you) won't be 100% happy with.
Feedback for the latest round of samples has been finalised between the factory and us - we're now waiting on what we hope will be the final-final round of pre-production samples. From there, we'll get things moving ASAP so we can get Soapstones out to backers all round the world!
As soon as these samples are in hand we'll get testing and let you all know the timeline from there!
After 50,000+ sales of SIFTR, the UN&i team are back with SIFTR 2.0 - their 5th Kickstarter! Their multi-use nesting silicone can colanders are live for just 7 more days and are the perfect addition to every kitchen!
Strain, Drain & Contain tinned food - Less mess, less waste and far less water used.
Nesting Set of 3 - One SIFTR for every can size in your kitchen.
FDA food-grade silicone & dishwasher safe - Easy to use, even easier to keep clean.
Great range of colours - SIFTR sets to suit every kitchen style.
Wide Range of Use - Not just straining cans. Prevent sinks getting blocked, juice citrus fruit & more!
Latest round of sampling
over 1 year ago
– Sun, Feb 12, 2023 at 09:51:37 PM
Dear Supporters
Apologies for the longer window between updates. We have been working hard across all major areas of the project, and we are making good progress. Attached is an image of the first fully assembled factory samples of Soapstone, which we were incredibly excited to receive:
Our assembled factory samples, inside our newly designed packaging
However, we have encountered delays which are explained below. Our latest round of metal and plastic samples are the basis for this update:
Metal Version
We are really happy with the finish of the metal Soapstone
The friction fit that forms the basis of the locking mechanism needs to be tightened. We are working on a modified fitting between the bottle and the adapter collar to strengthen this connection
Our Charcoal version as sampled too black; we need to change the colour to a slightly lighter grey. Our orange webbing tab was not quite the correct colour either
Some of the shaped edges on the metal version were too sharp and need to be smoothed out
We need to conduct at least one more round of sampling to finalize these points
Plastic Version
We need to update the friction fit between the bottle and the adapter collar, as with the metal version
The webbing tabs need to be made tighter for an improved user experience
The locking mechanism on the factory-finished plastic version failed a drop test. We need to strengthen the locking mechanism to increase robustness
We need to conduct at least two more rounds of sampling to address these points
Packaging
We have finalized a design for our packaging, below, which we are very happy with. On this mockup, the windows have been cut by hand, but will be stamped in our finished product.
Our packaging design has been completed
Production timeline
Unfortunately, the feedback loop on our samples has not been as fast as we would like. A round of samples can take 2-3 weeks to put together, and another week or so to ship, test, and produce feedback on. Planning another round of samples can then take a few days, as we discuss feedback and agree next steps with our factory. This, combined with Chinese New Year break with our factory, has led to slower progress since our last update. Our need to conduct another 1-2 rounds of sampling to address the points above, together with delays incurred on this most recent round of sampling, means we are at least a month from entering full production. We understand that such a delay will be frustrating, but we are fully focused on delivering a quality, long lasting product to all of our backers.
Pete testing our latest samples
Our next update will come in 3-4 weeks, once our next round of samples is produced and shipped to us. Hopefully, all of our feedback will have been addressed, and we can greenlight full production. At that point, a delivery timeline will be clearer, but we hope to get Soapstone 2.0 out into the world as soon as possible.
With thanks
Team Soapstone
Soapstone Production Update
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Dec 09, 2022 at 02:10:37 AM
Dear Supporters
Thanks so much for your patience as we move through production. We are proceeding well! Our main updates are as follows:
Production for our internal components has been completed
Final samples of the Metal version are due on Monday
Moulds and testing have been completed for the Plastic version
Internal components
As we detailed in our previous updates, we had to rework our internal components due to a key part being discontinued from production. We have completed new moulds, and manufactured the over 10,000 pieces required since our last update.
10,000 internal pumps
Metal version
In our initial sampling of the metal version, we had some issues with the alignment of our locking icons. This has required another round of sampling to get everything spot on. We are due these samples this week. Images of this process are attached.
Metal version
Plastic version
Our injection moulds were completed and have been tested for function. We are now waiting for our metal version to finish sampling, to have the full product suite in hand before confirming our final production run. The final step in the sampling process for our plastic version is to select finished textures, and finish the moulds accordingly.
Completed moulds for our plastic version
Timeline
We remain on track to ship in February/March, 2023. We will keep you all informed of the latest shipping news.
Thanks once again for your support.
Team Soapstone
Production Update: Tooling Underway & Material Ordered
over 1 year ago
– Thu, Oct 27, 2022 at 11:09:43 PM
Production Numbers Locked In!
Dear Supporters,
Since our last update we've received the first internal components in hand and have been testing them. Overall we are very happy but a few tweaks are needed. This won't cause any further delays because the DFM-review for the main components (both plastic and metal) are now complete and the following steps have been taken:
Locked in the final quantities.
Commissioned main body tooling for plastic Soapstones.
Factory have ordered the raw material needed to produce all the metal Soapstones.
Final lock/unlock icons have been decided (images below).
Carabiner clips have been ordered.
Pantone colours finalised & confirmed.
Lock / Unlock Icons
This process was a little delayed because of the supply-chain issue we had with the pump core and piston, now that has been resolved and parts ordered we have finalised the placement for the icons!
3d Printed Prototypes!
New Shipping Estimate
We are behind on our production schedule, mostly due to factors out of our control but we'd still like to apologise to anyone that hoped to get them in November. Our factory partners are doing what they can to get production finished before the end of the year. However, we still have some sampling rounds to go through and do not want to rush to get things finished by CNY in January.
So it seems that our new shipping estimate is between February and March 2023.
Addresses
We still have 221 of you yet to fill in your addresses, if you are not sure or would like to check please enter your KS login email into this link: https://soapstone.backerkit.com/
We're now not planning another update until we have some production images and solid progress there, likely in early December. In the mean time if you have any comments or questions please continue to reach out.
UN&I's latest project, DOCKET, is exactly what we wish we had on our desks at the moment. It would help us keep on track of everything Soapstone related! Their todo list cards are great for short term and long term tasks, and the whiteboard is ideal for scribbling down notes throughout the day.
Another project we'd previously shared, STATIO is now finally live! Their hardwood and silicone stands are a great place to keep your watch safe and protected overnight. Would look great on your desk next to a Soapstone too!
