PuzzleMaster
Showing posts with label Wire Puzzle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wire Puzzle. Show all posts

Euro

Posted on Apr 30, 2019 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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There are many puzzles out there with the theme of the Euro currency, and Jean Claude Constantin has made another one to add to the collection. This one is very simple in design, but can be a little tricky to solve. Are you ready to to tackle the Euro challenge?

There's one thing that I like more about wire-only puzzles than the string ones - You can't make knots out of the wire puzzles, and thus it's much more unlikely to get stuck in the middle of the solving process. There are ways to get stuck anyway, but you have to be very creative to accomplish that.

The Euro puzzle is made from thick wire (3mm) and measures only 8.7cm in diameter. The design is made to resemble the shape of the Euro currency symbol, and the goal is to remove the ring (or to separate all three parts). The ring seems to be trapped between the two main parts, but a clever series of movements will be enough to solve it. Finding these moves, however, will be a bit tricky.

This puzzle reminds me of the classic Horseshoe puzzle, where you also have a ring trapped between two metal parts. The Horseshoe is much harder to solve for a beginner, but the solution is a bit different in the Euro puzzle. The two main parts are attached in a similar way as a hinge works. You can easily unfold the puzzle in 180º, but after that there's not much else to do. The key lies in the hinges, so my advice is to keep trying until you finally solve it.

It took me much more time to put the puzzle together in its original form than to take it apart. Figuring out how the puzzle works is the key to understand its mechanism, and until you do you won't be able to fully solve it.

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Closing Comments:

The Euro is a great puzzle that really gets you thinking in ways that you're not usually used to. I like that its all metal and no strings, so it's less frustrating to solve. You can lend it to a beginner and have no problems afterwards without knots for you to untie.

Availability: You can find a copy of the Euro puzzle at PuzzleMaster. As usual, Constantin has a lot of interesting puzzles, so be sure to check them out as well.


The Angel

Posted on Nov 15, 2013 by Gabriel | 2 comments
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Angels are supposed to be worshiped and harmless, right? Well, not The Angel I got from Sloyd though. Might as well be a fallen angel. This is one tough nut to crack and solving it will require you to learn some new techniques.

The Angel is actually one of the best wire/string puzzles I've seen for a long time, and I've played with a fair share of them before. First, the puzzle is very well designed, with a perfect and symmetric shape. Even the color chosen for the string is white, which goes very well with the theme of the puzzle. The puzzle itself is quite challenging to solve, but when you finally do it you'll certainly feel a great sense of accomplishment.

This is a level 4/5 puzzle and, to be honest, I would've classified it as a pure level 5, mostly because of its complex movements, which in all fairness aren't that many, but enough to create a real mess with the string. The time to solve, at least for me, would also justify a level 5, and in this case it took me over two hours (not straight), between failed attempts and undoing several knots.

As you start, you see a large ring in the middle with two ends of the string going through it. At the ends are two smaller rings, but still large enough so they can't go through the main ring. There are also two wooden beads, and these can actually pass through the ring, but not through the angel's wings nor its head. Based on this information you'll have to come up with a way to remove the large ring from the frame.

Without going too much over the solving process, I can say that while the beads can't pass through the angel's wings, the smaller rings can. Try to do this a couple of times and see what you can do with them and how that helps you. It took me a while to even see this small detail. Putting the ring back in the angel is not at all easier or simpler. I didn't remember all the steps it took me to remove the ring in the first time, so I must have taken another hour or so to finally do it. I haven't gathered enough courage to solve the puzzle a second time, but considering the time it took me to solve and reset it (about 3 hours) I really am not looking forward to that. I know that I still have to learn the solution by heart to fully solve it and comprehend it, but I guess I'll leave that for another time...

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Closing Comments:

Solving a difficult puzzle is always a great and rewarding feeling. You know you have conquered its secret, but above all you feel you can tackle harder challenges afterwards. Wire puzzles sometimes share similar techniques and movements and when you solve a new one, you always learn something new. It's because of this that The Angel is now among my favorite wire/string puzzles.

Availability: You can buy The Angel at Sloyd in Finland for just €6.05.


The Spider

Posted on Sep 20, 2013 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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The Spider wire puzzle, also known as The Black Widow, is a perfect example of how a puzzle can look really intimidating, when in reality it's not that difficult.

The puzzle came from Sloyd in Finland and is manufactured from 3mm nickel plated wire. These puzzles have a smoother surface than the Tavern puzzles, for example, and are easier to manipulate. The goal is very simple to understand, and yet can be rather challenging if you're not an experienced puzzler. You just need to remove the string and bead from the wire frame, and afterwards return it to its starting position. You need to fully understand the solving process to be able to get the string back in the frame.

I'm not a big fan of wire puzzles, and the ones that have strings are even scarier. If you're not careful with these, they tend to form knots very quickly and disentangling them can be quite a nightmare. Fortunately, this puzzle was rated as a level 1/5, so I wasn't very intimidated by it. Oddly enough, I saw another version of this puzzle at PuzzleMaster, but with a difficulty level of 9/10. I was very confused by the extreme ratings, so I proceeded with caution as I was attempting to solve it.

To my surprise, I was able to solve it within 10 minutes, so the 1/5 rating is more accurate, although a 2/5 would be more fitting. This got me thinking why it would even be considered a 9/10 puzzle, but I actually understand why. To a beginner, it can be really challenging, because the solution involves a set of sequential steps that may not be as straightforward as you'd might think. There are four rings and to solve it you need to use all of them. This is highly dependent on how you look at this type of puzzles, but I don't consider it as easy as Sloyd's rating and definitely not as difficult as PuzzleMaster's. If you have this puzzle, let me know what'd you think of its difficulty.

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Closing Comments:

The Spider was a pleasant surprise, because I usually fear string puzzles like the plague. It felt nice to solve it quickly for a change. Usually it takes me days to figure them out, when not weeks... I would definitely recommend this one for beginners, as it will provide a steeper challenge than the easier ones and prepare you for the tougher levels.

Availability: You can find The Spider wire puzzle at Sloyd.fi for just about €6.


Tango

Posted on Aug 30, 2013 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Wire puzzles are always something I feel intimidated to try. This type of puzzles are among the hardest you can attempt to solve. Fortunately, not all of them are fiendishly hard. In fact, if you're afraid to try any of the wire puzzles, try starting by the levels 1 and 2. These puzzles can still provide a satisfactory challenge, and on top of that you'll most certainly learn some skills for the harder levels.

The Tango is a great example of such wire puzzles that, while keeping the difficulty level accessible to beginners, can still be a little challenging if you're not familiar with this particular concept (I'll explain better below). The object is simple enough: There are two identical parts that are connected by small rings and a handle with a large ring attached to one of the twin parts. Your task is to remove just the large ring. When you know the solution back and forth, putting the ring back in its starting position will be effortless.

The design of the puzzle is actually very nice and original. At first, I didn't make the connection, but after studying it a bit and solve it I could see the striking resemblance to the classic Horseshoe puzzle (or Hanayama's remake, the Cast Horse, as seen below). If you have solved the Horseshoe puzzle before, the Tango has pretty much the same solving process. Only some minor movements are different, but the essential concept is there. I was amazed at how the same concept can be seen in two completely different designs and still work so well. The solution looks so simple when you finally learn it, but to get there can be anything but...

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I remember when I first solved the Horseshoe puzzle. Not the Cast Horse, though, as I already knew how to solve it when I got the Hanayama version. It took me months to finally solve it. I just couldn't understand how the ring could be freed from the two horseshoes. In my defense, this was shortly after getting into puzzle collecting and solving, so I didn't understand much about metal puzzles and their solving techniques. I still don't... I struggle to solve the harder levels, but with time it gets just a tad easier due to learned skills from other similar puzzles.

The tango has a difficulty level of 2/5, but even knowing how to solve it, because of the Horseshoe puzzle, I still think it should be at least a 3. The solution seems simple for veteran puzzlers, but try to give it to a beginner and see how he tackles it. I sometimes wonder how these ratings are given. Are beginners taken into account or are they given from an experienced puzzler's perspective? It's not easy to answer, and it's certainly hard to have a balanced rating when there are two extreme opposites that share the same interests. Nevertheless, the Tango is definitely a perfect candidate to learn some basic wire puzzles skills.

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Closing Comments:

The Horseshoe is one of my favorite wire puzzles, for obvious reasons. It was the first one I truly learned how to solve and its solution is quite elegant and unique. The Tango, for managing to keep it original, even by using a classic concept, is something worthy of praise. I highly recommend this one, even if you own or have solved the classic version.

Availability: The Tango is available from Sloyd.fi and belongs to their Sloyd Metal Puzzle collection.


The Christmas Tree

Posted on Jul 26, 2013 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Deal of the Week: This week, you can get 15% off on all Sloyd Metal Puzzles. You just need to mention the name of my blog when you place your order. Offer valid until August 2.

Christmas won't be for another five months, but that didn't stop me from setting up a tree in the middle of Summer... A different kind of tree, that is. This Christmas Tree is a very nice wire puzzle manufactured by Sloyd in Finland and belongs to their Metal Puzzles range, with a wide variety of designs.

Besides the design variety, Sloyd's metal puzzles also have different levels of difficulty, ranging from very easy to extremely frustrating. The Christmas Tree, however, is easy to "set up" while still providing a nice challenge. With a difficulty level of 2/5, experienced puzzlers might be able to solve this within a minute or two, whereas a beginner might take up to half an hour or even more. I fall in between the two extremes, as I took about 10 minutes to solve it. The hard part with these puzzles is that even after you can visualize the exit point it can be whole other matter to get there.

The goal of the puzzle is simple enough for anyone to understand, even for someone that never solved one of these before. There are two basic pieces, the main body in a tree-shape and a handle. The object is to free the handle from the tree and then, put it back in its original position. It might be easier said than done, since it took me a while to fully understand the solution and be able to do it back and forth between its two states. Once I figured it out, I could do it in three easy steps within a few seconds. It's actually quite rewarding when you manage to understand the solution and be able to solve it fast enough to dazzle your friends and family.

The design of the puzzle is somewhat symmetrical, meaning you can solve it by using one of the two sides. In other words, and looking at the puzzle with the tips facing upwards, you can manipulate the handle on either side and still be able to solve it the same way. The side with the ring attached to one of the tips might be a bit trickier to use, since it's harder to make the handle pass over it. On the other hand, the opposite side is less complex, as you only have to worry about two of the three middle rings for the solution.

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Closing Comments:

The Christmas Tree is a step up in difficulty from the previous Sloyd metal puzzle I reviewed, The Triangle Tie. If you're just starting with these puzzles, I recommend starting with the level 1/5 and work your way up. The Tree feels a little more challenging, although it's still far from being frustrating, even for beginners. Definitely worth a try.

Availability: You can find The Christmas Tree and others in the Sloyd Metal Puzzles range at Sloyd.fi. This week you can enjoy a 15% discount on all Sloyd Metal Puzzles. To benefit from the discount you only need to mention my blog when you place your order. Offer valid until August 2.


The Big 30

Posted on Jun 10, 2013 by Gabriel | 2 comments
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The Big 30 puzzle is a bit special for me as it represents my recent entry into the 30's. I first saw it when I was choosing puzzles from PuzzleMaster and immediately caught my attention, since I was very close to celebrate my 30th birthday. It was designed by Allan Stein and it was his exchange puzzle at IPP 30 in 2010.

As the name suggests, the puzzle is comprised of two main pieces in the shape of a 3 and a 0, and a string with a bead at the end. The string can't be moved to another part of the puzzle and is somewhat tight, so don't try to force it or it'll break. The goal is to remove the 0 shape and then return it to its starting position.

Besides the catchy name, the design of the puzzle is very elegant too. The string has a golden coating and the bright red bead makes a beautiful contrast with the silver wire. PuzzleMaster's wire puzzles are very well made and resistant, and unlike others in the same category it doesn't leave an unpleasant smell of metal in your hands.

So, the puzzle looks nice, but you might be asking yourself if the challenge itself is really worth it. It very much depends on how you see and solve metal puzzles. If you don't like an easy challenge it's probably not for you, because it's rated as a level 6/10 by PuzzleMaster. Since I'm not very good at wire or string puzzles, I thought it had the right amount of challenge.

I wasn't able to solve it right away. I had to fiddle with it for a good 10 or 15 minutes before I was able to free the 0. However, even after that I wasn't sure exactly how I managed to do it. It took me a while longer to figure out how to put it back together, and only after the second successful attempt I was sure of the right steps to solve it. Looking at it now, I understand why it's classified as being this easy, but even so I believe that experienced puzzlers will find it fun to solve as well.

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Solution: If you get stuck in the 30's, you can use the help of PuzzleMaster's solution here.

Closing Comments:

You don't need to be 30 to fully enjoy The Big 30 puzzle. It's not challenging enough to frustrate you or to make you think really hard, but then again you don't need to spend hours with a puzzle to have a good time with it. This makes a wonderful gift for someone approaching his 30th birthday.

Availability: You can buy a copy of The Big 30 at PuzzleMaster for just $10 CAD.


Pendulum

Posted on Jun 5, 2012 by Gabriel | 2 comments
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Another week, another tough wire puzzle. Great way to keep torturing myself...

The culprit for my latest brain melt is the Pendulum by PuzzleMaster - They have a great selection of wire puzzles, all very affordable - In order to keep you from hypnotizing yourself, your task is to remove the diamond shape from the wire frame. There are two identical diamond shapes, so don't be confused: the one that's supposed to be freed can be moved up and down the pendulum. The other is locked by a small loop.

Having reviewed several of PuzzleMaster's wire puzzles (twelve, counting this one), there's always something you can expect, albeit the cheap price, and that's high quality. All puzzles are nickel plated to ensure a clean and polished look.

Despite the complex appearance, the Pendulum is rated as a 9/10 level of difficulty, although I wouldn't be so surprised if it were a 10. It's definitely harder than the Blue Knight, another level 9 puzzle reviewed a few weeks ago, which took less than 20 minutes to solve. I know they're totally different puzzles, but still the level of complexity is greater in the Pendulum, in my opinion.

Shortly after I picked up the Pendulum, I had a good idea of how the diamond should be removed, more specifically, where it should exit. The hardest part, however, was to figure out the exact process to get there, and that took a while. The diamond can't go over any of the two large rings that are blocking two possible exits, and since they won't go anywhere, the real exit must be through the other end of the U bar. It's easy to reach that conclusion, but now what? - Well, I figured the oval loop in the U bar was a major part in the solving process, but that didn't help much. So far, I knew where the diamond was supposed to exit and the oval loop was a very important characteristic, but connecting the two was still a foggy thought. To avoid further spoilers for future solvers of the puzzle, I'll leave the rest for you to figure out on your own. 

After spending weeks chasing what seemed like an impossible task, seeing the diamond finally out of the puzzle is the ultimate rewarding feeling. When comparing the steps I took with the solution guide, I could see that I made a few redundant ones. There are 17 steps in the solution, but I reckon I must have done more than 20. When describing the difficulty of the Pendulum, I would say that it's not overly complex, although when you take into account the higher than average number of steps required, it's easy to understand why it's a level 9. Getting the diamond back to its original position is much easier, though.

Solution: Click here for a step-by-step guide.

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Closing Comments:

High quality - Affordable price - Tough challenge. When these three statements are used together to describe a single puzzle, it's hard for a puzzle lover to be indifferent to it. If you like wire puzzles, get it. You won't be disappointed.

Availability: The Pendulum is available at PuzzleMaster for about $12 CAD. To see others in this category, click here.


Scorpion

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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PuzzleMaster's Wire Puzzles have been making regular appearances in my reviews for some time now, not only because they're quite the challenge, but also because they have a great price/quality relationship. The Scorpion, another original design, is yet another nice example of the wide selection of wire puzzles you'll discover at the Canadian puzzle store.

Design-wise, if it weren't for the name, I would have had a hard time finding out that the puzzle is supposed to look like a scorpion. Maybe the back of the wire frame slightly resembles a scorpion shape... Besides the wire frame, there's also a string with two attached rings and two beads. The goal is to remove the larger ring from the puzzle.

Rated as a level 8/10, I would say that's about right for the kind of challenge you'll encounter. I have definitely solved harder level 8 puzzles, although the solution is anything but simple. With a mixture of wire and string - an explosive mixture, I might say - there's plenty of room to make some unwanted knots. My advice is to avoid at all costs make more than the necessary loops around the frame. Try to remember your steps, as it may become crucial to "rewind" from a mistake.

The two beads are there for a reason, since they're large enough to not pass through the Scorpion's body. The rings below the beads also can't go through the main ring. I've been saying in previous reviews to pay close attention at the puzzle's features and unusual characteristics, but in this one, let's just say that there's more than it's actually needed. In other words, there may be parts of the puzzle that are there just to lead you in the wrong direction. I know, because I've spent a good time there, and only after a while I decided to try something else. I'm not saying much about the solution, but I can tell you that it's way simpler than you might think, as looks can be deceiving.

Solution: For a .pdf of the solution, click here.

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Closing Comments:

What more can I say? - Another great puzzle by PuzzleMaster. The beauty of the Scorpion lies in the solution itself and how much you can change the appearance of a puzzle to make it even more complex. If you like wire puzzles, go for it. If you don't like someone, offer them one...

Availability: The Scorpion puzzle is available at PuzzleMaster for just about $10 CAD, as well as many others in their wire brand. They also have a very similar puzzle, the Scorpion's Sting, but I'm intrigued as to how it can be a level 10 if it's almost identical.


Sidewinder

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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My torturous adventure with wire puzzles continues this week with another fiendish puzzle, the Sidewinder. This is made by PuzzleMaster and it's one of the hardest puzzles that I've tried so far. The goal is to remove the red string.

On top of being a very difficult puzzle to solve, the Sidewinder is a mixture of wire and string. If that's not enough to scare you off, you're one brave puzzler. Many of my previous attempts with string based puzzles have ended in complete disaster with some hard to disentangle knots. Because of this, whenever I face a string puzzle, caution and prudence are two things very well present on my mind.

As I understand by its name, the puzzle is reminiscent of a venomous pit-viper. If that's the intention, it fits perfectly with its theme and level of difficulty. The wire part, a trademark of PuzzleMaster, is made with a nickel plated finish and has two rings, one at each end. The way the rings are positioned leaves very little room to move them. The string part is comprised by two beads at both ends and is entangled at the wire frame by two small loops. While it seems possible at first sight, the beads can't pass through the metal rings.

The Sidewinder is a level 10/10 (Mind boggling) puzzle, so this might give you an idea of the complexity involved and serious thinking required in order to successfully solve it. You're probably wondering by now if I have solved the puzzle with all this talk... To simply answer you - No, I did not. I have the puzzle since January and have been trying on and off, with little to no progress at all. And I'm not sure if I will ever be able to solve it.

I keep trying to imagine how the string can be freed from the wire frame, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around it. I'm sure the two rings play an important role in the solving process, and that the string with its 30cm length (12") will probably make a few crazy knots, but all my attempts have produce no noticeable effect.

Closing Comments:

Being one of the most difficult wire puzzles around, the Sidewinder is a true test to your patience and skill levels. If you're an experienced wire puzzle enthusiast, this is definitely one for you.

Availability: The Sidewinder is available at PuzzleMaster for about $10 CAD. For many others in this category, check out their dedicated Wire Puzzle page.

Solution: You can download here the solution for the Sidewinder puzzle. I won't give up on mine just yet, but my patience has limits.


Blue Knight

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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The Blue Knight is made in Canada by PuzzleMaster, which offers a wide range of wire puzzles from easy to extremely hard. The puzzle has the shape of the letter K and attached is a handle with a golden ring. Your task is to "simply" remove the ring.

As always, PuzzleMaster's wire puzzles are made with a beautiful nickel-plated finish, giving a very pleasant appearance and smoother manipulation, not to mention that it doesn't leave any metal smells in your hands, which is a big plus.

The Blue Knight is rated as a 9/10 puzzle (Gruelling), but either I'm getting way better at solving this type of puzzles or it is probably not as difficult as it seems, because I managed to solve it within 15 minutes. Not bad at all for a level 9 puzzle.

At the ends of the K shape are four different types of obstacles: Some allow the handle to pass through, but not the ring, others are small enough to pass inside the ring, but the blue beads don't let the handle go through. Obviously, the back end of the handle is large enough to not let the ring go through there... You have to carefully analyse the puzzle and check what steps are required in order to free the ring.

One of my fellow puzzle friends has told me a nice way to look at this type of puzzles that helps to solve them, sort of... One of the first things you have to realize when trying to solve a wire puzzle is to imagine it solved and process the steps backwards. In other words, in which part of the puzzle do you see the ring getting freed? Which parts might help you get there and which ones are dead-ends? Easier said than done, right? - But it makes sense, because just fiddling with the puzzle and not having any idea what you're doing won't get you far.

I won't go into specifics as to how to solve the puzzle, but one thing you should be aware is, from those four obstacles in the K shape, which ones allow the ring to pass? - I can tell you that there's only one and that's where the ring will exit. Now, you just have to find a way to do that. If you still need more help, you can download a .pdf solution here.

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The Blue Knight is available at PuzzleMaster for about $16 USD. To find more wire puzzles, check out their wire section.

Closing Comments:

My adventure with wire puzzles hasn't been always a smooth ride. I feel they get the best of my thinking abilities, but at the same time they push my patience and frustration levels to the limit. As I've been saying for a while now, I love them and I hate them.

I loved the Blue Knight, not just because I was able to solve it in a short amount of time, but because I loved  to discover the steps until the final solution. It's a very rewarding feeling, only possible when you know you solved a hard puzzle.

Beetle Bug

Posted on Apr 3, 2012 by Gabriel | 1 comments
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After having recently reviewed a couple of easy Wire Puzzles, I am now moving on to tougher paths. It still isn't a top level puzzle, but it can be a little tricky with multiple steps required.

The Beetle Bug is another PuzzleMaster's version of the Tucker-Jones House original from 1985, the Satan's Stirrup. As mentioned in previous reviews, I prefer the material used by PuzzleMaster, with a smoother surface.

The puzzle belongs to Tucker's group 4/8 puzzles, so it's right there in the middle of difficulty. PuzzleMaster rates it at 7/10. Not too hard for it to become frustrating, but it's also not that simple, which prevents it from being solved right away. I reckon these ones are the best for me, as I tend to get frustrated pretty quickly when it comes to Wire/String puzzles.

I think the name of the puzzle is very fitting for what it resembles. Usually, I like better the names that PuzzleMaster comes up with for their puzzles, because they often describe best the nature and appearance of the puzzle.

The goal is simple to understand straight away. Just try to separate the handle from the beetle. The previous easier puzzles have actually served a purpose, because as I've been saying, it's possible to learn some tips from them in order to solve harder ones.

This one took me between 15 and 20 minutes to figure it out. Most of the times, when I solve this type of puzzles, I get rather surprised when it's finally solved, so I don't pay much attention to the steps I took. Getting it back to its original position is sometimes more challenging. I think it took me about the same time to put it back together again. I had an idea of what it should be done, but not quite certain.

Spoiler ahead: The first thing I noticed was the length of the handle. If it's that long, it's not in vain. The first step is getting the handle to go over one of the U ends and then through the bottom including the ring. After that, make the ring go over the tip of the handle and again to go over one of the curled ends below the ring. This will make the handle pass through the inside of the ring and access the last section of the puzzle. The next step is to get the handle through one of the U ends and go inside the ring again. While doing this, go over the ring and the two curled ends and you should be able to free the handle.

I understand this might sound a little confusing, if you're trying to solve it with the description above, but it's just to point you in the right direction. If you still need a graphical solution, you can download one here.

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Closing Comments:

After solving the Beetle Bug puzzle, I think I have a new standard for my favorite level when it comes to wire puzzles: level 7. This is perfect to enjoy the puzzle. It provides a great challenge, while keeping the frustration levels low enough to still get a rewarding sense of accomplishment.

Availability: PuzzleMaster has two versions of the Beetle Bug: the one I have and another called Lady Bug, about double the size. They also have the original from Tucker-Jones House, the Satan's Stirrup.

Heart Breaker

Posted on Mar 20, 2012 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Following last week's topic about easy Wire Puzzles, which by the way are great to learn the basics in order to solve harder ones, I have just another one, the Heart Breaker. This puzzle is manufactured by PuzzleMaster and it's a more affordable version of Tucker-Jones House's Iron Heart from 1981.

The Heart Breaker is comprised by two parts, one of them in the shape of a heart. To "break" the heart, you have to separate the two parts. The description of the puzzle says to remove the heart shape, but the funny thing is that when I looked at the puzzle and solved it, I interpreted it as if I just had the other part removed from the heart shape, not the other way around. I know both interpretations lead to the same exact end, because after all, the goal is to separate both parts. Nevertheless, it's interesting how we, looking at the same object, can see it in two completely different ways.

This puzzle is rated by PuzzleMaster as a 5/10 difficulty level and I couldn't agree more. This is probably the easiest and fastest wire puzzle I have ever solved. It took no more than a few seconds to look at it and do immediately the exact movement to take it apart. The movement needed to solve it is so simple that putting it back is equally easy. No challenge there.

If the solution is not that obvious to you, I can give you a hint: take advantage of the U section of the heart shape, which is the main focus of the solution. For a graphical solution, download a .pdf file here.

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The Heart Breaker is available for about $10 CAD, along with many other affordable PuzzleMaster wire puzzles. If you prefer the Tucker-Jones House original instead, although a lot more expensive, they also have it available. As mentioned in my previous review, I prefer the cheaper version, because I like the material better, with the smooth coating finish.

Closing Comments:

The Heart Breaker may not be recommended for you if you're experienced with this kind of puzzles. However, they can be useful for beginners to learn the ropes and adventure themselves later into more challenging and fiendish wire puzzles.

Iron Maiden

Posted on Mar 13, 2012 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Once in a while I like to torture myself with a Wire Puzzle. Most of the times they drive me nuts while I try in vain to find a solution. Others, however, are not that frustrating and give me an incentive for tougher levels. The puzzle that I'm reviewing today, the Iron Maiden is fortunately one of those examples.

The Iron Maiden is an original design by Tucker-Jones House from 1982 and the version I have, more affordable, is produced by PuzzleMaster. While it's cheaper, it's still a good quality puzzle, so you'll get the full experience. Quite honestly, I kind of prefer the PuzzleMaster ones with a smooth coating finish rather than a rough surface and because of the coating, the puzzle doesn't leave that characteristic metal smell on your hands afterwards.

The puzzle is very well named, as it resembles a figure of a maiden in uniform. The goal, as always, is to separate or remove a part of the puzzle. In this case, a golden ring.

When you first inspect the puzzle, you quickly notice that the ring is not large enough to pass through either of the two triangular parts at both ends. It can easily go around the curved middle part, though, but it doesn't help much, as the top end gets in the way. The solution for this one, or for any other wire puzzle, is not so straightforward, but can be easily accomplished with persistence. This one took me about 10 minutes to solve.

This is rated by PuzzleMaster as a 6/10 (Tricky) and belongs to Tucker-Jones' second group of puzzles from 8 (8 being the hardest). It's far from being a complex puzzle, however it does has its advantages. If you're a beginner on this type of puzzles, these are great to learn some key movements that will prove very useful in solving many other higher level puzzles. Although you won't be using the same exact movements in other puzzles, you'll be able to solve them more intuitively.

I'll try not to give too much away about the solution, to avoid spoiling it for you. Instead, I'll write just a couple of pointers that can guide you in the right direction. As I mentioned above, the middle curved part is the only one that allows the ring to pass freely back and forth - Use this to your advantage. Another thing to keep in mind is the bottom part of the puzzle. When you try to move it past the 180º, it appears to require a little more force to come down and touch the middle part. Don't be afraid to break it. It will bend a little bit, but it's a necessary move and that part returns to the original position on its own. If after this, you still need a graphical solution, go here.

(Click to Enlarge) - Solved

The Iron Maiden is available at PuzzleMaster for about $11 CAD. If you prefer the original version produced by Tucker-Jones House, you can also get it at PuzzleMaster for $25 CAD.

Closing Comments:

For experienced puzzlers, the Iron Maiden won't be so ruthless. For beginners though, it can be still be quite the challenge, but a nice training for harder difficulty levels. This is also a recommended level to torture you friends with, but it's not so frustrating to the point that it'll make them hate you for a long time.

The A Puzzle

Posted on Feb 21, 2012 by Gabriel | 2 comments
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(Click to Enlarge)

PuzzleMaster has a great wide selection of Wire Puzzles on their website, manufactured by them, and The A Puzzle, from the brilliant mind of puzzle designer Jean Claude Constantin, is a good example of this. 

The goal of the Wire Puzzles is always to disentangle or separate a part of them, whether it's a ring, a string or, as in the case of The A Puzzle, a handle. Good thing it doesn't have a string though, as those are a nightmare to solve, mostly because they can easily become quite entangled in the frame.

Besides the ring at one end of the handle, there are two others in the A frame. These two rings prevent the handle to simply pass to the end of the wire frame in the middle. Note that the ring found in the handle is the same size as the other two, so it won't be possible to just pass it through them. Also worth mentioning is that the two rings can't move much around the frame, so you have to find a way to get the handle past them.

For a 7/10 difficulty level, this one proved to be much harder than I was expecting. It took me a couple of days with constant fiddling to finally see the handle off the A. Nevertheless, it sure was a great feeling having solved it, after so much unsuccessful tries. One thing about this type of puzzles, at least for me, is that frustration kicks in pretty fast after I run out of ideas on how to tackle them. I have to take several breaks in between to refresh my mind before having another go.

I find that with Wire Puzzles it's always a bit difficult to explain the solving process in words, so I'll just give you a couple of pointers. Spoilers ahead: When thinking of a way to solve a puzzle like this, it's good to have an idea of where might be the exit for the part being separated. This exit is found in the middle of the right ring, the one that's attached to a little loop, in the gap between the loop and the frame. Another important step to keep in mind is that you need to make the left ring pass between the handle and in turn, make the handle go around the middle of the frame. There is another couple of similar steps, but after this it should be solved in no time. If you still need a graphical solution, download one here.

(Click to Enlarge)

The A Puzzle can be found at PuzzleMaster, along with many other Wire Puzzles.

Closing Comments:

Despite being a little harder than expected, and although not the most difficult I've tried, The A Puzzle was still a lot of fun to solve. Yes, it can be a little frustrating at times, but that's the fun of solving puzzles - they're a challenge and a test to our resolve.

Glühbirne (Light Bulb)

Posted on Jan 24, 2012 by Gabriel | 2 comments
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I have reviewed many great puzzles by the German designer Jean Claude Constantin and the Glühbirne (German for Light Bulb) is no exception.

As of now, this is my favorite Wire/String Puzzle. The design concept and theme is so original and funny, it captures a puzzler's attention right away. The wire frame in the shape of a light bulb is perfectly achieved. In fact, it's just about the same size as a standard light bulb and the goal is to remove the wooden plug and rope from its wire frame.

The puzzle itself is not very difficult to solve. It's rated by PuzzleMaster as a 5/10 and I think it's about right, although I don't mind the easiness, because it's a break from the routine of having to try and solve other insanely hard Wire Puzzles. It took me just around 10 minutes to remove the plug, and returning it to the initial position was equally easy.

There's no solution at the PuzzleMaster website for this one, but I'm sure you won't be needing one. Nonetheless, I will try to explain the two movements necessary to break the plug free. Don't read the next paragraph, if you want to try it on your own:

When you first analyse the puzzle, you'll notice a small ring at the bottom of the frame. This ring is constraining the movement of the string just to the inside of the frame and blocking it from moving into the outer parts of the frame. So, the first step is to get the string to this very outer part of the frame and in order to do that, you're gonna need to pass the string through the small loop at the center of the light bulb and go around the wire that in turn also goes through this small loop. When you've done that, you're going to repeat that movement, but this time, you have to first make the string pass inside that small ring at the bottom. After the loop movement, just pull the plug with the string and it should just come out. To return the string to its original position, just repeat both steps backwards.

(Click to Enlarge)

Closing Comments:

No love/hate towards the Glühbirne like the other Wire Puzzles, just love... Yes, it's easy to solve, but fun, and after all, not all puzzles need to be complex and tough to be appreciated. I loved the theme of the puzzle and the whole concept of removing the plug from the light bulb was very well thought and executed. Well done Jean Claude!

The Glühbirne (Light Bulb) is available at PuzzleMaster for $12 CAD (approx. €9).




Cupid's Dart

Posted on Jan 3, 2012 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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The Cupid's Dart is PuzzleMaster's own version of Uncle's Suffacator puzzle. PuzzleMaster's version does have a more attractive design, instead of some random figure though.

As I've said in previous reviews of Wire/String puzzles, my relationship with them is somewhat of a love/hate type. They can seriously frustrate you for several weeks or months straight without even a slight advance in figuring out its solution. But when you do finally discover the so much coveted solution, the rewarding feeling is worth the wait.

I have to be honest, I fear String puzzles even more than all-Wire Puzzles. They're quite sturdy and can stand up to most attempts at bending or breaking them, but you can mess up a String puzzle pretty good with some serious knots, which is quite scary, actually. Some of them can be messed up almost beyond repair, so when you're solving one and you're uncertain of the end result, proceed with caution. You've been warned...

The Cupid's Dart has its name because of its appearance, which really looks like a dart. The object is to remove the string from the wire frame. To make your task even tougher, the string goes through a ball that's large enough so that it doesn't pass inside the two ring loops in the frame. It does go through the arrow part of the puzzle, though.

The difficulty of Cupid's Dart is rated as a 9/10 (Gruelling) by PuzzleMaster and I wouldn't be surprised if it were indeed a 10/10, although its solution was kind of spoiled for me.

When I was trying to solve the puzzle for the first time, I noticed that one of the loops found at the arrow part (not to be confused with the actual bigger ring loops), was a bit more open than the other. This gap in the frame was actually big enough to let the string pass, so before I knew it, the string was out.

I became a little suspicious after solving the puzzle so fast, in about 10 minutes. It seemed much easier than I was expecting, so, even though I don't normally see the solution, unless I gave up completely, I had to download PuzzleMaster's solution and take a look to see what was going on. I should've known better... The solution had nothing to do with what I did to solve it. Then, after a moment of pure discontentment for my poor attempt at solving it, I put the string back to its original state. If you have given up, you can find the solution here.

(Click to Enlarge)

I have to say, from what I saw in the solution, it is quite hard to figure it out, even after several hours dedicated to it. I guess it's one of those companions for months of hard work... I'm gonna have to give it another go, when I don't have the solution so fresh in my head.

Closing Comments:

Despite the fact that I didn't actually solved it, I liked the Cupid's Dart. It has a recognizable shape, which not all Wire/String puzzles have and it's a real challenge if you're feeling courageous enough.

The Wire/String puzzles have something that it's truly hard to achieve and not all puzzle types can do this effectively: value for your money. Most of them are relatively cheap to buy, but you'll use it for quite some time until you solve it, so it's really worth it.

The Cupid's Dart is available at PuzzleMaster for $9.95 CAD.
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