Tag: take apart

That Funky Monkey – Brass Monkey Sixential Discovery

Posted on by fivesinatras in Brass Monkey Sixential Discovery, Burr, Sequential Discovery, Take-Apart, Two Brass Monkeys

Brass Monkey Sixential Discovery

Two Brass Monkeys, 2 lbs, 2.75″

I’ve long been a fan of Two Brass Monkeys: Steve and Ali’s sense of humor is only outpaced by their sense of puzzling, with numerous metal locks and burrs having come our way over the years. I am in possession of all 6 of the Brass Monkey Burrs (along with a few of their other creations) and am now utterly compelled to write about them, having just solved BMSD, the sixth member of the burr series.

(I also want to call attention to the fittingly adorable TBM branded mat that generously came with BMSD – this is definitely going to come in handy!)

BM 1 – 6 appear almost identical, the only giveaway (aside from weight and, sometimes, a bit of noise) are on the tips of the sticks, with the number of concentric circles varying to designate which of the series you are currently looking at (some, including BMSD, also feature holes at the center of some stick tips). The series builds off of itself: the first is a classic, six piece burr, lovingly and perfectly crafted out of brass. From there, the series begins to add tricks, forcing you to think wildly outside the box at times as you uncover a way to unlock and disassemble the burr. The complexity of these trick openings increases as you progress through the ranks of the series, becoming ever more tricky and ingenious. If you like burrs and trick-opening take-apart puzzles (and who doesn’t?) then this is a series for you!

This, however, is not a comprehensive write-up of the series but rather a focus on the most recent, sixth entry. The sixth is something of a departure as it really starts to place a HEAVY emphasis on sequential discovery. This puzzle is not for the faint of heart – be prepared to build up a stack of doo-dads as you make your way through. That said, it is all highly logical and sensible; there is a clear flow and rhythm, even when I would hit walls I could typically tell (somewhat, more or less, kinda) where I was headed, even if it might take a nudge to get there (it did).

Starting on this 2 pound beast of an SD burr wasn’t so easy – I had to adjust myself to the fact that this is metal and I ain’t gonna hurt it and before too much longer I was on my way. This puzzle just keeps going and going – the goal is not to disassemble, or perhaps I should it is not just to disassemble. The first time I thought I was done was when I had the puzzle in a bazillion pieces; the second time was when I found… something; the final time was when I found the something else I still needed to find (totes adorbs). (I am being a bit cagey as I always like to err on the side of spoiler-free). Each time I basked in my own brilliance, alongside the many aha!s I had come across as I made my way there.

I was pretty sure that I was going to struggle with the reset – burrs are far from my strong suit and the bazillions bits and pieces didn’t encourage much confidence. But there is something so logical and clear about the complex design that I was able to backtrack my way without too much trouble (it helps a lot that I made myself solve it in one sitting – I cleared an afternoon and it took up all of it to do so – it was oh so worth it).

But what would a fivesinatras write-up be without some dumbassery – fear not reader, so sure was I that I had solved it early that I fully reset it before discovering the last several steps required to find the something else. Of course I dove right back in, pieces flying as I delved deep (more like pieces being placed carefully to the side but I am going for imagery here) reaching where I had previously reversed course and realizing where I needed to go (it took a while and a nudge or two to figure out how to get there, however, with this being one of the trickier parts of the whole shaboodle).

Suffice it to say I am a big lover of this puzzle – if you dig SD take-apart puzzles, then this is most definitely one for you. I suspect it will garner much love amongst the puzzle people puzzling around out there.

BMSD in its Natural Habitat, alongside its five siblings and cousins, Ali’s Bolt and Hokey Cokey Lock (and a number of other metal puzzling fun).

Hitting the Jackpot: Bandit by MW Puzzles

Posted on by fivesinatras in Bandit, MW Puzzles

Bandit

MW Puzzles; 350 copies
2.5 lbs; 7.5″ x 3.75″ x 4.25″
Metal, Walnut, Acrylic

When I was a kid, I had a miniature slot machine with tiny tokens that would make the wheels spin; hitting a jackpot would release whatever tiny tokens had been inserted thus far. While entertaining to my nascent mind, there wasn’t all that much to it – pull the arm, spin the wheels, lose and repeat until you win.

MW Puzzles has taken the classic one-armed bandit and made something fun, tricky and unique, something instantly recognizable, such that the ultimate goal is clear from the start even as the path to it is not.

This makes for something that demands to be picked up, sure to catch the eye of puzzlers and non-puzzlers alike. It begs to be handled; at 7.5″ x 3.75″ x 4.25″ and 2.5 lbs (that’s just over 1 kilo for you metric weirdos), it fits perfectly in two hands, a necessity for all the exploration it will require.

When you first sit down with MW Puzzles’ Bandit, you will almost certainly do what comes most naturally: pull the Bandit’s one-arm… and you will find it does nothing but rotate freely: the wheels don’t spin and a jackpot is most definitely not in the cards. This is sure to reel you in and pique the puzzling mind in the way that a good puzzle does, spinning you around while sucking you in so you just want to try one more thing, just like the real thing catches you with just one more quarter; the difference is that you can actually win with Bandit, should you put in the thought and effort – the payoff is in the cards, to mix casino metaphors.

So begins a sequential discovery journey that rewards experimentation and patience, teasing you with a partial view of its inner workings through a semi-opaque acrylic back, framed by lovely walnut sides and a glistening metal frame that comes in one of four colors.

I had the welcome opportunity to test a late prototype and to compare it to the final version, getting a glimpse into the careful planning and patient meticulousness of the puzzle’s creator. This is not a hastily thrown together puzzle but is instead the result of ample thought and cast-aside proto’s – there were a few changes following even this late prototype that proved to me that MW is a puzzle maker who takes this art seriously; in seeking to entertain, it will be done with pride in a well-made product.

I shouldn’t be surprised after solving MW’s previous trilogy of metal puzzles, all reflecting their excellent craftsmanship and puzzling prowess; Bandit is a larger evolution of MW’s puzzle oeuvre that secures its place as a puzzlemaker to be followed.

Crafting a puzzle that actually looks like something is not all that easy – other than Karakuri, most makers shy away from the innate restrictions imposed by holding oneself to an existing aesthetic but MW leans into it, using the well-known game of chance to inform and obfuscate its puzzling mechanisms, with multiple tools (some quite well hidden) and a progressive puzzling journey whose finale provides the payoff one hopes for. MW has made something that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is recognizable, with puzzling that does not disappoint.

The goal is not so much to “fix” a “broken” slot machine but to discover how this strange cousin functions instead, achieving a jackpot through skill rather than stumbling upon it by luck: this is no game of chance but rather one that requires thought to understand and conquer.

MW began taking pre-orders for the initial run of Bandit a couple weeks ago; pre-orders appear to currently be closed at this time but I would reach out via discord or the website if interested, as interest seems to (unsurprisingly) be high. Bandit will be limited to 350 copies, 75 of each color with an initial run of 300 and plans for a final 50 down the line.