Opened lock!

Sorry guys, the name can be disappointing, but the lock is not opened...but transparent, or almost!
Hence its name: transparent lock

Yes, you can see what's inside the lock and what you're doing. Easy then? Not complicated indeed, but we'll see.

First a picture!

So you notice pure quality, right? A lock that is firmy locked and a T-shaped tool.

This is a pretty big lock, but a pretty light (compared to its size) as well because most of the lock is just....empty space !!! :-)

I feel this is one of the most original trick locks because of its design. Regarding the puzzling aspect: this is definitely a nice one to solve, easy to repeat, but overall a not too difficult puzzle.

You should not have too many difficulties to find the steps needed (there are several) that are pleasant.
I was blocked on a step, the last one, that I managed to solve though. But it appeared to me a little bit fetched and I would have prefered a more elegant step!

It's not easy to put a picture of the lock solved without spoiling too much, but I am sure you imagine how it should look like once solved, like all trick locks: when the shackle is opened!!!

To conclude, definitely a puzzle to have in your collection or to have played with. However, a little bit more difficult would not have been bad :)

Ring box

The title of this post is not really specific to this metal puzzle designed and crafted by Gary Foshee some time ago, because many puzzles are called "ring box" (like one small puzzle made out of corian designed and crafted by Frank Chambers, that I reviewed before).

Regarding the design: very nice and very well made like most (if not all) Gary's puzzles. The puzzle is like a small metal cylinder with a button that you can push on the top (and that does not make anything special?....) and something ratling inside, maybe the ring?

Oh yes, and the puzzle also comes with a small piece of paper attached to the black pouch with a paperclip, where it's written "solution" !!!

This is not the first time that I see a puzzle coming with the solution (?) and it reminds me some old Strijbos'. You have several possibilities: either the designer wanted to make fun of you by trying to mean that what you see is what's needed to solve the puzzle whereas it's not. Or the designer did provide you with all the tools needed. It's up to you to investigate and try things :)

If you consider that what you see is all the tools useful to solve the puzzle, then you have a piece of paper, a pouch and a paperclip, but what to do? And when? Because when looking at the puzzle it seems that you do not need all these things....No you cannot put the paperclip in the small hole on the bottom of the puzzle (I am sure you will try), no you cannot put the puzzle in the black pouch, shake it and like with a bit of magic the puzzle solved itself (I am sure you will not try that haha).

This puzzle has a simple mechanism, but a very very efficient one and for me solving this puzzle was pleasant because Gary implemented a new kind of mechanism/solving process. So it's not only a nice and collectible puzzle to have but also a one-of-a-kind mechanism.
But take care: you have to reassemble the puzzle in the way you solved it. I mean: don't try "stupid things" (like what I did...but I managed to sort it out and reassemble the puzzle!) because you could jammed the puzzle for good. The collectors who have this puzzle will understand how this puzzle can be jammed....(don't try that!).

I am sure now you wonder if it was a ring which was ratling inside the puzzle, here is the end of the suspense :)

Maybe the ring is involved in the solution process??

Lunatic lock: a quick comparison between the original and the mass-produced

Every puzzle collectors, whether they collect metal puzzles and/or trick locks or just puzzles, have already heard at least one about the famous Lunatic lock, a metal lock designed by Gary Foshee.

But most collectors have the Bits&Piece lunatic lock and not the original and thus cannot see the differences between both. My copy was my first trick lock.

Before pointing out the differences, a quick talk about what this puzzle is: a lock of course! But a lock without any hole to put a key and without any key, so a mysterious lock!

So how to open it? Well you can play with the small rod in the center: you can turn it, pull it more or less. You can hear also some pins or other ratling things when you move the lock. Then perhaps you've found out what is inside? If so, that's already a good point.
Even if you know how to solve it, you need good precision, and thus it can take a little bit of time.

Once solved you can see the mechanism: simple, precise and so efficient to make you be "lunatic" :-)

Here we are with the differences: on the left will be the original one and on the right a mass-produced version. The mechanism is exactly the same for both.


The design:
I do not have with me right now the mass-produced one, but it seems that the original lock is a bit bigger.
The main difference is that the name of the lock is written on the lock produced by Bits&Pieces. Honestly I think this is a nice thing and I would have liked to see the name written as well on the lunatic lock crafted by Gary Foshee.

The material used
It's stainless steel for the original lock and some kind of cheap aluminium for the mass-produced.
I always prefer to have the original puzzles because the quality has usually nothing to do with the mass-produced ones. However, I must admit that the material is pretty good for this copy. But I still prefer of course the smooth stainless steel of the original one.


Miscellaneous
For the original one, you will have a small addition, but I cannot say more, otherwise it's not a surprise!

To conclude, this puzzle is a must-have in any collection. If you cannot afford the original version, which is rare and expensive, then you can consider buying a mass-produced version for around 15 euros, which will still do well its "job".

Gary's escape

Yes this is a pretty old (from 1997) puzzle (which makes it highly collectible!!) designed by Gary Foshee and composed of a bottle, a metal rod and a marble to be freed.
 

Everything what you need is provided with the puzzle. You just have to take care because, being made with glass, it's fragile.

It's by no mean a difficult puzzle, pretty straight forward, but the ideas are clever. Even if you're not a seasoned puzzler, you immediately know what you have to do, how you will do it and what you expect the result to be. But still you will have pleasure to solve it.

In the solution booklet Gary says to unscrew the bottle to reassemble all the things inside. But if you want a pretty difficult challenge you can try to reassemble it without unscrewing the bottle.

What is your favourite bottle puzzle?

To conclude: this is a nice puzzle and perfect for an exchanged puzzle

If you're lunatic, don't try this lock

This trick lock was designed by Gary Foshee and was sold by Eureka.

No keys are provided because no keys are needed ;-)

And usually the keys provided with trick locks are sot useful (or at least not useful for the beginning of the solving process). However, with almost trick locks, some keys are provided, here it is not the case. And thus, you can wonder how to open it, and it will definitely surprise your friends! The good thing of not having any keys is that you cannot lost them.

Any idea why it's called "Lunatic"??

Try to move the lock upside down, try to pull out the rod. You motice that sometimes the rod is blocked. Don't worry, you have not broken the puzzle, it's normal!

Once opened you can see how simple the mechanism is but it's really tricky and very smart: you need good precision to solve your lock.

Even knowing the solution by heart, it can take me a bit of time to open it, but you can repeatedly open this lock.

WARNING : the following link is a spoiler of how to solve it. It is very well explained.

http://home.comcast.net/~l-whiting/attbi/LunaticLock_solution.html

To conclude, this lock is very good, cheap enough, with a simple but tricky mechanism.

If you like trick locks, don't hesitate to buy one, it is a must-have in your collection and you can easily find it on the internet.

And even if you don't like so much trick locks, it is still worth the case buying and trying it!