I’ve owned a MI Toys copy of All Five for a long time… and for an even longer time I’ve lusted gently after a real Wayne Daniels original copy of All Five… earlier this year I was offered a copy – it is now safely in the humble hoard.
All Five has featured on a lot of blogs (Brian, Gabriel), in
learned magazines (Science), in less learned ones (Games – forgive me guys!) and
even been in the New York Times!
Definition of Platonic Solids: according to Wikipedia (so it
must be right!) – Platonic Solids have congruent, regular
polygonal faces
with the same number of faces meeting at each vertex.
It turns out there are (provably only) five Platonic Solids – the Tetrahedron,
Cube, Octahedron, Dodecahedron and Icosahedron.
Wayne Daniels genius was not only to find a way of nesting
them inside one another rather efficiently (that had been done a long time ago),
but also to fill up the remaining voids with pieces that were themselves either
Platonic Solids or would combine with other pieces to make Platonic Solids…
...and
then actually craft all those bits, rather beautifully in some exquisite
hardwood… NOW do you see why I was lusting after an original copy?
Each of the Platonic Solids can stand on its own, or nestles
inside its neighbour, with space-filling pieces to keep it snug…
I’ve always loved the concept, but I find myself really
marvelling at the craftsmanship that gives life to a thoroughly beautiful
object that contains the essence of Plato’s mathematical beauty within…
Disassembly will pretty much take care of itself if you help
it along at the appropriate points… and assembly is a wonderful exercise in
careful, neat packing.
Beautiful!
I have this too. It's a gem!
ReplyDelete....it really is! Haven't come across anyone who's seen one in the flesh and doesn't love it...
DeleteI have a (similar) puzzle that has the DUALS of the five Platonic Solids. It's a beauty. ;)
ReplyDeleteOoh - that sounds interesting... can you send me a pic, Tyler?
DeletePlease forgive me -- my mathematics humour gene kicked in yesterday when I wrote that. Notice the playful wink at the end of my comment. The brackets and the all-caps were also significant.
DeleteWithout getting into a bunch of geometry definitions:
The Dodecahedron and the Icosahedron are duals of each other.
The Cube and the Octahedron are duals of each other.
The dual of the Tetrahedron is another Tetrahedron.
I have a copy of this same puzzle. Do you still want a photo?
;)
...hook, line and sinker...
DeleteI need to get smarter! LOTS smarter...
I still don’t own a copy of this (much to my shame), I’ve been holding out for the Wayne Daniels version and never had the opportunity to get one.
ReplyDeleteKevin
Puzzlemad
quick stupid question but where/how do you get these puzzles?
ReplyDeleteRecently crafted puzzles generally come straight from the craftsmen. Older puzzles like this one generally come from puzzle auctions or private sales among friends... key message is make friends with lots of puzzle collectors and puzzle craftsmen! (Which doesn't seem like a bad idea anyway...)
Delete