Saturday 27 July 2013

Stickman Fulcrum Puzzlebox


Looking at the usual pictures of this box on the web gives the impression of something a lot larger than it is in real life – I’d always pictured something akin to my mom’s old sewing box, so the first time I saw one at James Dalgety’s marvellous emporium I was really surprised to see how small it was – it’s dinky!

Back in 2006 these puzzles were originally sold for just over $100 when they were described as fairly trivial puzzles by their maker, albeit puzzles that begged to be picked up and played with. Nowadays they regularly change hands for many times their original price on the specialist puzzle auction sites – but finding one that’s available remains a huge challenge. 

 
You’re told that there are two compartments to be discovered and you’ll discover a few panels that might slide if they weren’t connected through a series of interlinked arms that are in turn tied to sliding locks on the sides… and depending on how you start moving the panels, you either  get a tiny bit of movement or immediately block every other potential move ... or that's what it can feel like!


A bit of experimentation and you can find a pathway through the various sliding panels that will enable you to move forward until the first compartment slides open... and couple more moves and the second opens up, with the inside of the top panel revealing Rob's customary Stickman signature... good enough to sign cheques with!


Easily the dinkiest Stickman in my collection - and definitely one of the cutest.

1 comment:

  1. I like it... throw in a few wheels, a boiler, a coal burner and some track and hey presto a little chuffin' Billy. A very interesting little mechanical puzzle indeed!

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