![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LOCM0PquPwxmz6kTCJbhsQ5-mjjjSDI1cW7HGu62to7Sy650Lg8Tp15h0ZK47XaZEk-YZf7eq8NR-TZErr_3eVEHuOUBx4VlZc7uNTiSL47O6AeKbY9BZO2Gg5DVpZSjTXWHrKHFGJBG/s1600/AW_Puzz_Cat-0068_edited-1.jpg)
My mate Adin has recently
embarked on a bit of a journey into making and designing his own puzzles. Most
folks who’ve bumped into me at a puzzle party recently will probably have been given
a copy of his Symmple puzzle that is fiendishly difficult – he doesn’t do
things in half-measures.
Similarly, when he started
making puzzles in wood, he came up with his own design and made a beautiful
copy which had me thoroughly stumped for the best part of one of his visits to
me.
(I managed to take it apart on his next visit … and promptly asked for a copy if he ever got around to making any more of them – it’s a very interesting design that looks nothing like a standard 6-piece burr – which is essentially what it is – it has a series of shoulders on the pieces which have different lengths on one of the axes and those shoulders remove many degrees of freedom and make for a really unusual solve.)
(I managed to take it apart on his next visit … and promptly asked for a copy if he ever got around to making any more of them – it’s a very interesting design that looks nothing like a standard 6-piece burr – which is essentially what it is – it has a series of shoulders on the pieces which have different lengths on one of the axes and those shoulders remove many degrees of freedom and make for a really unusual solve.)
Anyhow, back to this story –
Adin decided he wanted to make me a puzzle for my collection so he asked me
what I wanted – cue brain going into overload and plenty of black smoke coming
from the ears – what is the appropriate answer to an offer like that? We
swapped a couple of emails and at one point I seriously embarrassed myself by asking
for a copy of a particular Coffin cube that I was convinced I didn’t have, only
for Adin to send me a link to my own blog reviewing said cube… suitably
embarrassed I eventually settled on “something on Ishino’s site by Greg Benedetti” knowing that I only had a couple of his designs and Adin knew which
ones I had (probably better than I did!).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VCMh-G4IcyXPteXHYRo8WY8ghC8OLI4dCd1Ro21zzZnIK7evNLCrON5ax0Tb_HinBn2B1lnHf-h4HVh_0uNoHsOIva3onYA-p2CMEtA6obKZWx9Wu4u_h60lSNPZdJNFNgvFPCFTkmcB/s1600/AW_Puzz_Cat-0067_edited-1.jpg)
Adin had thoughtfully given it
to me in two pieces with the comment that “it’s surprisingly tricky”. So I
fiddled around with it while he and Sophie visited and played with some of the
newer puzzles that I hadn’t packed away yet… predictably I got absolutely
nowhere. Don’t get me wrong, there are only two pieces and only one way they
can ultimately end up together as a cube – but how the heck they get there and
where you need to start are indeed surprisingly tricky!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3m_r6oGPBySsu9s2H5m6oZfqKrtMox2VdkvNeplc1zAsEEYIqXT9ydOJTKXybC_i_bXXNbYMyOtLJxMGhqeJAX7W5aHYrjmPy0c5J9SUUqR3KD7RrQKCxq7WBgbmcOwJReg0CwH3aawg2/s1600/AW_Puzz_Cat-0066_edited-1.jpg)
I’m well-impressed at the
quality of this puzzle – not just because it’s been produced by a friend who’s
only admitted to making a handful of puzzles so far – it’s really first-class
work – and the only imperfections on it are the two flattened corners where I
dropped one of the pieces while I was taking the photos for this post (sorry
Adin!). Thanks Adin.
________________________
On a slightly less puzzling
note, Adin also dropped off a sheet of paper cunningly disguised as Yoda for
me… he’d been experimenting with Origami well beyond my abilities when he asked
if there was anything I wanted folded. Having tried and failed (spectacularly!)
to fold a Yoda for myself a little while back, I suggested a Yoda might be nice
– and when he asked which one I’d like I knew he was serious, so we agreed on a
particularly handsome one … which he duly produced and presented to me along
with Rotpack 1.
Thanks mate – it is SMASHING!
….and here’s a pic of my little
Yoda next to the Origami burr he gave me a little while back…
Hi allard and Adin
ReplyDeleteyes you are right that Rotpack is a nice puzzle including the rotations which are needed; I recommanded that puzzle in my articel in CFF about TICs (Turning Interlocking cubes) also as Rotpack # 2 with a Level 7 solution;
happy rotating
Bernhard
Adin's work (both wood and origami) looks stunning! Great addition to the collection!
ReplyDeleteDoes Adin have a wesbite/blog or is he just doing this for a hobby?
ReplyDeleteThe puzzles are immaculately finished. Very professional, especially for a new comer to the craft. Bravo.
He doesn't, but he is on FaceBook and generally shares his puzzling exploits on there...
DeleteThat origami Yoda is awesome too!!
ReplyDelete