Think Diagonally and Other Directions

Diagonal Twins by Yasuhiro Hashimoto produced by Mine
Note that this photo only shows the pieces as previously displayed by Mine

When the Diagonal Twins by Yasuriro-san was awarded the Puzzler's award AND a Jury honourable mention award at the IPP design competition last year, many of us waited with baited breath for Mine to complete his production run and post them out. It took him quite a while but we were all happy to wait to get hold of something truly special. I haven't had much time to play with it until fairly recently but have taken it to work a few times and let some colleagues loose on it.

There must be something quite compelling about such a simple puzzle because everyone I showed it to was unable to resist playing with it. Having 2 pairs of identical twin pieces made from lovely wood and a simple box with a slightly restricted opening makes it look like it should be an easy thing to solve. I watched everyone play and fail over many many attempts and was delighted by their frustration. Despite watching them play, I only had a little time to try myself. 

The puzzle is very reminiscent of the Pin Block Case by Hajime Katsumoto (produced by Eric Fuller) which I reviewed way back in 2018. It also has 4 pieces to be inserted into a simple cubic box through a restricted opening and requires a very beautiful sequence of moves to solve.

Pin Block Case by Hajime Katsumoto

Over the last week I have been working on this myself and trying my usual attempts outside the box. The pieces fit together in only a linmtied number of ways and so the issue is getting the conformation to go inside. This is much easier to talk about than actually do. I tried to be systematic and find an assembly that I would be able to disassemble through a limited opening and that is where I got stuck. There seem to be a lot of ways it should be possible but the curved sides of the opening prevent almost everything that i wanted to do. Damn! I really struggled. 

I even continued in desperation this morning to try and solve it. If I wasn't successful then I would have nothing interesting to write about for the blog. The pressure was on! Man! This one was tough. After about 1½ hours of muttering to myself (luckily Mrs S was elsewhere) I finally had my Aha! moment and the pieces finally slid home. I can now see why this won the prize - it is such a simple idea and yet so tremendously beautiful in its execution. I cannot show you the packed puzzle as it would give too much away but I have to agree with the Jury and all the puzzlers at last years IPP - it's amazing. If you get a chance to buy a copy or even just play with a copy then you should definitely jump at it. I will be bringing this and the Pin Block Case to work for a while to torture my friends with.

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Jigsaw P4z by Mine
Same photo as released by Mine himself so as not to give too much away

I also challenged my work colleagues with another lovely little simple design by Mine. This is a simple 4 piece jigsaw with a square framed tray to assemble them inside. It arrives with the Jigsaw already pre-assembled so what is the challenge? Take the puzzle pieces and assemble them so that all the nobbles and holes are paired but make it so that the puzzle cannot move in the tray. It's really not terribly tough but needs a little thought and leaves both beginners and experienced puzzlers with a satisfied Aha! moment when they work it out. Everyone I gave it to solved it in about 5-10 minutes and they were all very pleased with themselves. 

Thank you Mine, for the opportunity to play with these. I still have a whole bunch of extras that I haven't gotten around to yet. Most are tray type packing puzzles so I expect them to take me many years!

Jammed Again - It's a Gem!

Jammed Gem Again 3D

Allard reviewed this last week which motivated me to get to it as well. Cutting to the end of his review - it's great and you should buy it! The preorder is currently sold out but maybe Tye will have pity on you and open it up again if more of you request it.

This is the 3rd in the Jammed series by Frederic Boucher (Jammed Gem, Jammed Gem Again and, earlier this year, Jammed Coin) and has been heavily influenced by the amazingly talented Josh Clouser. The original Jammed Gem (pictured left was made by the late and dearly missed Eric Fuller in collaboration with Frederic. I have owned this since it was released in 2022 and have singularly failed to solve it. I have obviously completely missed a crucial feature which was a common feature when Eric made a sequential discovery puzzle. I have literally gotten nowhere and actually ended up putting it away. I think I will now have to go back to it. 

Frederic wanted to make a sequel and did so in 2024 where it won a Jury Honourable Mention award in the design competition - it was called Jammed Gem "Again" and was beautifully made from wood. I am not sure who created that one but it was never made generally available for purchase. Just recently, Josh recreated it in PLA, and Tye Stahly (let's not forget Amanda Stahly) put it up for sale on his Nothingyetdesigns store. Whilst it is not as gorgeous as the wood version (I am always biased towards wood), it is still a very attractive puzzle and is very pleasant to look at and hold. I did say to Tye that it doesn't feel 3D printed - it has a lovely texture and feels much more solid than many 3D printed puzzles. There are also quite a lot of other parts inside including magnets and various other metal parts. 

It comes with some very "helpful" instructions. Allard posted my copy to me when I notified the MPP group that I had to work during the last puzzle party. It consists of one of Frederic's usual Minima style boxes (2x2x3 internal dimensions with holes in the sides  and some panels that won't move at all. After I admired it, I set to work and realised immediately that none of the interior shapes would move at all. I obviously needed to release something first. easier said that done! Playing with it quite quickly got me a couple of tools including a broken key chain. The first step in releasing the interior was quite quick after this discovery except it didn't release the interior. I had a hole I had something to put in the hole and nothing happened. Damn! I'm not very good at puzzles. 

I got stuck at this point for a day or so. There were a number of interesting features where magnets attached to metal but this didn't seem to do anything. Eventually I decided to use a torch (flashlight for the Yanks) and suddenly something was visible (had it always ben there? I had no idea but it wouldn't go away until a bit later it was missing. WTF! At this point I had a little thought© and noticed something special. Oooh, that's very clever! I was now able to do other stuff. 

Frederic has put some of his tricks from other puzzles into this and the sequence of discovering new parts, new shapes and new moves is a wonderful journey. It rapidly got so complex with a steadily enlarging pile of pieces and potential tools that I felt the sudden urge to take notes. Gradually, I made progress using various combinations of pieces and suddenly I found the first gem (very nicely hidden (or even "jammed") and then I got stuck again. I was stuck with one gem and no obvious progression for quite a while before contacting Tye to tell him of my progress and asking whether I had missed any pieces in my path. He acknowledged that everything had gone as planned and I needed to look at the puzzle properly to find the next step. Hmmmm!

I looked and looked to no avail until I looked in the right place. There was something very interesting inside but my goodness it was a long way out of reach. Time to think© again and create the biggest tool I had ever seen in an SD puzzle! Suddenly I had what was needed to complete the challenge. I had the inspiration, the second gem and my number (mine said "Test" rather than a number. Absolutely BRILLIANT! There are a LOT of parts in this - I laid them out for a photo and counted 16 pieces that had been removed from the box plus 3 that are captive inside it. It had taken me a  few days to complete. If you haven't pre-ordered it from Tye then you should have. Badger him to see whether there is any chance of extras.

The reset is easier than the solve but you still need to remember what you had done and what went where. This beautiful creation is a definite candidate for my top ten(ish) of 2026. I intend to take this to work and show it to some of my more mechanically minded colleagues. I am definitely going to have to go back to my copy of Jammed Gem and also my Jammed Coin. Frederic is just a genius!

Jammed Coin (wood version)

Dick Gives Me Think 5 Things To Think About

Window Lock 4 by Dick Hensel

A few weeks ago I received an email from Richard Hensel, informing me that he was completing a batch of his latest wooden locks and suggesting that I might like to avail myself of the opportunity to look and feel stupid (my words not his). 

Having just paid for and received, over the last month or so, quite a large number of rather lovely puzzles (including the Stickman Midas Touch Box, the Angel's Wheel, Idan's I Need My Lunch, the latest releases from Mine and of course the large delivery from Jakub), I figured that discretion was probably a good idea and I asked Dick to wait for a new month before I bought and received yet another toy that would make "she who makes the world shake in fear" angry. I think it worked in that when it arrived, there was just a little muttering and no noisy shouting or pain in the back of my head.

This is the fourth in the series (obvious from the name I guess) and looks fun. It shares the family resemblance with an oak lock and acrylic window on the front allowing the whole thing to be seen. But seeing is not understanding as I was about to find out. I set straight to work after I had finished work yesterday (I missed an MPP yet again). As the title of the blog post says - this puzzle gave me 5 learning/thinking points:

1. Always take your photo before starting to play - I couldn't resist fiddling and managed to make things happen that I couldn't get out of and then I realised that I might not be able to take my initial photo.
2. Look at the damn thing properly before doing anything - it might help you plan what you can do and it might help explain why certain things move/change/happen.
3. Think© - stuff happens or doesn't happen for a reason!
4. Don't stick your fingers inside small holes - stuff can move and then you are in real trouble!
5. Dick is a sneaky bastard!

Having finally gotten back to the beginning, I took my start position photo and started again. needless to say I didn't really understand what I had done. Time to start afresh.

The first thing to notice is that on the left hand side of the lock (as with several of these in the past) can slide and it moves an obvious piece inside:

One edge sides and moves "stuff" inside

Ball bearing present

Having realised the obvious, I couldn't see how that would help. The slider is all very interesting, but it doesn't seem to engage with anything and after a few seconds of opening and closing it several times in various positions, I came to the conclusion that there was more to this puzzle than that. as you can tell, my level of genius is well below that of Derek. I gradually realised that there must be something else hidden inside that I needed to find. Memory of several previous Window Locks left me the feeling that there should be a ball bearing somewhere to help use manipulate internal parts. Rotating the puzzle from side to side, I could hear something rolling about but it couldn't be seen. I turned it over to look at the back and then when I had it right side up the ball bearing was visible. I had no idea where it came from! The BB could be moved around most of the right hand side of the lock where it did absolutely nothing. At this point, I obeyed the thing I learned in point 2 above - LOOK! 

It is relatively obvious what is locking the shackle in place but not what is stopping the locking mechanism from moving. I did find a channel or two for the BB and in one of them I promptly lost it. It went in and didn't want to come out again. There was a tantalising view of it peaking below part of the mechanism but it didn't want to return to the play area. Bugger! I am rubbish at puzzles! I figured that this must have been where it was when I first picked it up so I had better do the same thing again to get it out as I had initially. Except I didn't really know what it was. After 5 minutes of fiddling I eventually figured that out and I could make the ball disappear and reappear at will. Phew! I couldn't make it do anything but at least I had it where I could use it. 

I used learning point 2 and 3 again to decide where I could place the BB to try and manipulate the interior. There is a rather subtle feature that is easy to miss but if you notice it and do something then there is a click and something changes. I had no idea what had changed but the click was quite obvious. To me a click was very useful - all of a sudden, I could move the BB somewhere else and all sorts of stuff inside slid around and BINGO! The lock was open:

Solved it! No spoiler here

I had it open and was able to see the mechanism that had revealed itself. Very clever! But that's not all of it. We are now onto learning point 5 - Dick IS a sneaky bastard. Whilst I understood the last part of the unlocking mechanism, it didn't mean that I understood the puzzle. I was able to return the pieces inside to the initial configuration and the shackle was closed. BUT, when I tilted the lock, it spontaneously opened again. I had missed the critical part of the mechanism. The click had changed something and I didn't know what it was. I could put everything back but it wasn't actually locked.

At this point, I decided that maybe I had a couple of pieces in the wrong order of positioning (if you have opened it, then you know what I mean). I tried to change the order and gravity wouldn't do it. Time to put one of my fingers inside through a small hole to hold things in place whilst I used gravity. Here we arrive upon learning point 4 - I managed to rotate one piece that should not have rotated and then it fell out. Aaaargh! After a short panic, I managed to put it back and then rotate it into the correct position so that it wasn't going to fall out again. At this point I heard a clatter and had a race with a cat. Yes, the ball bearing had fallen out! Luckily I intercepted the ball before it was actually swallowed. I reckon a trip to the vet might have cost me my life - "she" doesn't know about that aspect of this puzzle and I'd be grateful if none of you told her.

Well, that wasn't terribly bright!

Having returned all of the innards to the lock, I was completely stumped. I could open and close the lock so that it looked like I had solved and reset it but I could not re-lock it. I was obviously misunderstanding a fundamental feature of the mechanism. Taking time to think© again. I tried to work out why the locked position wasn't holding properly and I had my lovely little Aha! moment. I could see part of what was happening and if I tried a specific manoeuvre then maybe...click! Oh yes! That click is absolutely crucial. Once I finally realised what the click had been, I was able to lock and unlock the puzzle at will. Fabulous!

Allard's review said that he took a couple of days to work it out and agreed about the sneaky aspect. Everyone can agree on learning point 5 - "sneaky bastard"!

If you get a chance to play with or buy this puzzle then jump at the chance. It really is a lovely design with not quite everything on show but enough to work out what is required. My set is now up to 4 of them now and I'm already looking forward to a future one. I still have one of Dick's locks that predates the Window locks - it has been sitting on my desk for years now and I have no idea how to open it!

A Jigsaw So Good That It Soothes The Soul

Avocets by Mike & Gill Hayduk

As a rule most of us serious puzzlers tend to look askance at jigsaw puzzles. I have reviewed only a few of many years now but there are some that are definitely worth playing with either for the huge challenge or, as in this case, for the sheer beauty and soothing nature of the puzzle.

Big Steve collects pretty much everything under the sun and his wife must be even more angry than mine! Just over a week ago there was an auction in the Sheffield auction house and Steve saw something that he fancied adding to his collection. He duly asked whether I would mind collecting it rather than them posting it to him for an exorbitant price. I was only working a half day on Monday and had some time to head into town and pick up the result of his winning bid. I was rather surprised at the size and weight of it. I immediately saw why he wanted it.

We have the Avocets Jigsaw puzzle made by Mike and Gill Hayduk. Apparently this husband and wife team had been producing gorgeous wooden creations in the 1980s (their website no longer exists but was active up to at least 2021 according to the wayback machine). I guess they must have stopped producing these works of art relatively recently. This is a shame as, had I known about them, I might well have ordered something from them. Steve has been buying their puzzles for years having bought directly from them and more recently finding them in auctions. His collection is very extensive and I have spent quite a while drooling over the gorgeous wood. This particular puzzle is made with quite an assortment of woods: The Avocets from Sycamore, Walnut, Zebrano and Ebony. The background from two shades of Tulipwood and the bowl with stand from Iroko. It is truly gorgeous and rather frightening in its complexity.

Having picked it up I was encouraged to just invert the bowl to drop out the pieces and get playing. I was not sure that I could reassemble it if I did but having had so many of my own puzzles irrevocably scrambled by Steve and Rich at MPPs, I decided that if I gave it to him in pieces then I couldn't be held responsible. Here goes:

Oh boy! This might be impossible!

I set to work on it as and when I could find time and luckily I had taken a picture of the fully assembled version because there is no way that I would be able to do it without that as a hint. 

I began with the birds and true to form, a certain little demon was very interested in joining in and maybe even running off with some pieces of birdie.

I want that piece

Watching that the birds don't fly away

I worked on this gorgeous creation for a good few hours in total and have to admit that whilst I am not generally interested in jigsaws, I found this one very very soothing. It is beautifully made and very tactile. The pieces fit together like a dream.

I suspect I might be competing with Steve if any more come up for sale in the future.

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The Secret of Two Friends

I need to post an update from the last time I reviewed this wonderful little puzzle chest from Pelikan. When it was first sent out the lock and keys were too small and fragile but after both myself and Ivan had pointed it out, they corrected it and sent out new versions. I needed to spend more than a week working on it with the new lock and keys before I was finally able to solve it.

I found the first small part of the mechanism after a little exploration and got stuck there. I would like to say that it was the faulty lock and keys that were the reason but that would not be right. Even with the new version I struggled to find the next step. I shone a torch all over and could not see anywhere I could use the tools I had been given. The disguise of the next step is just superb! I tried using all the pieces I had in ever more creative ways but could not seem to unlock the chest. I had worked out how it should open but I kept missing the crucial step in the solution. After a weekend of failure, I forced myself to think© and tried something completely new. The Aha! moment is wonderful. Inside there is a whole lot of treasure – keep it away from any small children or pets or it’s going to be swallowed! This is definitely a lovely puzzle for anyone’s collection and as a rare Pelikan design it is well worth getting hold of.

This wonderful Pelikan design is still available to buy (the fancy version with sub fossil oak has sold out). It is very worthwhile getting hold of a copy. the mechanism is clever and very well disguised.