Parallel Dimensions

Parallel Dimensions

Another disentangle net puzzle from Puzzle Master! Yes I am totally addicted to all puzzles but even going back to the beginnings of this hugely expensive adventure, I loved the challenge (and the price) of the wire disentanglements - although that very first batch of Livewire puzzles really did cost a fortune up front and then I also had to pay the customs officers. In fact, to this day, Mrs S STILL doesn't know what that set cost me/us!

Last week's review was a relatively straightforward wire puzzle from Puzzle Master's own range and I am gradually working my way through as many as I can get my hands on! This time, I can finally write a review of a puzzle that I have been carrying around with me more or less everywhere for over a month! This one is the Parallel dimensions, rated as 10 (Mind Boggling) on their 5 to 10 point scale and like the review on the product page, I can whole heartedly agree with that rating. It arrives in Puzzle Master's usual plastic clamshell packaging and simply has the pictorial instructions to remove the yellow coloured metal ring. It is a good quality anodised wire and the string and wooden ball and cube are nicely painted. My only criticism is that the large brass ring seems to get tarnished quite quickly. It is 9.5 x 7.9 x 1.9 cm in size. No solution is provided with it but it can be downloaded from here - you may actually need it.

For those of you with wives (or even husbands) with laser stares this is not a good one for you!! I now have 2nd degree burns (i.e. partial thickness) over the whole of the right side of my body after playing with it and jangling away for over a month!!

It's good to have a puzzle friend... Or is it?

Rattle Twist Duo

I have mentioned many times that I love the community associated with puzzling - there is no shortage of people to tell you about new puzzles, to stimulate you to try harder at solving some you are struggling with and also to either give tips or as a last resort, when you are about to rip your last remaining follicles of hair out, to actually tell you what to do so you can finally put a puzzle away! I feel very privileged that I have friends now from all over the world who either write comments on my blog or even contact me via email. In fact every morning when I wake up I have a few emails waiting for me to read from my new friends.

My nemesis - finally solved

Almost a year ago now, I bought a puzzle from Wil Strijbos. I had been lusting after one for some considerable time and it suddenly became available, so I snapped it up! Yes it was the Cola bottle number 1 designed and manufactured by Wil himself.

Cola bottle #1

I bought mine direct from Wil, but it is available from Sloyd here (they have a couple of the other bottles too). Despite being owned by several several of my fellow puzzle bloggers, only Oli has actually written a review of it! He is a very experienced puzzle fiend and it actually took him a fair while to solve it.

It is difficult to see from my amateurish photo but it consists of a genuine 250ml Coca cola bottle. Inside it is a black marble and the aim is to remove this marble. Preventing you from doing this is a long and thick plastic dowel which blocks the top of the bottle. Why not just remove the dowel? Because there is a nut and bolt through the end of the dowel! Hmmm! What now?