Mechanical Puzzles – the Ultimate Guide : Take – Apart

Some of you will find everything you need among take-apart puzzles.

These puzzles may have a simple look, but looks can be deceiving and your mind will need to find the hidden, tricky steps for the solution.

Take-apart puzzles are for you if:

You want to have options;

You like thinking out of the box;

You love complex challenges;

You’re a collector. These are amazing for collectors;

You like unique mechanisms, of which you’ll find plenty here.

What’s inside?

I have no choice but to generalize. There’s such a big variety of take-apart puzzles, and finding common mechanisms isn’t too simple! what you’ll find inside them is:

Hidden Mechanism – get ready to spin your brain gears. They may look nice and easy, but underneath their looks hides a scary mechanism, unknown to many!

Trick Moves – often, the moves required to take apart these puzzles are uncommon. Strange, even. It might be spinning the puzzle, tapping on it holding in a certain angle. Certainly Unusual.

Simple Objects Made Complex – take-apart sub-types include some of the most common everyday objects with a completely new mechanism. You’ll be astonished to see how many shrewd mechanisms can fit inside a tiny object.

Unusual Shapes – these puzzles can consist of unusual shapes no one seen before. Part of the solution will need understanding how this shape interacts in the puzzle.

Trial and Error – mistakes are free of charge. You will get stuck, and try trial and error. If you’ll do it well enough, you’ll be able to progress and understand the mechanism more. The goal for you is to understand the mechanism and know how to solve the puzzle anytime.

Sequential Discovery – these puzzles are naturally inclined towards sequential discoveries. Most sequential discovery puzzles will fit in the take-apart category.

The puzzle you see in the title is the awesome Hanayama Cast Dial (photo taken by the talented Bar Aharon). It’s hard to say too much about it without spoiling the solution. It’s a great puzzle, cheap and pretty challenging, and contains most of the common mechanics. It’s one of my favorites for it’s price range.

Sub-Types For Everyone!

Before I started this post, I was daunted. Wherever I went, I knew I had a category at home, wanting to be written about… a hungry, evil, attention thirsty category.

The reason for this?

It has So. Many. Sub-types.

The amount is so huge – and I was plain afraid to start. It’s hard for me not to imagine what kind of fear the starting puzzler may experience when he just wants to learn more about take-apart puzzles.

Fear – Get out. Readers – I organized the big categories to be easily understandable, have fun!

Disentanglement

Classic, simple and popular puzzle subtype, but don’t let it fool you – every puzzler will have at least one of these disentangled forever.

Strings and objects are bound together somehow – find how it is they tangle, and disentangle them.

The strings can also be wires, which change the rules a little.

Why disentanglement?

Simple, compact, cheap. Great for beginners, fun for everyone.

The variety of disentanglement puzzles are huge, and the difference between wire and string is big enough to love one much more than another.

If you’re getting started, try at least one of them.

Boxes

I can already hear the guy shouting on the screen – “Boxes? What’s hard with boxes?”

Well, my dearest screen-shouting friend, these are not the same boxes you used to see.

If you thought you’d just pull the lid upwards and it’ll open – you’re mistaken.

Some of the boxes will look like boxes, but opening them will require you to get out of the box and think. Such a box can leave you and your friends wondering.

As in a common box though, puzzle boxes can contain objects inside! I’ve given my SO gifts inside a puzzle box – a good way to test whether she deserved the gift or not.

It’s hard to open the box without understanding it’s mechanism – which is hidden most of the times. Well, that only means you have to see it with your mind’s eye, then physically check whether you’re right or wrong.

My dear screen-shouting friend, I hope your question is answered.

Puzzle boxes are a good choice for experienced solvers – many times when you buy a box, you’ll pay mostly for the precise construction and mechanism. The solution may not be as difficult or long as you expect.

Check out Karakuri – one of the best places for puzzle boxes..

Locks

Screen-shouting friend, I hear your shout again.

Well, here you won’t see a key inside a keyhole, twisting to open the lock.

An infamous lock, Dan Lock, designed by Dan Feldman, one of the first puzzlers in Israel, comes locked with the key on the shackle, and a free, useful key.

Or is it? This useful key is broken in half. And no – it didn’t break while shipping!

Like boxes, puzzle locks are mysterious. The item is simple and common, the mechanism unique and surprising.

One of the most famous puzzle lock desingers, Rainer Popp, was fixing antique locks with unique mechanisms, until he decided to make one himself. His first puzzle was almost unsolvable, according to him. From there on, he tweaked and steadily perfected his designs, which are now among the best quality puzzle locks.

Hanayama

A sub-type by itself.

Hanayama is a Japanese company that manufacture puzzles of various designs, old and new. They make very fun puzzles with good quality for their price. Hanayama’s puzzles are compact and come in different difficulty levels.

Hanayama’s Cast puzzles are the best entry-level puzzles for the starting wanderer.

Most of their puzzles are disentaglement take-apart puzzles. While they aren’t made of wire per say, they function similarly.

If you’re considering to delve into take-apart puzzles, before locks or boxes, Hanayama’s puzzles are for you to try.

Verdict

For starters, Hanayama.

Advanced? Try some locks.

Collector? Take a peak at puzzle boxes.

In these sub-types you’ll find much more sub-sub-types. Take-apart are puzzles you could learn about all your life and still have much more to discover.

If you’re struggling with choices, don’t hesitate to contact me.

This wasn’t quite what you’re looking for? Go back to the first post in this guide so you can find your favorite puzzle type.

This was the second post delving deeper inside the seven main puzzle categories.

Have fun!