In the age of lockdowns, a tiny lock has lived, "Is this a lock or not?" - his story you believed, But watch out for this Padlock, it isn't but a lock, Try to unlock it normally and you'll be left in shock.
That’s how the legend goes anyway.
Hanayama Cast Padlock is an unnatural being.
Don’t even try to open the shackle the normal way.
Well – you can try, but it won’t get you far.
On Hanayama’s difficulty scale, Cast Padlock is 5/6.
Intense. Brace yourselves!
First Impressions
As always, this puzzle comes in Hanayama quality. You get more quality than what you’d expect for 10-ish bucks.
You can spin the shackle pieces (did I mention it is not a lock?), or the dark cylindrical pieces inside.
Pretty much effortlessly.
But to solve it, some effort will be needed.
Patience really is key here.
Hanayama Cast Padlock
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
| Puzzle Type | Take-Apart |
| Designer | JinHoo Ahn |
| Manufacturer | Hanayama |
| Budget | Low |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Material | Metal |
| Quality for Price | Great |
| Puzzling Value for Price | Very good |
| Best for | *Wanderers |
| Warnings | This is not a lock |
Padlock is another puzzle that waited a long time to be solved.
It hides its secret really well.
Really well.
You can play with it for hours without understanding anything.
But if you strain and think hard… You’ll get it.
Not all puzzles are like that, frankly.
Some puzzles require fiddling more than anything. Which may allure other people.
But for me, when a puzzle is solved through thinking and theories, it becomes a much better solve.
Before you buy a puzzle you can’t really know what will be the challenge in it.
Some people prefer puzzles as a fidget toy, some love imagining a mechanism, others adore math-oriented thinking.
You can’t really know.
So for you I’ll clarify –
This puzzle is a thinking challenge!
Which is also a reason why Padlock is a good Champion’s puzzle. It has what the Champion needs, AND is a low-budget Wanderer’s puzzle.
Well played señor Padlock.
Once I got into hyper think-mode, I had it apart in around 20 minutes.
Wooooosh! Very cute solution.
Taking it back together was much easier for me.
But prior to that, I had quite a difficult time with it.
Without thinking real hard, it was just close to impossible.
Which is why I like Padlock.
It doesn’t require fiddling, nor luck or tricks
Only your wits.
The Verdict
Padlock is a fun, solid Hanayama puzzle.
Not all Hanayamas require this much thinking, and if thinking is your passion, then Padlock is your new mate.
I always love how Hanayama’s Cast series just easily provides everything Wanderers need –
You could literally only solve Hanayamas for months and have a blast.
Most importantly, Hanayamas come in various puzzle types, so you can experience most types before even trying other puzzles.
Merry Christmas!