Cast Helix
Cast Helix Cast Helix Cast Helix Cast Helix
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Cast Helix

  • Information
  • Description
  • Reviews
Object
Remove the ring.
Difficulty
Level 9 - Gruelling
Brand
Hanayama
Types
Hanayama Metal Puzzles, Akio Yamamoto
Dimensions
2 1/2 in x 2 1/2 in x 1 2/3 in / 4.3 cm x 6.2 cm x 6.2 cm
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Note: Our level rating system is different than Hanayama's.  Hanayama's level 1 is equivalent to our level 5.... level 6 is equivalent to our level 10.

The grooves engraved in the two rotating boards are called "logarithmic spirals." These two grooves always cross at right angles, and a square hole is formed at their intersection. The goal of this puzzle is to remove the helix ring that goes through that hole. The inspiration of this puzzle is the morning glory. The puzzle was designed to look like a bud that comes into bloom with twining tendrils. The original concept dates back to 1990, but it has been enhanced with the addition of several tricky features. The theme of this puzzle is "Flower."

Designed by: Akio Yamamoto 2009

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  10 Ratings  &  10 Reviews
4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars
Disclaimer: These reviews are written by our customers. Puzzle Master makes every attempt to keep these posts informative and relevant. If you find a post objectionable or inappropriate, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected]
  • 2 out of 5 stars
     Tuesday August 13th   Margo  wrote,
    This could have been a 5 star. — it looks, it looks cool, handles well, impresses friends. BUT, it requires FORCE to complete. This puzzle has been available for years — in all that time the engineers Couldn’t learn how to tweak here an d there to make it a 5 star?
  • 5 out of 5 stars
     Monday September 24th   Rage  wrote,
    Love this puzzle! You can solve it in sort of the correct way by using a bit of force, but do it the correct way and absolutely no force is needed, not even at the end. Doing it the correct way is of course much harder, and I would even rate it one level higher due to some little "details" that are next to impossible to notice without a lot of concentration. The solution is very smooth and unique (one of Akio's best in my opinion!) and I highly recommend it as a great addition to your hanayama collection.
  • 4 out of 5 stars
     Wednesday May 3rd   Jorge  wrote,
    I love this puzzle because it is made to make you think you know how to solve it as soon as you start playing with it and the actual solution is really clever! I don't give it 5 stars just because the puzzle can get a bit stuck when the ring is coming off, but it's not too big of an issue
  • 5 out of 5 stars
     Friday April 1st   luxige  wrote,
    Pretty neat! And nice looking to boot. A few reviewers mentioned need to use some force to make it work. They must be doing it wrong. The correct solution is elegant and effortless. The difficulty rating seems about right to me.
  • 5 out of 5 stars
     Monday May 19th   Mtranda  wrote,
    loved doing this puzzle. my friend bought it, and spent 7 years trying to solve it, i got it in 7 minutes exact(we timed it too) gotta look at this one from a different perspective
  • 5 out of 5 stars
     Thursday April 5th   Shaggy  wrote,
    This is one of my favourites! I had to observe it very well before I found some interesting part of it and then I tried to use it. And it worked! The cast is beautiful, too.
  • 5 out of 5 stars
     Sunday December 11th   puldis  wrote,
    Took 2 hours to figure out the intended solve. You can brute force it, but the intended solve is actually very clever and oh so much more gratifying.
  • 5 out of 5 stars
     Friday January 21st   john acord  wrote,
    This puzzle is unique and has a lot of personality, it is one of my favorites, but I haven't gotten it apart yet. I just like looking at it, and playing with it is fun.
  • 3 out of 5 stars
     Wednesday November 17th   Pentti  wrote,
    Little bit of forcing in the end.
  • 3 out of 5 stars
     Saturday December 19th   George  wrote,
    I must admit I'm a bit disappointed in this puzzle. After a half hour I got the ring off but my a little bit of force. I have now taken the ring on and off several times in two different ways and I think none of them are the intended solution, because they are rather easy and seem to use a little force at one point. Please add the solution to this puzzle as I am quite baffled at what the "correct" solution is.
$ 15.99 CAD  
4 out of 5 stars 10 Reviews
4 out of 5 stars
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