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- Object
- Disassemble and Reassemble the Puzzle
- Difficulty
- Level 10 - Mind Boggling
- Brand
- Hanayama
- Dimensions
- 3 1/8 in x 2 5/8 in x 1 3/8 in / 5.3 cm x 5.1 cm
- Packaging
- Cardboard Box
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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.
I came up with the idea for this puzzle when I was 19 years old. It just came to me during a stroll home in the snow; it's truly a creation of my youth. Unfortunately, saying anything here about its construction would give away how to solve it. I certainly can't disappoint the fans that have come to expect frustratingly difficult puzzles from me. Besides, the fans that refuse to accept any kind of hint are those who make me the happiest! The key word is 'needle'.
-NOB 2003-
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★★★★★
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 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]
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One of the earlier advanced brain teaser puzzles I tried & remains one of my favorites because of how it works. Took me about an hour, thinking outside the box, & a little luck/intuition. Love exposing new people to this one!★★★★★Saturday September 16th Puzzle Shiva wrote,
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Not what I would consider a level 10, but, This puzzle is fun to fidget with and I feel it is worth the asking price. I’m giving it 4 stars because the price is reasonable and the puzzle didn’t rate itself a level 10.★★★★Sunday June 11th Kyle wrote,
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Great puzzle. Once you know, you know★★★★★Monday May 8th Mile wrote,
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It’s a cool puzzle, but if you know the first trick in puzzle solving, it’ll take you 3 seconds★★Wednesday October 19th Ben wrote,
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So this was the first puzzle I've purchased from this site a few years back actually, and I wasn't able to open it until recently, and not because it is extremely hard, but I was totally misled by the name of the puzzle. That's all I'm going to say. :) Happy puzzling.★★★★Thursday January 27th Andrei Barany wrote,
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It was a gift from a friend, and I don’t do many puzzles, so I shook it a few times and left it alone. About 2 months later, it fell off my shelf to my beanbag, my friend sat on it and it opened. Easiest puzzle ever😂★★★★★Sunday December 5th Eliott krive wrote,
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Fun to give to friends who doesn't solve puzzles that often. Usually quick to figure out though. Well crafted and worth the money I would say.★★★Wednesday May 19th Kalle Eriksson wrote,
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Very easy for me to solve. It is what it is, just I don't care for puzzles with hidden mechanism s.★★★Sunday February 21st Alex wrote,
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Definitely not a 10, when you know the trick. Concept is very similar to many other puzzles, which makes it easy to figure out, the moves being very limited. I'd recommend for beginners or intermediates, could be ranked 6-7. Level 10's are sought after by experienced puzzle solvers.... mostly. The beauty of it is the design, the way it looks. Pretty cool stuff to have despite the cons.★★★Saturday November 16th Dominick Fontaine wrote,
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Love the aesthetic of this puzzle. It looks awesome and im definitely using it for something D&D related. but on the other end, I was a bit disappointed with how easy it was to solve. Doesn't seem like it should be rated as a 10 to me but oh well. Still a great piece to add to a collection!★★★★Friday September 6th Colton wrote,
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Neat Puzzle for the money. If you aren't familiar with puzzle techniques, I can see this being a level 10; however, if you know some specific moves, it's incredibly easy to solve for a Hanayama puzzle. I would say its closer to a level 8. The solution can be a bit inconsistent too.★★★Friday June 21st D Wilson wrote,
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A neat puzzle to show to newbies, but it was too easy to solve for a Level 10.★★★Wednesday June 5th Loreq wrote,
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It's an interesting puzzle and fun to play around with. My rating more comes from what I consider to be a misplaced difficulty level. This is not a level 10. Not even close. It is still a fun puzzle, but I wouldn't call it difficult by any stretch of the imagination. All that said, you can still have a lot of fun with it.★★★★Monday November 12th Josh wrote,
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This is my family’s favourite of all of the Hanayama puzzles! We all just love it! Brilliant! contrary to all other puzzles, no moving parts. I’m so proud of it, I keep it on my office desk to play with. The complete solution is more complex than some reviewers here might have realized. What a feeling of success when we finally worked out how to open it. This is for people who know and love different puzzles though... Regular folk would need more to interact with. But for puzzlers, this is a must have★★★★★Monday January 1st FlyingJoe wrote,
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I'd call this a trick rather than a puzzle. The only Cast puzzle that I consider bad. Some are very easy, but still some fun to work out. This is simple in idea and execution.★Tuesday June 13th Bippy the Beardless wrote,
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Great puzzle which I like to keep on my desk as it has a good weight and aesthetic to it, though I do think this puzzle is more of a level 4 or 5. Once you figure out the solution the puzzle is very straightforward and easy to open as other reviewers have noted. That said some people complain that the solution does not always work, which isn't actually what's happening. The puzzle solution is a little more intricate than people think, and there is a reason why the puzzle does not open sometimes which can be figured out by solving it and analyzing/ fidgeting with the separated pieces. There is a little more going on than meets the eye.★★★★Thursday February 16th Sid wrote,
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Disappointing. There is a whole class of puzzles that use this solving method. The problem is, if you've you've ever seen a puzzle that works this way, you instantly recognize how to do it. So there's nothing to "solve," just try the method and you're done. I think most people interested in the Hanayama puzzles are likely to already know how it works. I only have it because I bought the whole set of Level 10s.★★★Monday March 21st luxige wrote,
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I loved this puzzle even though I solved it in about 10 min. Looking at it and thinking about mechanics (and the fact that I'm such a visual person) helped me solve it pretty quick. After solving it the first time I learned how to open it from start to finish in under 3 seconds. And when you figure out the 3 seconds trick you'll be astounded at how elegant and brilliant this puzzle is. Thanks for another good brain teaser, I'm excited to figure out the next hardest one ;)★★★★★Friday January 8th Alex wrote,
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It was alright, I didn't like that there were no instructions at all, something to say that it SHOULD be making some noise as you play with it, I was just thinking that something was inside from manufacturing it... Wife had it open in less then 10 minutes, I took about the same. Quite disappointing all things considered.★★★Sunday September 13th Icarium81 wrote,
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BEST THING EVER WONDERFULL WATCHING DUMB PEOPLE STRUGGLE OVER IT★★★★★Friday December 26th Lovely yokola wrote,
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This is really just a great puzzle. This thing is HOURS of fun. Once you start, you will be so dedicated to solving it, you will never want to put it down and walk away. It's small(not too small) size lets you slide it in your pocket and take it anywhere. To school, work, long lectures(that last one is not recomended!). To balance out it's size, it is nicely weighted, not too much but just enough for you to notice it is a very sturdy metal product. Also, once you know how it works, the physics and the idea are just mind-blowing. Even once you solve the puzzle, it is still fun to watch your friends struggle and struggle while you laugh at them for hours on end. Overall, I think this is a great product, worth the price, and very strongly recomend it.★★★★★Sunday December 14th Nabox465 wrote,
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I have a funny story here. I had purchased three of these types of puzzles and decided to use them to pass time at the office. On my way to work i had tossed all 3 into my saddlebag on the seat near me. I arive at work and open my bag atfer sitting down and what do i see but this puzzle lieing there in 2 peices. I had made a comment the previous night that i should just toss them into the drier and wait for them to solve themselves.★★★★★Wednesday August 20th Joe Garcia wrote,
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If you've never done a interlocking puzze or you don't know the trick, you must have this puzzle. Pay close attention to the hint.★★★★★Saturday July 5th Michel wrote,
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Bad rating scale. I'd put it at the lower level it was too easy.★★★Friday December 13th Freedom1Man wrote,
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Fun★★★★★Thursday May 2nd Sushi subs wrote,
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This is probably one of my favorite puzzles of all time. You'll notice that there are many people (in these reviews and elsewhere) who note that they "got the solution but sometimes it doesn't work." Or alternatively "I got the solution because I have a different puzzle which works the same way." To those people: I encourage you to go back and when you have the puzzle apart, see if you can figure out why it "sometimes sticks" or why your normal solution sometimes "doesn't work". There is more than one step to this puzzle, and the one-step "solution" is just that sometimes the pieces align in just the right way to allow it to work. Try doing the puzzle on a very smooth surface and don't drop it. You'll probably find that you can't get it to open with your current solution; figure that out! If you know how this puzzle works, it comes apart perfectly every time without sticking in the slightest. This should take you at least an hour to solve if you're going to get it 100% right. Always remember the rule with Hanayama puzzles: it should take no force to open it. If it seems like it's stuck, you're probably not doing it right.★★★★★Tuesday March 5th Kit wrote,
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I figured there is only one way this could work... and I had it open in 10 seconds after ripping it out of the package. Disappointing as a puzzle. Fortunately it looks nice sitting on my desk.★Monday October 15th murr2k wrote,
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This is the second one (after Cast Quartet) which I solved several times by chance and then I saw a video with the real/shorter/more logical solution. All I have to say is that this puzzle is TERRIFIC! Too bad I was not so cautious in physics classes.★★★★★Friday October 5th Shaggy wrote,
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I solved this preety quick because I also have the wooden X puzzle which is solved the same way. Overall an excelent puzzle.★★★★Wednesday October 3rd AG. wrote,
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This puzzle is fun. remember: inertia★★★★★Wednesday February 22nd B wrote,
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Opened it in about ten seconds by shaking it and found that the east needle was stuck inside. fixed the needle by banging it on carpet. solved in one min after that. just place it a t a nice angle and slightly turn the loose parts★★★★Wednesday February 22nd A wrote,
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Centripetal force.★★★★★Wednesday January 11th Michael LeHew wrote,
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Can be brute-forced curiously enough.★★★★Sunday December 11th puldis wrote,
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omg friend showed me this puzzle. Solved it in a day during physics lecture and it was amazing. It makes alot of sense once you open it, its freaking great.★★★★★Thursday September 15th Mike wrote,
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Fun puzzle. It just opened by accident and easy to figure out after that.★★★Saturday December 25th Z wrote,
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This one is quite clever, but it is also too obvious that you need some special trick to unlock it. BTW, the solution videos I have watched on youtube are unnecessarily complicated. There's a way to reduce the procedure by 50%.★★★★Saturday November 20th beta wrote,
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Pretty object. Solve it in a couple of hour. It's vicious.★★★★Tuesday October 12th NightClawZ wrote,
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I like this puzzle its was clever, but I solved it in 30 minutes after getting it. I'd like to point out though i've been messing with puzzles most my life. The reason i'm rating it 3 is because I think the difficulty is mislabeled, it should be 1 or maybe 2 lower not top tier. With its rating I thought i'd be spending at least a few hours on it. Good luck :)★★★Saturday October 2nd Ryan wrote,
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★★★★★Sunday August 22nd tonia toniani wrote,
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I got this one for my 19 th birthday, suprisingly i took it apart in 2 minutes, a half hour later i figured how it works... now i can take it apart in less ten 10 seconds, good engineered but to easy for me...★★Friday August 6th Samuel wrote,
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only by accident did they separate. It took some more time to figure out what I did and then it all made sense - because I knew "what" it was.....★★★★★Monday June 21st Peter wrote,
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Aaarghh. I normally like puzzles with pieces you can move around so this one needed more of my concentration than normal. The most bizarre thing is, is that after 10 minutes it just came apart on it's own. I put it back together and have been unable to figure out how to take it apart since. Haha. It's a great test of ones willpower. My second fave puzzle only to the enigma.★★★★★Wednesday March 17th Kendo wrote,
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one of my favorite puzzles. it was the first hanayama one i tried. took about 5 or 6 hours to figure it out. the trick itself is very simple and i thought of it in the first 5 minutes. everyone who has solved the puzzle or will eventually can understand where the 5-6 hours came from... all tho i have seen people done it in less than 5 minutes i think it is just pure luck... enjoy :)★★★★★Wednesday January 27th lostiljon wrote,
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Great puzzle... The solution is quite unusual, it really makes you think out of the box. A child probably has no chance of solving it, unless by a happy accident. It took me less than 5 min to solve it, though. Actually, I once had solved this kind of a puzzle on a technical interview for an IT position. After monkeying around with it for 20 min, I was given a hint, after which the solution shortly followed. I am not going to share this hint with you here, though ;) And yeah, as you might have guessed, I got that job :)★★★★★Saturday October 31st mitek wrote,
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I love this one even though I was only stumped for 15 minutes or so. I found "the secret" to devilish improvement from puzzles of the past. Mine was very well made, and can be reliably separated and rejoined. In fact it is the solid construction that pushes this not-so-difficult puzzle to a 5 star rating.★★★★★Wednesday September 16th Paul wrote,
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I agree with Rob below. This is is a clever idea for a puzzle but they are not made well and don't work like they should. at least mine doesn't. (I didn't get it from puzzlemaster BTW). I happened to solve it in 5 mins, but friends who also approached it correctly could not solve it, because the innards of the thing are built cheaply and don't work properly (on mine). Get a cast quartet instead.★★Thursday July 23rd Mike wrote,
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I love the method for the opening of this puzzle. Unfortunately, it just doesn't always "work." What stinks is that when someone actually figures out how to do it and tries the correct method a few times, it just doesn't always work and they assume that the correct method is not the method. I don't think this is made as well as I'd like to see this puzzle made. There is a more expensive puzzle which uses the same method and it is amazingly made. I don't want to say any more and reveal anything.★★★Friday July 10th Rob wrote,
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i really love this one! its level MAX! and like Level 0 from all! totally UNIQUE! even i already open it from my friend! i still get one to collect!★★★★★Monday July 6th kenobfd wrote,
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I purchased all 6 of the level 6 Hanayama puzzles and began solveing them slowly at first, however this one proved a little more interesting. Though I knew the solution, the application was different. I enjoyed this particular puzzle and my co-workers are also entertained by it. I highly recommend this as well as all puzzles as great party and work conversation pieces and frustateing humor, though for those who have a little more difficulty solveing them. Thank you very much Puzzle Masters for the oppurtunity and enjoyment of your site.★★★★★Monday April 27th Robert wrote,
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I was really excited to get this one, but I solved it in less than 5 minutes. For a being the highest level of difficulty, it really let me down. The best part is watching other people try at it. I don't want to give anything away, but it was the easiest puzzle I've done from this set.★★★Thursday February 12th Myke wrote,
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I didn't like this one as much as chain or quartet. That's because for me the solution was not intuitive. I expected a button to be hidden on the face of the puzzle,but not so.This one was maddening for a few weeks then I was playing with it, and it literally came apart in my hands!!! Half-heartedly recommended, but it's a stumper...★★★Tuesday February 10th puzzler wrote,
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WOW. This one drove me absolutely crazy for months! I'd pick it up and fool around with it but I just couldn't figure it out. Then one day out of the blue I had a crazy idea and it worked! This is definitely my favorite cast puzzle, a must own.★★★★★Friday January 30th MyklSkeleton wrote,
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This started an obsession for me. I now own around 25 metal puzzles. I opened this puzzle and engraved a message on the inside for my girlfriend. It took her two days to open it. Still the best and still my favorite puzzle...Get one now!★★★★★Wednesday December 31st MadnessR wrote,
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I solved this one in a unique way from the official solution. (Comment has been changed to omit the solution to the puzzle) Very ingenious puzzle.★★★★★Tuesday December 16th Glynn Edward Breuer wrote,
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I solved this in under 5 minutes with no hints but I guess I was lucky.★★★Tuesday December 2nd George wrote,
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After reading all the great reviews, I was excited to take a crack at this one. Unfortunately, the one I purchased had a piece missing from the mechanism that made it pretty easy to solve, so who knows if I could have figured it out! Hopefully I can get a refund (I didn't buy through puzzlemaster).★★★★Wednesday November 26th Brian wrote,
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This puzzle was very frustrating to me and no one at my school could figure it out either. (which is quite funny because they were a bunch of brainiacs then one day it just fell apart in my hands then i realized how to open it very creative and for me getting it open is just sheer luck.★★★★Sunday November 2nd Ian wrote,
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Brilliant and fantastic. Truely unique solution. simple and elegant and well... WOW...★★★★★Saturday October 25th LordTopic wrote,
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Clever and unique solution. I liked this. Quite demanding.......★★★★★Friday October 24th Pentti wrote,
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This puzzle really was terrific. It was Very unique, and hard to solve. Though once you figure it out you feel so stupid at how easy it is to actually get the pieces apart!★★★★★Saturday August 2nd JohnnyZ wrote,
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This puzzel is brilliant, it really gets you thinking - frustrating at times - but brilliant all the same. I was fortunate enough to have all but abandoned it when a collegue moved it from my desk when it literally came apart in his hands. It was only then I could see the solution. You are well aware of the principle required to open it but are constantly stumped when it just wont open !! One of my favourite puzzles.★★★★★Monday July 28th Ken McCarthy wrote,
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This is one of my favorite puzzles. Not only because it is one that took me more than 24 hrs to solve (there's few I can't solve in under an hour), but also because of the sheer elegance of the solution. You already know the principle required to solve it from grade school - but what's maddening is that even if you unlock the one piece, the other one locks. There's no way to see what's inside - you have to think about what's going on inside.★★★★★Wednesday June 25th MMR wrote,
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