From pbeck@pica.army.mil Thu Aug 1 08:11:10 1991 Return-Path: Received: from FSAC1.PICA.ARMY.MIL by life.ai.mit.edu (4.1/AI-4.10) id AA19857; Thu, 1 Aug 91 08:11:10 EDT Date: Thu, 1 Aug 91 7:55:41 EDT From: Peter Beck (BATDD) To: cube-lovers@life.ai.mit.edu, sonicdruid@sctnve.sct.peachnet.edu Cc: pbeck@pica.army.mil Subject: last cube Message-Id: <9108010755.aa28998@FSAC1.PICA.ARMY.MIL> The question was "where can I obatin the last cube made" I am going to assume that last cube means "MAGIC POLYHEDRA", of which there a three families: the cube with 3 axis of rotation, the tetrhedron group with 4 axis of rotation, the dodecahedron group with 5 axis of rotation. The last original addition I have seen was a spherical SKEWB, april 1991. Jean Claude Constantine (germany) is making shape/surface variants by hand based on all three mecahanisms, eg, take a 3x3x3 and join together (make in operable) one 2x2x2 corner - you can now change those pieces shape anyway you want - by the way this type of restriction on the moves available to solve the cube are very interesting. Also, in the spring of 1991 Christoph Bandelow has reintroduced the truncated octahedron and had the Hong Kong factory complete from previously manufactured parts some 5x5x5's. In my estimation there will NEVER be a last cube. Solutions for all magic polyhedra, except the spherical skewb have been published. First source is CFF ,cubism for fun newsletter of dutch cubists club, some where also published in world game review. Puzzles popular when ideal was in business where also covered by many popular publications which are now hard to get. CFF has a library and somebody has a bibliography of solution algorithms, including Thistletwaites ??. This is a general answer if there are specific questions please ask them!! PS I sell much of this stuff and your US mail address will get you a listing of what is available from me. PPS I also collect this stuff and would like to trade and/or buy, any quantity, ie, onesies to 100s. Not only puzzles but all things a associated with the cube - books, patents, solutions, accessories, promotional items, replacement stickers, what have you. a good overview of this kind of stuff is in jerry slocum's book puzzles old and new.