From cube-lovers-errors@mc.lcs.mit.edu Thu Oct 14 16:44:45 1999 Return-Path: Received: from sun28.aic.nrl.navy.mil (sun28.aic.nrl.navy.mil [132.250.84.38]) by mc.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1a/8.9.1-mod) with SMTP id QAA02393 for ; Thu, 14 Oct 1999 16:44:45 -0400 (EDT) Precedence: bulk Errors-To: cube-lovers-errors@mc.lcs.mit.edu Message-Id: Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 17:45:54 -0600 To: cube-lovers@ai.mit.edu From: slapdash@enteract.com (Russ Perry Jr) Subject: Rubik-like puzzles I've never seen before... [I was referred to this list by someone who read a post I made in the rec.puzzles newsgroup; I'm not a member of the list, but have some questions about puzzles I've run across on eBay recently that I'm curious of their origin. I thought maybe you'd post my questions on the list. Please direct followups to my email address.] I check out eBay regularly for Rubik's Cube type puzzles I don't have... Recently I've come across a few I've never seen before -- does anybody know where they came from? Or better yet, where I might find them cheaply, as the prices on eBay seem to be way up there... 1) The Gem/Diamond. This is an octahedron, but each face is one solid piece, and it appears to turn in half, turning four triangulars on the square plan between halves. 2) ??. This is a 14-sided puzzle, with 8 triangles and 6 squares. Two opposite triangles make the "centers" (in 3x3x3 terms), around which three squares and three triangles turn. I don't know if ALL triangles act as centers... It can be left "unshaped" similar to Square-1, only not so jarringly. 3) Siamese Cube. This was an old hack in the 80s, with two normal cubes sharing a row of two corners and an edge, but these look professionally made, and are made out of the new OddzOn cubes apparently. They come with a display case. 4) "Triple" Cube. This is similar to the Siamese Cube, only there are three cubes connected, and unlike the Siames Cube, each new cube rises a level -- a row of one corner and an edge are aligned with the next cube's edge and the other corner (ie one is bottom corner and edge, joining the other cube's edge and top corner). This also comes with a display case. The mechanism for the Gem is likely just a 2x2x2 cube mechanism, but the pieces? The 14-sider looks ALL new, though with 8 centers, maybe it's some kind of octahedron shape variation? With the Siamese and Triple cubes you could just have a few different pieces swapping out the originals -- is someone just making the new pieces? Are these homemade, prototypes, original puzzles by pirate manufacturers? Does anybody know? //*================================================================++ || Russ Perry Jr 2175 S Tonne Dr #105 Arlington Hts IL 60005 || || 847-952-9729 slapdash@enteract.com VIDEOGAME COLLECTOR! || ++================================================================*//