Danlock B and Other Dan Feldman Creations.

Today on the chopping block we have the creations of Dan Feldman! Including the Danlock B and both the TRIP padlock and the MULTIP padlock.

MULTIP, TRIP, Danlock B

The Danlock B, I'm sure needs no introduction. It is sporadically available from Dan, directly through his website here. When I purchased it over a year ago, it was $120 USD, shipped to anywhere in the world. I can't speak for the price or availability now. Either way, back to the puzzle!

At $120 USD, this is a tremendous value in craftsmanship and puzzling. I'm going to make this review very brief as there are a ton of Danlock reviews around. Essentially, it has three stages of solving, and I must admit, the final stage is my favorite. It had me stuck in a feedback loop of "this must be possible...but it isn't...but it must be...but it isn't!!!" until everything clicked into place and the puzzle was solved. These have recently been going at auction for upwards of $600 USD, and even at that price, I think it's very worth purchasing if you want to own a piece of modern trick lock history.

The next creation up is the TRIP padlock. These are very hard to come by, and can only be purchased second hand via auctions or friends. I paid an embarrassing amount for mine. Thankfully, I don't have the luxury of Mrs. Sadler's laser stare and accompanying Whack! Ouch! I think the last time Dan was actively producing these was over 20 years ago! Much like the Danlock, it is "serialized" and stamped with DAN followed by a three digit number on top. In terms of a puzzle, the TRIP lock did not keep me occupied very long. It includes two keys, with several noticeable differences between them. Dan advertised it has having two distinct solutions, and I don't think it took more than a minute to figure out either of them. The logic follows, once you've determined one solution, the other reveals itself very quickly. Definitely an invaluable part of the Dan Feldman Saga, but certainly not much of a puzzle. Still very clever in it's own right, considering when it was created. Pick it up if you are serious about completing the collection.

MULTIP

TRIP

And the final predecessor to the Danlock is MULTIP, another padlock that I paid an embarrassing amount for. I guess I really do need somebody to Whack! Ouch! me to keep my collecting in line. Advertised by Dan as "4 keys, 3 distinct solution techniques" I beg to differ! I've determined a fourth method of opening the lock, discussed it with Dan, and it has been unknown to him all these years! Again, this lock is serialized and over 20 years old. Unlike the TRIP padlock, which clearly inspired the Danlock, the MULTIP is in a little bit of a realm of it's own. It seems like a very experimental lock where Dan was still finding his "style." Regardless, I recommend this padlock over TRIP, and if you are lucky enough to buy one, definitely go with this one. It keeps giving, in determining the 3(4!!) solutions. I think I tinkered with it for just short of two hours before I had it fully solved, including my "secret" fourth solution.

As of the writing of this blog post, all three of these padlocks are at auction on Baxterweb.

Puzzled no more!