What is this wooden puzzle called, and how do I solve it?
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$\begingroup$ It is a Disentanglement puzzle $\endgroup$– Daniel MathiasCommented Apr 19, 2020 at 16:26
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$\begingroup$ @DanielMathias Yes, but what us the exact name and how do i solve it $\endgroup$– MAD Science Bdukester10Commented Apr 19, 2020 at 16:33
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1$\begingroup$ There is a huge variety of these puzzles. Usually there is an unexpected way to just pass a loop of the string over, round, or through another part, perhaps more than once. Presumably the idea is to remove the metal ring, a seeming impossibility. $\endgroup$– Weather VaneCommented Apr 19, 2020 at 16:38
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1$\begingroup$ What about the pieces on the post? What interaction does the cord have with those? $\endgroup$– Daniel MathiasCommented Apr 19, 2020 at 18:14
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1 Answer
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I agree with Gareth McCaughan's comment that it is unclear that such rope-type of disentanglement puzzles actually have names, because they are simply too common and too varied. I finally found an isomorphic version with the product name "Family Games Flabber Floovers Brain Teaser Puzzle (Gripper)", but I do not believe that the puzzle's original name is "Gripper".
In any case, there is a generic solution to most such puzzles. You simply have to not move any of the parts except the rope, by thinking how you would detach the rope if the pole was not there.
You would easily take the red-circled part and push it through the indicated hole and get it to the green position where you want to make it cross both strands of the rope attached to the wooden pieces, as shown by the yellow arrows. This would be trivial if the pole was not there. Since the pole is there, you need to cross one strand at a time. I will show you for the strand connected to the left wooden piece, and you can do the same for the other strand. The idea is that you simply must cross the pole on both sides of the wooden piece. To cross on the left side, push it through the pieces' holes and across the pole end and back out through the same holes, as shown by the blue arrow. To cross on the right side, push it through the right piece's hole and across the pole end and back out through the same hole, as shown by the pink arrow.
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1$\begingroup$ This answers how to solve it, but that's not what the question is asking. It's asking for what it's called. $\endgroup$– bobbleCommented Nov 7, 2021 at 21:41
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6$\begingroup$ It seems that bobble thinks it's clear that OP is only really interested in what the puzzle is called, while user 21820 thinks it's clear that OP is only really interested in how to solve it. I don't see any reason to believe either of those things. So to my mind, this answer is useful and answers something OP was asking (so it shouldn't be at -2 unless it's just wrong) but it also isn't a complete answer to OP's question. $\endgroup$– Gareth McCaughan ♦Commented Nov 8, 2021 at 3:48
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3$\begingroup$ I also remark that it's not clear that the "what's it called?" question actually has an answer. Maybe whoever made the puzzle didn't give it a name. Maybe they did but it was something useless like "Wooden puzzle". $\endgroup$– Gareth McCaughan ♦Commented Nov 8, 2021 at 3:48
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1$\begingroup$ I've cleaned up the comment thread under this answer, leaving a few comments that are still relevant. Please, keep it civil. $\endgroup$– Deusovi ♦Commented Nov 11, 2021 at 9:03
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