Calvins Puzzle TomZ Constrained Cube 270 & 333 Hybrid

Calvins Puzzle TomZ Constrained Cube 270 & 333 Hybrid

From a distance, it looks like an ordinary stickerless 3x3 cube. You only feel the difference when you start solving. On the TomZ Constrained Cube 270 & 333 Hybrid from Calvins Puzzle, two faces can only turn within a 270° range. The other four turn normally, just like on a classic 3x3, which is where the word "Hybrid" in the name comes from. It's a constrained puzzle: a 3x3 cube where selected faces have limited rotation.

How the 270° constraint works

The centers of two faces contain a stop. It lets you turn the layer up to 270° from its starting position, and then you have to turn it back. So the face can sit in any of its four positions, but it can't make a full rotation. If the layer is at the end of its range, a move that would be a single quarter turn on a regular cube takes three quarter turns in the opposite direction. The centers are deliberately large, so the constraint is easy to see.

How to solve it

You don't need to learn a new method. Knowing how to solve a 3x3 is enough. The challenge lies in executing the moves: before each turn of a constrained layer, you have to check which way it can go. Sometimes you'll also need to rearrange an algorithm or hold the cube differently. Moves done from muscle memory quickly get blocked here, so this is a puzzle for calmly working things out, not for chasing fast times.

Construction

The cube is the result of a collaboration between several designers. The body comes from the Dayan Bermuda Cube, the center-locking and core mechanism from the mf8 Crazy 3x3, and the constraining centers are Tom's design. The pieces are made of ABS plastic in six colors (stickerless bright). There are no features typical of speedcubes, such as magnets or tension adjustment.

Which version of the series?

The TomZ Constrained series includes hybrid versions 90, 180, 270 and Mixed, as well as versions in which all faces are constrained. The smaller the angle, the less freedom the layer has. In the Mixed variant, the constraint applies to three faces. The 270 & 333 Hybrid version has the widest turning range and only two constrained faces, so it's a good choice for your first cube of this type. It's ideal for anyone who can already solve a 3x3 and wants to try something different.

Specifications

• Type: constrained 3x3 cube (limited rotation), stickerless
• Manufacturer: Calvins Puzzle
• Manufacturer code: NS-CB5044
• Constraint: 2 faces with a 270° range, 4 faces turn normally
• Material: ABS plastic, six colors
• Color: Stickerless Bright
• Packaging: plastic box