LanLan Internal Gear 3x3x3

LanLan Internal Gear 3x3x3

On the outside it looks like a regular 3x3 cube, but inside it hides a full Gear Cube mechanism. The LanLan Internal Gear 3x3x3 (also known as the Geary Cube or Hidden Gear Cube) is a puzzle designed by Oskar van Deventer and manufactured by LanLan. When you turn one layer, the hidden gears turn other layers along with it. We offer the version with a black body.

How the hidden gear works

On a classic Gear Cube the gears are visible, so you can tell right away that the layers are linked. Here the whole mechanism sits under an ordinary 3x3 shell. The first turn usually comes as a surprise: instead of one face, several move at once. That's why a memorized 3x3 method won't work on this puzzle. First you need to play around with the cube and see how turning one layer carries over to the others, and only then look for a way to solve it.

Who is it for?

This is not a speedcubing cube, and there's no point comparing it with magnetic 3x3s in terms of TPS, corner cutting or stability. It's best for people who can already solve a regular cube and want to take on something that works completely differently. It will also appeal to collectors of Gear series puzzles and fans of Oskar van Deventer's designs. It's a great gift idea for a cuber, too: the cube looks unassuming, but the very first move shows it's something else. For a child's first cube, a regular 3x3 is a better choice, as the moves here are less intuitive.

Specifications

• Type: gear puzzle shaped like a 3x3 cube with a hidden gear mechanism
• Manufacturer: LanLan
• Design: Oskar van Deventer
• Body colour: black
• Weight: approx. 123 g (without packaging)