Open and Shut
Simple Lock 2
Simple Lock 2
Writing a blog every week is not so simple. It takes a lot of planning and preparation, and sometimes life gets in the way. I know, I can’t believe it either, things like work and other obligations can be so rude sometimes and I find myself in a rush, in need of something fairly simple to solve and write about without much fuss. Luckily I had just the thing.
From the workshop of French mechanical engineer Benjamin Baley, proprietor at Simple Puzzle and creator of the original Simple Lock 1, comes, to put it simply, the sequel. Once again, Ben put things in perspective. “Simple Lock 2 is, from the outside, an almost perfect copy of SL1. I find it an extremely interesting mental exercise and a mechanical challenge to succeed in creating a completely original and different mechanism in an identical-looking lock. From a design point of view, as well as from a resolution point of view, it forces us to think differently, to use our creativity and imagination. Like the SL1, the SL2 is designed to be simple and elegant, while retaining a challenging and interesting solving mechanism. There are more parts inside, it would have been easier to make a bigger lock but I really wanted to keep a clean and compact style.”
pure and simple
Indeed the SL2 is the spitting image of its bigger brother, on the outside, at least. Of course all children are so different, unique in their own ways, with wildly different personalities. Yet each is lovable, no? But I think we all agree that children can be so difficult, too, sometimes. They try our patience when nothing we say or do seems to get through to them. It can be so hard to unlock their little secrets! Maybe I’m just bad at parenting.
a little nothing on the side
“A French poet named Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, "La perfection est atteinte, non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter, mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retirer", which means, "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove". I'm not trying to say that my work is perfect, but it's a philosophy that I like and that I try to apply to my puzzles.” Ben is such a puzzle philosopher.
the reverse side is riveting
If you had been waiting patiently for the release of Ben’s SL2, you may recall there was some delay due to production problems. “Yes indeed, it was really horrible to have to cancel the sale at the last minute. What happened was that on some of the locks, some pieces started to unglue on their own during the solving process. I won't go to much in details because gluing process on these type of small piece is highly technical. It was impossible to know which pieces were affected by the default and which were not, so I had to unglue all the locks, change my process and start all over again.” Thankfully Ben was able to correct the issue and the first round of SL2 was released earlier this year. As with SL1, Ben will be making more.
a key step …
“All these ideas are running in my head until they are good enough to be drawn on a plan. Then, the drawing is also changed many times until it is good enough to machine a prototype. And finally the prototype is modified again and again until I'm completely satisfied with every single aspect of the puzzle. It is difficult to know how long this takes because each step can take from a few days to several months or years.”
sibling rivalry
Ben’s children are so good looking, bright and intelligent. Surely he needs to bless the world with more progeny, don’t you agree? “For now, I really like working with this shape of lock, I have got a few other good ideas that I like so I'm going to continue the series. I also have some completely different puzzle ideas that I'm off course keeping secret. I've received a lot of positive feedback on my work, that makes me extremely happy and motivates me a lot for what's to come.”
Open and Shut by Julia Momose
For the libation to toast Ben’s follow up lock, I’m keeping it simple again. After all, Ben’s locks are fairly straightforward, just open them, then shut them again. We don’t need to belabor the point, the process is merely a few simple details, after all. What we need to do, instead, is enjoy this incredibly simple cocktail from Chicago based bartender Julia Momose. The drink recipe can be found in the pages of Kara Newman’s Nightcap, which should give you a hint as to when and how Julia envisions this drink be enjoyed. I found it equally soothing while failing to impress this stunning beauty with my charms – despite trying all my best lock pick up lines. Bahdum.
unlock this libation
Julia’s cocktail is a Scaffa – that is, a drink served at room temperature, no ice, no dilution. Talk about simple! The Scaffa can be traced back to the birth of the cocktail, no surprise, when ice was a luxury not often available in bars. It was first mentioned, as the Brandy Scaffa, in Jerry Thomas’ (the “father of the cocktail”) Bartender’s Guide, 1862. Momose’s modern take on the format is essentially a punched up glass of amaro – in this case, Amaro Lucano, which is notably herbal, minty and has deep flavors of burnt orange and cola. I was fresh out and used a close substitute, Amaro Averna. The added cognac enriches the flavors without overpowering them and adds it own layers. It is indeed a soothing drink. Put simply, it’s good. Cheers!
an open and shut case
Open and Shut by Julia Momose
1 1/2 oz Amaro Lucano
1/2 oz Cognac (Monnet VSOP)
Add ingredients to a favorite glass and gently stir. Lemon peel twist optional.
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