Abrahams Whale — Boxes and Booze

Abraham’s Whale

Call me Ishmael … no, that doesn’t sound right. You can’t start anything good with a line like that. Hmmm … Call me Idan. OK. That seems better? No? Alright, let’s just start by explaining we’re in for a whale of a tale and leave it at that. There’s no denying this tiny metal box took the puzzle world by surprise, appearing out of nowhere from a new designer, looking rather innocuous with a standard issue luggage padlock securing a small aluminum box without much embellishment. Understanding the goal of the puzzle, which is to release the trapped whale inside, is critical to opening the padlock. But it turns out that this box is also absolutely packed with many impressive mechanical steps executed with thoughtful precision and know how. It’s clearly the work of someone with significant mechanical and technical expertise, combined with a deviously puzzling mind. And like that famous white whale of old, it has now haunted many a seasoned fisherman.

Idan Shvartz, the mad genius behind the tale, shares the story with us from his home in Israel. “My background started when I was a child, if I'm not mistaken from the age of 7 or 8. My parents wanted me to be a good student, so every day after school I would go to private lessons and strengthen the strong and important majors such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, mechanics and biology.
I had an agreement with the teacher that towards the end of each lesson she would bring me something challenging to develop my thinking. And so already at the age in question I started with match puzzles, interlocking, and instrumental enrichment. I have always loved the various fields of science and of course to this day I continue to read books, watch the various science channels on television (such as Discovery and National Geographic) and make sure to keep up to date with the various technological developments. My dad was a garage manager for over 20 years. To this day he is involved in the automotive field. From a young age when I went to visit him at work and was exposed to machines, assemblies and moving parts, I would look with enthusiasm at the amount of things that could be done with the help of a few moving parts. I learned to use mechanical tools at a very, very young age. (Of course we will skip to more interesting stages in life because otherwise I will write a book).”

I served as a mechanical technician of classified equipment in the Israeli Air Force. During my training and professional career I had to learn "how to use minimum space for maximum effectiveness". (Many people were impressed how so many things fit into a small box). Around 2012, I got involved in an industry that includes a lot of machining and to this day I deal with it a lot. I always had a dream to do something of my own, but it was very difficult to make time for it because while working and at the same time I also went to electrical studies. Today in my profession (beyond doing puzzles) I am engaged in machining and I am also a technician and machine electrician. I am exposed to lots and lots of assemblies of lots of machines. I get lots and lots of ideas throughout my day at work.

Only after I got married and got a bit of rest and my own place did I decide it was time to trust myself and set out with my own puzzle. Of course, I also received a lot of support from colleagues and good friends here in Israel, both from my family and from my beautiful wife of course.
I don't have favorite designers, I think of many things by myself (if you solve the puzzle from beginning to end you will find that there are many things that are unique to me). (I also have videos that show the more difficult moves of the puzzle). Of course, over the years I solve lots and lots of puzzles, so I perfect things and learn from them what can be done in a slightly more sophisticated way.

One of the original names Idan was considering for his new puzzle was “WHALE DONE”, which is definitely how you feel when you finally solve it! You may have noticed that the final name he chose is awfully reminiscent of a recent award winning puzzle by Australia’s own Mr. Puzzle, Brian Young. It’s no coincidence. Idan and his friends, who are also mechanical engineers, thought the solution to Brian’s puzzle was a bit of a stretch, and were poking a bit of fun and flattery with the name of Idan’s puzzle here. “The idea for the puzzle came from the fact that for a long time I had tricks in my head and the Leviathan was a really good excuse for it. The name came from Brian Young's puzzle (Abraham's Well). The original [prototype] puzzle only contained 3 steps, because [my] friends recommended (because this is the first puzzle) to do something easy and not too complex. Of course, after they tried and managed to solve it and it was too easy for them, "I got really angry" and I had to use my skills to make the matter "a little" more difficult.” I think Idan went “overboard” on this fishing trip because it’s a LOT more difficult! But each and every tool you discover has a very precise and specific purpose, and nothing is irrelevant or wasted.

“The entire puzzle (except for the whale) is machined and most of it is 6061 aluminum. Of course, due to the fact that this is the first puzzle there were lots and lots of challenges, there were endless trials and errors. There were whole days I would stay at the machines and change data in real time to reach the desired values and actions. I learned a lot from the process, because even though I've been in the field of chip processing for more than 10 years, still when you make something yourself, you deal with things you've never dealt with before: Planning, feasibility, design, materials, force calculations, production, finishing, prototyping, laser, coatings and many, many other things that you are exposed to in real time that are really hard to remember and detail everything. Of course there were things I would have done differently. Sometimes I think (unintentionally of course) that everyone is as experienced as me and that if I manage to solve without any problems then others will also succeed without any problems. I would not give up on any move of the puzzle because I think that in terms of continuous discovery it definitely provides a respectable amount of tools and moves for such a puzzle to respect itself. But for example: I could certainly have prevented this matter of the small rod getting stuck at the bottom without any problem. Of course, in retrospect it is easy to say these things.”

There is an Achilles heel in this puzzle that many discovered to their chagrin. A small rod that is discovered along the way can just fit into a small hole under the puzzle. It’s a tight fit and once inserted the rod cannot come out. Idan did not intend for this to occur, but even despite his explicit warnings to avoid this mistake, many fell into the trap. Chalk it up to human nature, and I would never admit to having made this blunder myself as well. Never. Idan patiently fixed every single puzzle that was sent back with this problem.

“Relative to my first puzzle, I am really satisfied with the result. I received countless emails and messages from people who knew how to appreciate it. It definitely gave me the strength to lift my head towards the next puzzle.” In fact he has already started working on his next design. In his younger days, Idan was also a semi-professional bodybuilder, working with a trainer and nutritionist around the clock. Although now “I'm at a different stage in life, but it did give me an idea for the next puzzle. Sometimes with all the good will it wasn't always possible to get the desired amount and type of food, so I had no choice but to eat and drink something that is not typical for the field but much more enjoyable. Therefore, the next puzzle is called INML (I NEED MY LUNCH). This will be my next puzzle in a series.”

Idan clearly enjoys a good pun, so I’m toasting his debut with a cocktail to match his sense of humor. The Rusty Nail is a classic two part drink made with scotch and Drambuie, the famous Scottish liqueur from the Isle of Skye made with blended scotch, heather honey and “herbs and spices”. The cocktail originates, according to cocktail historian David Wondrich, from 1937, attributed to F. Benniman and dubbed the BIF (British Industries Fair) presumably as a namesake drink for that event. It gained popularity as the Rusty Nail at the 21 club in 1960’s Manhattan, and was a favorite of the Hollywood “Rat Pack”.

For this variation, I’m swapping the requisite scotch for a particular brand of gin. Gray Whale gin is made by Golden State Distillery, a California company telling the tale of migratory gray whales in their spirit, which was inspired by a camping trip off Big Sur. The gin is distilled with botanicals foraged along the migratory path of the whales, and has a distinctive ocean salinity with flavors of Baja limes, fir tree, sea kelp, mint and almonds. It pairs surprisingly well with the herbal honey tones of Drambuie for what turns out to be a delicious twist on the classic. Cheers!

Rusty Whale

2 oz Gray Whale Gin

1 oz Drambuie

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass over a large cube. Lemon twist garnish.

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