Metal Free Me 5 (MFMV)

From the distant depths of the world beyond, something glimmers. Tartarus is both a deity and a place, deriving from the mythology of ancient Greece. Tartarus the being was one of the oldest gods, a primordial deity who along with Chaos, Gaia, and Eros, preceded all else. Tartarus the place is perhaps better known, as the furthest pit of suffering and torment in the underworld, as far beneath the Earth as Heaven is above. The poet Hesiod noted that a bronze anvil, dropped form Heaven, would take nine days to reach the Earth, and nine more to reach Tartarus. It was where the immortal enemies of the gods were imprisoned, first by the Titans, until eventually, once Zeus and his siblings overthrew them, the captors became the captives. Apollodorus describes it as “a gloomy place” – he seems hard to impress.

But perhaps this hellish prison is not all bad – for look what has broken Free from the depths of despair. A shiny new, all metal version of the best of the Free Me series of coin release puzzles made by Joseph Turner. While Joe continues to tinker and tease about the next installments of his ongoing serial saga, a group of entrepreneurial puzzlers have recreated his award winning Free Me 5 with his blessings, in a new bid to let freedom reign. “Tartarus Puzzles, LLC”, a name that “gives the feeling of ultimate torment and a deep puzzle abyss”, promises to reproduce classic puzzles for a new generation of enthusiasts, using metals and mixed medias of high quality. Their first effort is the MFMV.

The lead designer and crafter for the collaborative initiative is none other than Jon Keegan, a guy who is simply bananas about metalwork. Jon shared some thoughts with me about the new puzzle. He had been working with a friend on a project, when the idea to explore other puzzle builds came up. His now business partner is well connected and has many connections in the “puzzle world”. Would anyone wish one of their older designs could be produced anew in metal, for example, or have new ideas for this medium which they would like to see to fruition? The “ultimate goal would be to release a puzzle every quarter or for different holidays (holiday themed puzzles) but this is a long down the road dream I think. The design and build is actually quite a process.”

About Free Me 5, “[My partner had] been chatting with Joe for a bit and one day I guess he suggested to Joe that one of his Free Me puzzles would look cool in metal. Joe was very cool about it and sent to me a broken down, parts & pieces Free Me 5. From there I reverse engineered it to be made in metal. The first two/three prototypes were pretty darn good but some small edits were needed. The puzzle was actually ready to go into production 5-6 months ago but I was so consumed with work I did not have the time to designate to the puzzle. Plus Bananas kinda burned me out for a bit.” Anyone who has experienced Jon’s phenomenal Bananas puzzle adventure can understand.

What’s next for Tartarus? “Right now we are talking to Robert and Perry about a re-release of Salt and Pepper Shaker (prototype currently being made. aluminum and brass) and we are also chatting with Stickman. [He] has also reached out to Kagen, not sure if that will ever happen but it could be cool.” Of course, Jon still has his own ideas, too. “On my side I just finished half of my newest puzzle design. I am aiming for a whimsical princess trapped in a castle theme. Looking very Disney princess right now. Without the Disney part because that's copyright of course. More Brothers Grimm Rapunzel.” OK Jon, let down her hair already!

The Metal Free Me 5 is a faithful reproduction which looks fantastic and has an excellent weight and heft to it. The movement is smooth and satisfying. The properties of the aluminum metal seem to have a slightly unintended effect on the first step in the solution (as compared to the original wood version) but this just serves to make things a little trickier. As I’ve said before, Free Me 5 is my favorite of the series, and has the best psychological trick to it which Joe designed to purposefully mess with your mind. The metal version reproduces this step extremely well. If you have never experienced this puzzle, do not hesitate to request one now from the team at Tartarus, who will need support and encouragement in their mission. “This first unit will be a trial run and allow us to find a good process. We shall see :)” They are certainly off to a great start.

Besides being produced in metal, there is a prominent difference to the new MFMV puzzle which is immediately clear – the coin in the metal version is no longer a Kennedy half dollar but rather a replica of an old Spanish doubloon. The doubloon was worth two escudos (thus a double), which was also eight reales, and was made of 22 karat gold. At that time period it was common practice to make change by literally cutting the coins into bits, so a doubloon could be broken into eight pieces (“pieces of eight”) to make change. Compared to the Kennedy half-dollar, the doubloon is seriously old money.

So here’s a toast to this old money puzzle containing old money, made shiny and new. Ben Siegel from Aspen, Colorado’s Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar suggests that his equal parts cocktail, reminiscent of an Autumn cobbler, is actually perfect for the end of summer vibe. It mixes tequila and mezcal together in a creative agave “old fashioned” meets “tequila sour” sweetened with honey and the decadent spiced pear liqueur from St George Distillery. I’ll take any excuse to use that in a drink! The cocktail sits somewhere between the more familiar formulas in a surprisingly refreshing spin. Free up some time and make yourself one, too. Cheers!

Old Money by Ben Siegel

¾ oz mezcal

¾ oz reposado tequila

¾ oz St George spice pear liqueur

¾ oz lemon

¾ oz honey syrup

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Pear slice garnish preferred with optional edible silver flakes (an homage to Colorado’s mining history).

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