Popplock T14

Rainer Popp’s fourteenth tricklock, impressive in appearance, large, and heavy in hand, is another amazing piece of mechanical machinery. He describes it with this simple explanation: “According to the instructions, the lock has 13 steps to open. It weighs 1,7kg and has a key. Height: 12cm, width: 7,5cm, depth: 6cm.” Of course, no further explanation is really needed, because like all Popplocks, and most trick locks in general, the point is to unlock them. Despite the thoughtful inclusion of a key, you probably know better than to expect it to work in the usual way. Not that there is a keyhole, anyway.

Rainer lives in Germany and works by day in IT for a gear manufacturing company. Once the workday is done, however, he gets to spend his time with his Popplocks, sometimes to the frustration of his family! He tells the story of how his creative mind, fueled as a boy by mystery adventure series like the Three Investigators (a favorite of my own as well), was thrilled at the discovery of trick locks one day while wandering the stalls of the Trempelesmarkt in Nuremberg. It was there he met his long time friend Peter Knorre, who eventually encouraged him to try his hand at designing his very own trick lock. The result of that encouragement was the legendary “T1”, which Rainer describes as “A lock without a key, no combination lock, which nobody gets open…”.

Rainer also credits psychologist and author Peter Hajek with convincing him of the basic tenets to a good puzzle, which he attempts to follow in his locks. Popplocks are definitely not easy puzzles to solve, but with perhaps the exception of T1, Rainer feels they are indeed solvable within a reasonable amount of time, which is one criteria. (I beg to differ but I’m sure it’s just me.) Another criteria is that there should be some feedback leading you toward the aha! moment. Finally, and Peter Hajek is exceedingly good at this idea himself, a good puzzle tries to play to your human nature and assumptions, fooling and trapping you from finding the real trick.

Many of Rainer’s many ideas for trick locks have originated from the vintage trick locks he loves to collect and restore. His incredible T11 design was based, at least for the main “trick”, on another famous antique lock, for example. He notes that his locks tend to have one main trick, and the rest is embellishment added on as possible to increase the complexity. T14 was not actually based on a special vintage lock, however, but rather it was inspired by the increasingly popular “sequential discovery” style of mechanical puzzle.

The appearance of T14 is striking and handsome, and although Rainer considers himself an engineer rather than an artist, many of his locks are visually stunning. He had the idea for this lock all the way back in 2009, and it sat in the drawer until recently. Rainer does not limit himself to one idea at a time, and often has many projects going through his brain at once. He certainly has many concepts in the drawer. In fact he currently has a working prototype of T15, and T16. “I pulled the old design out of the drawer and made some major changes. The last step was very challenging to be done and I am a bit of cursing myself because it is an immense effort to machine this during assembly...” There is one well hidden detail, at least, of which Rainer says he is proud. Just one? T14 does apparently have 13 steps, which I’ll eventually discover, some day!

Chinotto Fizz cocktail — Chinotto Fizz by Bryan Schneider

Here’s another toast to a Rainer Popp tricklock. In honor of his newest lock, I’m revisiting the “unlocked” cocktail category, my puzzling term for non-alcoholic cocktails. These can be incredibly complex and are extremely popular, with numerous bespoke options typically available on the menu of any self respecting craft cocktail bar or restaurant nowadays. Non-alcoholic “spirits” options have grown exponentially in recent years as well. I’m much more partial to spirit-free, zero-proof, or my favorite “free-spirited” cocktails that don’t try to rely on a non-alcoholic spirit, which can’t usually replace the booze effectively. The best drinks are instead complex assemblies of interesting ingredients and infusions, just like the creative cocktails on the rest of the menu.

This one, from New York’s Bryan Schneider, gets its backbone from a deliciously robust and bittersweet bitter orange Italian soda called Chinotto, which is not widely known or consumed in the US. There is also a secret ingredient - coconut aminos, a cooking alternative to soy sauce used to add umami flavor to dishes. It marries the bitter soda and sweet nutty orgeat syrup perfectly while the lemon juice brings acid and tartness to the cocktail. Of course I didn’t have Chinotto handy (I could have sworn I did!) so used a combination of blood orange and red bitter Italian soda, which worked nicely but lacked the deep rouge color of Chinotto. Why drink boring soda when you could have this! Here’s to unlocking another great addition to the Locks and Libations series. Cheers!

Popplock T14 puzzle lock and Chinotto Fizz cocktail — Unlock this pair

Chinotto Fizz by Bryan Schneider

½ oz orgeat

½ oz lemon

2 dashes coconut aminos

Chinotto soda

Combine ingredients in a glass and stir. Orange wheel and cherry garnish.

unlock more:

King of Pop

Popplock T14

Taking Flight

Secret Ingredients