Tony Fisher (puzzle designer)

Tony Fisher is a British puzzle designer who specialises in creating custom rotational puzzles. He is acknowledged by cubing enthusiasts as a pioneer in the creation of new puzzle designs and new manufacturing techniques.[1][2][3] In 2017 the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged Fisher as the creator of the world's largest Rubik's cube.[4]

Career

Fisher is both a puzzle collector and designer.[5] He first bought a Rubik's Cube in 1980 when it was first released in the UK.[6] He worked out his own solution to solve it.[6] Fisher first began creating puzzles in 1981, when he modified two existing Rubik’s cubes by joining them along one edge to create a new device called the Siamese cube.[1] This has been accredited as the first example of a “handmade modified rotational puzzle”.[1]

Tony Fisher at a puzzle event with one of his puzzles

In 1995 Fisher further modified the conventional rotational puzzle design by shifting its cutting planes to create a 3x3x4 cube.[1] This invention was further adapted in the creation of 2x3x4, 3x3x5 and 4x4x5 cube puzzles. Another technique, initially developed by Geert Hellings, rounded the centre piece of a conventional 4x4x4 cube to create additional turning layers for a uniform 2x2x4, 6x6x6 and non-uniform 2x2x6.[1] Fisher’s Golden Cubes, initially intended to be released as the Millennium Cube, began production in the early 2000s.[2] Created by modifying the Skewb, it is the first example of a rotational puzzle that features just one colour scheme, requiring the solver to restore the cube’s shape without the visual aid of having separate colours for each side.[1] The Golden Cube is considered to be Fisher’s most unusual contribution to the design of new combination puzzles,[1] and has been mass-produced by Uwe Meffert.[2]

This cube puzzle was followed by the Cube, using the modified mechanism from an Eastsheen 4x4x4 cube, and in 2007 the Hexaminx puzzle, a cubic version of the Megaminx for which Fisher has used new manufacturing techniques involving polyurethane resins.[1]

Since 1981 Fisher has designed and crafted around 100 puzzles based on different puzzle mechanisms.[1] As well as puzzle manufacturing, he has also worked for Suffolk County Council as an archaeologist.[7]

Guinness World Record

At the beginning of 2016 he built the world's largest Rubik's Cube, which took him a total 156 hours to build in his garage.[6] It was 1.57 metres tall and weighed 100 kilograms.[8] He released a sped-up video showing how he spent two days working to solve the massive puzzle.[6]

In 2017 the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged Fisher as the creator of the world's largest Rubik's cube, which measured 1.57m long, created in 2016.[4][9][10]

Other novelty cubes

In June 2016 Fisher also created the world's smallest functioning Rubik's Cube which measured only 5.6 millimetres on each side.[11][12]

In December 2017 he unveiled a Rubik’s Cube which was made from 95% ice.[13] His other creations include a Rubik's Cube made from candles; one made from cheese; and one made from chocolate.[5][14]

Fidget spinner

In June 2017 he unveiled the world largest fidget spinner.[15] The spinner had a diameter of over 3.3 metres, and took him 40 hours to build.[16]

Puzzle designs

Examples of Fisher’s puzzle designs can be found at the Puzzle Museum, including his Cylinder Cube, Golden Cube, Hexagonal Prism, Truncated Octaminx and Truncated Octahedron.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Slocum, Jerry (2009). The Cube. The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Best Selling Puzzles. Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN 978-1-57912-805-0.
  2. 1 2 3 "A Fully Operational 2x2x4 Cube with Uniform Cubies". TwistyPuzzles.com. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Dutch Cube Day". SpeedCubing.com. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  4. 1 2 Guinness World Records 2018. 2018. ISBN 978-1-910561-71-3.
  5. 1 2 Farah Celjo (13 March 2018). "This working Rubik's cube is made completely out of cheese". SBS.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Ben Hooper (2 June 2016). "Creator of world's largest Rubik's cube solves the puzzle". United Press International.
  7. ↑ "Mr Tony Fisher, Archaeologist". Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Rachel Swatman (19 April 2016). "Video: Watch maker of world's largest Rubik's cube attempt to solve it". Guinness World Records.
  9. ↑ "Largest Rubik's Cube". Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  10. ↑ "Video: Watch maker of world's largest Rubik's cube attempt to solve it". Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  11. ↑ Ben Hooper (4 October 2016). "British man solves 'world's smallest Rubik's cube' with tweezers". United Press International.
  12. ↑ Derrick Rosignol (13 May 2017). "The World's Smallest Rubik's Cube is So, So, So Very Teeny-Tiny". Nerdist.
  13. ↑ "Guinness World Record Holder Tony Fisher Makes an Icy-Rubik Cube". India.com. 29 December 2017.
  14. ↑ Carla Sinclair (21 March 2018). "Puzzle maker creates fully functional chocolate Rubik's cube". Boing Boing.
  15. ↑ Ben Hooper (27 June 2017). "British inventor shows off world's largest fidget spinner". United Press International.
  16. ↑ "British Enthusiast Makes the World's Largest Fidget Spinner". Sputnik News. 28 June 2017.
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