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]

Tony Fisher at a puzzle event with one of his puzzles

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]

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.

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
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  1. 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. "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. Guinness World Records 2018. 2018. ISBN 978-1-910561-71-3.
  5. Farah Celjo (13 March 2018). "This working Rubik's cube is made completely out of cheese". SBS.
  6. 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.
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