Someone recently pointed out to me that I have managed to review all of Rainer Popp's Popplock Series......apart from one. Somehow I managed to miss the T5 out, so best get to it!
This is the Popplock T5, which is (unsurprisingly) the 5th puzzle lock in the well known Popplock Series by German designer Rainer Popp. It is the the largest and heaviest in the series. It stands at 11cm tall and weighs in at a whopping 900 grams. If you were to drop this on your foot I promise that you would notice! The main reason for this mahoosive weight other than the large size is the fact that the whole main body of the lock is milled from solid brass block, and the shackle is stainless steel. This is one of those puzzles that you know is expensive as soon as you pick it up. Even the key is made to be heavy and solid, so even I would've had trouble breaking this one!
The shackle on the T5 is actually quite interesting and stands apart from the rest of the locks in the series. It was modelled on the old 'bullring' style of padlock in which the shackle is a circular loop with a gap in it, and it can spin around freely within the main body of the padlock once it has been unlocked.
The T5 requires four steps to open, and in my opinion the first three are pretty easy to find. I found that the real charm of this puzzle really comes from the final step, and I can't deny that it is a incredibly clever! In comparison with the rest of the series I would rate this as quite easy. I reckon that most puzzlers will be able to solve this one in half the time it takes to solve either the T2 or the T4.
The T5 is a brilliantly crafted puzzle lock, with a very clever final step to the solution, however I personally don't feel that the total puzzle aspect of it measures up to the hefty price tag of around £200 ($300).
The T5 is pretty hard to come by now, and currently I don't believe that there are any retailers that still hold stock of them, so the only way to come by them is through sales from private collections.
Right, that's the whole Popplock Series done (for now)! Have a read of my other Popplock reviews:
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