Spiral Cast Puzzle Solution

I really like this Hanayama Cast Metal Spiral Puzzle. There are five interlocking pieces that don't seem like they can be taken apart. When I passed it around, most thought it was a fidget toy and just enjoyed moving the pieces up and down. The first part of the puzzle is taking it apart which is a challenge. Putting it back together is even more difficult. If you haven't guessed already, the word "Spiral" in the name is a big hint.

I've tried the capture the solution in pictures and words but this video should help as well.

Link to Puzzle on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NHjhW2

Out of the box, you will notice that one part has words written on it. That is the key piece for the solution.

Holding that key piece, all the other pieces should drop in a spiral shape.

This is a little hard to show in pictures but hopefully, you can follow.

1. Position puzzle so piece with the word is facing up
2. Place your middle finger (right hand) under the piece with the word
3. Allow pieces to drop in a spiral
4. Using your left hand, secure the lower three pieces of the spiral (keep the shape)
5. Using your right hand, rotate the two pieces (worded and the first piece counter-clockwise) as a group to unlock them from the spiral
6. From there, removing the remaining parts is intuitive

I felt re-assembly was harder than getting it apart. If you looked closely at the puzzle before you took it apart, you might have noticed that the worded piece had a larger interlocking gap compared to the others. Also, when you dropped the spiral, the vertical gaps were not consistent. I found that the gap was either 50/50 or 70/30 in a rotating manner. Use this as a guide when reassembling the puzzle.

Thanks for Viewing!