By Vurdlak on March 2, 2007, with 166 Comments
This is an awesome puzzle. I just found it on the net, and apparently it’s very tough, but not unsolvable. You should find a way to get the lock unlocked, and take the key that is locked by it. Only solution I found, is to buy two of these, hoping that both locks can be unlocked with the same key. Other than that, I’m stuck. Can you help me solve this? This is the newest addition to our Toys category. Some of you asked, why is that category named like this: Well, even though it is consisted of puzzles, toys and DIY (do-it-yourself) articles, somehow I decided “Toys” name would suit it the best. You can check it out, and tell me your opinion, I have just updated all the links, and you should find dozen of more cool articles there. But first, let’s solve this puzzle below. Maybe this what we see is instead optical illusion, and maybe the solution is not as hard as we think. I really don’t know. Enjoy!
Update: This lock is called Danlock, and I just wrote second post about it. Check it here.
(11 votes)
If you notice closely both of those keys are different since the one on the lock has a bigger hole and the broken has a smaller hole, then it only shows one view on the right side of the lock and key on the lock, i believe that the lock isnt locked at all and it is an “Optical Illusion”, but thats just me.
Some comments from DanLock designer follow.
- DanLock is indeed a mechanical puzzle, not just a visual trick or visual illusion as suggested by some people.
- It was designed to look as an impossible object but is it solvable.
- No external tools whatsoever should be used to solve the puzzle, not even the small metal ring provided with the lock, whose only purpose is to keep the small parts of the broken key from getting lost. The bag should not be used either (just in case you had it in mind). Only the lock and the two keys provided with it.
- I don’t want to spoil it out, so no solution hints are provided
- Some serious attempts were made by readers to solve DanLock just by thinking and by logical reasoning. It is virtually impossible to figure out the full and precise solution without playing with the puzzle itself and without actually trying it.
- You are invied to visit DanLock’s web site http://www.geocities.com/danpuzzles/danlock
i would take a small file or hack saw that is small and cut the key that is on the lock at the top of key head with with the file or saw and cut a gap wide enough to clear the lock shaft then take that key to the hardware store and make a new one that ay the key body is not hurt and can still be duplicated thats what i would do
Stick the broken key piece in backwards two notches and turn to unlock
That is Crazy hard and Stupid
the key thats attached to the lock is cut ever so slightly and placed on the key thtas how they did it!
Attention i have got it!!!!!
you take the broken key and put it into the lock, then you turn the lock until it opens. the key is likely to break, so you use a magnet to pull the part of the key that is stuck in the lock out.
smash it with an hammer, lol
throw away all the pieces and go buy a masterlock.
there is no broken key. it’s shoved out from the bag.
maybe if the material on the bag is thin enough and you put the broken key in the bag and hold it tight enough so that the key can keep its original form then it will unlock the padlock without leaving the broken piece inside
i think the question is: why to open this lock? if you get it opened, you you will be able to get the key… and with the key… ??? what to do with the key? the lock is opened^^
i think this picture is just to make you think about it, not to solve a puzzle or whatever…
what if the lock isnt actually locked, and its just an illusion?
Just buy another lock..
DanLock is an original puzzle lock designed by Dan Feldman, Israel. It comes with two keys: one key is attached to the shackle and the other one is broken… It is your job to open the lock, and then to get it back to its original state.
Hey guys, let’s be more creative:
What if all the locks & keys are the same ?
In that case the solution is to buy 2 pieces of the puzzle and there you are.
Hey, what’s wrong with having more than one key for a lock? most locks come with that…..the the key doesnt have to be broken, it could be two keys, one outside the bag sticking inside, the the other one vice versa. O.o
Guess what—- THE LOCK IS ALREADY OPEN -,- thats easy. Its just looks like it is shut, but it isnt properly locked.
Lol he cant get the look open!
The key isnt broken, there’s one key in the pouch and the end of it is sticking out, and the rest of the key on the outside is sticking into the inside of the pouch. Look really closely…. there’s 3 keys not just 2
The lock is broken next to the key so you can’t see it’s broken. that or #23
it doesnt quite show in the picture, but the top half of the key (cut end) has a small hole in it. i seen it on the website http://www.grand-illusions.com/acatalog/Puzzle_Lock.html
All one would have to do is simple put a thread through the hole, put piece with string into lock and insert key and turn. you will then be able to pull top of key back out using the string… me a genius :p
I have just purchased and recieved this puzzel from Dan. I have a sealed envelope with the solution in it. This is a multi layered puzzel. Yes the keys are different. It is very easy to open the lock, but from there is where it gets hard. The key ring and bag are not part of the puzzel or its solution. It said so in my instructions. So now I have half key stuck in lock and no obvious way to get it out. Will post when I get further.
just pick the lock with a paper clip
lol
haha good idea
the key is not broken! that´s the illusion! the blue bag is covering the rest of it…
I have solved this puzzel. It took me about 1 and 1/2 hours to do it. Dan Felden did a very nice job of making this puzzel/ trick lock. It took me about 3 minutes to open the lock because of studying it and I did not realy want to put the 2 piece key in it without an obvious way of getting it back out. Once you overcome that fear it opens as any other lock would except now you have a piece of a key suck in it so you cant use the next key you just unlocked. You have to figure out how to get that piece of key back out without anything but what is included. This was my major hurdle that took alot of time playing with the lock and key’s until I found “something” wich enabled me to go on to the next step. From there was still more trickery and unusual thigs you had to do to finnish it. Very nice puzzel/trick lock.
There’s a hole in the bag. The ‘broken’ bit of the key is off a third key and placed there to look like it’s broken off. Take the key out of the hole and open the lock. EASY!!!
I would stick the broken half of the key in turn it with the handle of the key, open the lock. Then I’d use a magnet to get the piece that’s stuck, out of the magnet.
use some wire…it works
I think he just put the broken key in there to show he tried using another key to open it, but i might be wrong.
Just grab a bobby pin and pick it ;)
this is very deceiving i have seen tons of these all th same and all of them r taken from the same view the end of the hoop thing is not joined at all so u just slide out key and u can use it
the key isnt broken. theres two keys and a hole or two in the bag.
one key is sticking out a hole.
and the end of another key is going into a hole.
the comment #23 has a point, there is a broken key and there is a whole key in the pouch that sticks out through the whole in it, however, the point is to open it and keep it still useful, if the broken key belongs to the lock, then the lock has a piece of key stuck inside and it is of course for good there, possible to open, impossible to get the broken piece out, unless of course, the broken key just doesn’t belong to the lock, then it’s a peace of cake.
I’ve seen this puzzle being sold here: http://www.grand-illusions.com/acatalog/Puzzle_Lock.html
From that picture it seems there is a small hole in the bottom part of the broken key. It makes sense to run a strong thread through that hole, and place the busted key into the lock to unlock it. Then simply pull out the bottom part of the broken key using the thread.
~ Robby
the lock isnt even locked i bet…i mean srsly its showing it from the angle of which it would hide the end of the lock.
it would just slide of and on…
what about a very good glue?
I GOT THIS!
THERE ARE THREE KEYS
the “broken one” is actually two parts of two keys
they can unlock the lock
easy the key is not broken ..the is two keys and two holes…..one key goin in and one key going out!!!!=]
the broken key is not the same key as the one on the padlock . which means the owner still has the spare key to open the lock ??? :)
It’s easy, use daa broken key ta open da lock, simple!!!!
TAKE THE LOCK AND KEY TO GET A NEW KEY MADE
There is a hole in the broken off part of the key, tie a thin string in that, open the lock use the string to remove the second half of the broken key.
I used to own one of these, the key is not broken, it is bent
bobbypin
duuuuh theres three keys idiots. ones IS broken ones poking out of the hole and the other is around the lock derrrr man you can see it easily since the smaller part is shinier than the twisting part
StenC u r correct there is onl 2 keys and a hole in one
this is a trick lock, not necessarily an illusion, and I have seen many trick locks in the past, most of which have a button somewhere, seamlessly blended into the lock itself, which you press to open it, ans is near impossible to find without knowing it’s location, as the “key that comes with it doesn’t work. in this case, the earlier description of Dan’s magic lock appears to take the cake… sometimes a lock like this is rigged to explode apart, giving you a puzzle to piece back together if you want someone else to try and solve it… I don’t particularly like those ones.
Heres the solution from me, mail me if i m right.
U can break the locked key and bring it out. Then use the key to open the lock.
Easy hit it with a hammer!!!
Take it to the locksmith and tell him you need a copy of the key. ;P
The broken key tip has a hole in it. Take a piece of fishing line (or equivalent) and stick the broken piece in. Use the rest of the broken key to turn the lock. After the lock is open, you can pull the string and get the broken piece out.
this is soooooooo smiple,,just cut the key thats on the lock above the teeth, (cut the head in half), and up lock the lock.
i have a gr8 suggestion just chuck both the damn key and lock into the bin and go get yourself a new lock from a local store
i have a gr8 suggestion just chuck both the damn key and lock into the bin and go get yourself a new lock from a local store hahaha!!
Well..If the key can break that easy just snap off the one on the lock….
put it back on the shelf and walk away?
take it to a hardware store and have a copy made of the key on the lock
the key maybe hidden by the blue bag like Beatriz Benaut said. They can go make a copy of the key…
this is easy i got it just looking at it there is a small hole in the broken key you put a thread thru it put the piece into the lock and use the other part to push it in and turn, get the key off and pull the broken key out with the thread i dont understand what is so difficult about it you just need to use your mind
The real life solution is to buy a new set. Why bother?
As the key is breakable, cut the top portion of the good key held by the lock, and it will come out. Use the key to open the lock
Just put the broken key (two parts) into the lock and open it. Then you get the good key out.
There isnt two keys, there is three!
there is the one on the pad lock and ones got
its bottom half coverd by the bag.
then there’s a 3rd pointing at a slightly
different angle with its top half coverd!
I Hearby Rest My Case!
(P.S My name is archie
Forget what i said, weld them together!
P.S My name is Archie
I think there are three keys but not too sure. Have you figured it out yet?
its a broken “bump key” still works google it and you will see
I have to poop really bad!
I own one of those lock
You can do it naked in A jail cell without anything else….
FRed
just buy two puzzles.
I have two ways of solving this…
1. glue
2. saw
There’s a key code on the key..have another key made.
It don’t appear the key is completely cut. Bend it straight and use the key as normal. The part near the fingers will turn the cylinder and unlock it. Just a guess!
That looks fun! i want one!
It’s actully not locked. It’s just shot from an angle to make it look like it.
the 2 keys are actually inserted into the material or are hidden by the folds of the purple material – use either to unlock it.
I would assume that the key fragment could be inserted into the lock so that the lock tumblers are correctly positioned to free the lock’s rotation and then the second portion also gently inserted and used to rotate the lock, thus unlocking the assembly.
Try putting in the top part of the key into the lock and turning. In other words backwards, don’t use the teeth part at all.
super glue the key back together or just use the bottom half or get a replacement key!
facil… pode colocar as partes da chave quebrada no cadeado que abre…
easy… just put the broken parts of the key in the lock that opens…
I think there is three keys, and its not actually broken: one key in bag coming out, and another outside going in
maybe that “broken key” isn’t broken, there could be cuts in the material, since it’s a bag. and it could be two keys, both in tact.