The choice of material was fairly simple process of elimination. All metals that could corrode or rust we immediately discarded, leaving alloys of stainless steel, titanium, aluminum and the "Red Metals". At its core, a puzzle cube is just a combination of segmented thrust & radial bearings, any alloy that would gall or cold weld would never work which left Brasses & Bronzes. The tiny amount of lead in brass acts as a long term lubricant, ensuring smooth operation for generations to come
FAQ - Material
Choosing brass wasn't particularly difficult.
First we eliminated all metals that could corrode or rust. This left us with alloys of stainless steel, titanium, aluminum and the "Red Metals".
At its core, a puzzle cube is just a combination of segmented thrust & radial bearings. As such we eliminated any alloy that would easily gall or cold weld. Now we were down to a few brass alloys. Brass machines beautifully, is dimensionally stable, and lasts for decades. This is the same reason brass was the material of choice for scientific and engineering instruments during the Industrial Revolution. The tiny amount of lead in brass also acts as both a long term lubricant and a self-healing element, ensuring smooth operation for generations to come.