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Penny Drop - The Toggle Locking System
This piece is a quiet example of how simplicity, when paired with thoughtful design, can evolve into something far more engaging than expected.
At its core, this cigar box features a toggle-based combination locking system, where each dial holds three possible positions: left, middle, or right. While the mechanism itself is approachable, the experience lies in discovering the correct sequence — a subtle dance of alignment that rewards patience and curiosity. It’s not meant to frustrate, but rather to invite interaction.
Layered into this design is the playful addition of a familiar game — Penny Drop. What begins as a simple pastime becomes something more when embedded into the object itself. For my students, this serves as a living example: when we combine even a few features into a single creation, we naturally increase its value, its engagement, and its story. A box becomes more than a box. A mechanism becomes more than a mechanism. It becomes an experience.
What makes this piece particularly meaningful is its role within my Skool teaching platform. This exact design has been used to introduce others to the foundational principles of mechanical thinking — how small movements, when properly aligned, create access. In that sense, this box represents more than an object; it is part of a timeline of learning, a physical artifact tied to the passing on of knowledge.
There is also an added layer of value in its uniqueness. These original cigar boxes have become increasingly rare here in Canada, now largely replaced by plain, unbranded versions. This piece carries the character of an earlier time, repurposed into something both functional and engaging.
Only one has been made. There are no plans to produce more.
For collectors, this offers something beyond the mechanism itself — a connection to the process, the teaching, and the idea that even the simplest systems can hold depth when approached with intention.
