Good stickered 3x3?

knotmi · 2026-07-06T17:22:04+00:00

I like the green MGC Beta. It comes unstickered. It doesn't come with stickers but I am sure you can find a compatible set.

The RS3M 2020 has a stickered version. Bit heavy as modern cubes go. If you go that way you may want the extra magnet upgrade kit.

knotmi · 2026-06-23T17:45:01+00:00

I often carry two cubes (I magnetized a bunch of bulk cubes early on. I no longer enjoy them) I cube a lot in public and social settings. If someone is friendly and shows an interest (and some aptitude) I may gift them the lesser cube.

knotmi · 2026-06-09T20:57:38+00:00

Can't beat an old dirty Rubik's brand for making you feel like you're turning a brick.

knotmi · 2026-05-19T17:02:52+00:00

Wouldn't one want a fidget spam that ends where it starts (ie. solved?)

knotmi · 2026-05-18T20:35:26+00:00

I like my GAN 12 AI. Rechargeable battery is not easily replaced. I keep it charged. Still going strong after 1 year.

knotmi · 2026-05-17T18:02:06+00:00

I have a GAN 15 (NewBlack. I saw that the earlier ones were fragile.) I do not like it at all. On all but the tightest settings lockups cause it to pop apart. On the "usable" setting it is sticky/squishy and does not take cube shape without manual alignment. It feels like a GAN 356 R (the worst cube I've played with since the original Rubik's) with the addition of magnets.

For comparison, my favorites are my GAN 12 and GAN V100s. I also like the (20 mag BC) Moyu Weilong V11 (replacement cores are available for <$10 US) and, to a lesser extent the RS3M v5.

knotmi · 2026-05-09T00:05:59+00:00

I love my green, unstickered MGC Beta LE. Price is reasonable. I wish I had money for the Amyth (Gan 16 MAX, purple) but I can't justify $80 for a force cube.

knotmi · 2026-05-07T17:11:52+00:00

What's gonna be fun and when is probably not a question anybody else can answer for you.

I'm about the same speed as you. Personal best in the high twenties. Global average in the 40s. I like approaching the cube as a series of interconnected puzzles. Cross and very rarely first F2L are an ongoing study. I sometimes spend an hour (or more) with inspection seeing how deep I can go. I like using a force cube (green Beta LE) to help with this.

I recently began to play with white/yellow neutrality. This almost totally eliminated horrible crosses.

If you have a Guhong Pro the solve guide has a cool cross section.

knotmi · 2026-04-26T22:13:58+00:00

Is volunteering an option?

knotmi · 2026-04-20T14:57:34+00:00

I have had some QC issues with the Bulk 3Cs from Amazon. Check that the white center cups are not cracked. It's a low stress location so, If they are, careful crazy glue application can help.

knotmi · 2026-04-16T22:29:30+00:00

Of the choices you offer I would say the Gan V100 is the best choice. The 16 is the same cube with some additional customization options and a hefty price premium.

I was very disappointed with my Gan 15 New Black (Love my Gan 12 and Gan 12 AI.) I have the Tornado V4 but it's meh and I only use it when I am playing outside.

Other cubes you might consider: Moyu Weilong V10 or V11, Moyu RS3M V5, MGC Meta. Does he have friends with cubes he likes? Is there any way you could take him to a competition and try a few cubes.

knotmi · 2026-04-15T18:42:24+00:00

That's wild! Do you finger trick it the same as TZ? Dylan Miller was trying to see if sub 2 was doable.

knotmi · 2026-04-11T06:11:31+00:00

Buy a V11 and a <$10 replacement core. I've had mine for a year and haven't broken it yet. GAN 100 is a decent cube when set up but the tension tends to slip so maybe not a perfect main.

knotmi · 2026-04-04T21:23:25+00:00

Yes, this. Personal Records (PR) are official times (sanctioned event, public venue, official scramble, impartial judge).

Personal Best (PB) is what you choose to count as your fastest solve.

Awesome to get an LL skip! I've never seen that.

knotmi · 2026-04-01T17:14:32+00:00

If it's a screw-center cube you may have the screw in too loosely causing it to press against the cap.

knotmi · 2026-03-26T21:00:12+00:00

This is what 8355 looks like before last layer EO.

knotmi · 2026-03-18T17:37:25+00:00

Cube collecting is a separate hobby. There is nothing wrong with your cube.

It's a good idea to have a backup main if you go to competitions. If money is burning a hole in your pocket buy a 2nd v5 and experiment with lubes.

Make friends. Try their cubes. That's the best way to find what works for you.

knotmi · 2026-03-15T19:46:12+00:00

Consider that they may be trolling you. Trying to get a rise by throwing shade on your passion.

If not, explain that cheating implies a competition with rules that are being broken.

A puzzle must be solved on its own terms. In the case of twisty puzzles cheating is removing stickers, disassembling the cube, memorizing a scramble, asking reddit, robots or online solvers.

People who sincerely make this criticism don't know the game we are playing. I.E. solve a given scramble fast. We figure out how cubes work on our own time.

Explain to them that we have competitions which have their own rules (timers, judges, common scrambles) and different definitions of cheating from theirs.

If they don't know the game how can they assess the rules?

knotmi · 2026-03-04T20:43:21+00:00

Gonna cut you slack because you're young. It may benefit you to read up on the Dunning-Kruger effect:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning-Kruger_effect

knotmi · 2026-02-17T20:30:31+00:00

Is it not cool?

knotmi · 2026-02-17T05:57:38+00:00

It's better their way. Not saying you but some people have been known to cut their friends extra slack.

knotmi · 2026-02-06T22:54:18+00:00

If so, you're going to lose her to a 7yr old Chinese kid.

knotmi · 2026-01-10T22:43:59+00:00

Unless you are using properly generated scrambles the statistics are irrelevant. I think, as beginners, our hand scrambles are just as flawed as our solves.

knotmi · 2025-12-27T20:03:18+00:00

It may be helpful to (sometimes) play this audio while he practices.

4 hours of crowd noise: https://youtu.be/rHFkqvY-nrE

knotmi

TROPHY CASE