Titan Brass Puzzle by Felix Ure

A Brass Sphere With Almost Nothing to Give Away

The Titan Brass Puzzle is a precision mechanical puzzle designed by London-based maker Felix Ure. Its appearance is deliberately minimal: a smooth, substantial brass sphere with no obvious controls, external mechanism, or clear starting point.

The objective is simply to separate the sphere into its two halves.

What makes Titan difficult is how little information it provides. You can see the division between the two halves, but that does not tell you what is preventing them from separating or what needs to happen internally before they will release.

A True Take-Apart Puzzle

Titan is best classified as a take-apart puzzle with a concealed internal mechanism.

Rather than progressing through multiple stages or retrieving tools as you would in a sequential discovery puzzle, Titan focuses on one mechanical problem: understanding what is locking the sphere and finding the conditions that allow the two halves to separate.

Felix Ure himself describes Titan as a highly challenging take-apart puzzle, while puzzles such as his Piston and Hip-Flask are specifically described as sequential discovery designs. 

That distinction is important because Titan's difficulty comes from depth rather than the number of stages.

Solving What You Cannot See

There are very few visual clues to guide you, so much of the investigation happens through the hands.

The solver begins to pay attention to subtle changes in the object: how the internal components seem to behave, whether orientation changes anything, what can be felt through the brass, and whether a sound or movement supports a theory about the mechanism.

Titan encourages experimentation, but it also punishes assumptions. A movement that feels meaningful may be important, or it may lead you toward a completely incorrect idea of what is happening inside.

The challenge is gradually building an accurate mental picture of a mechanism you cannot see.

Designed by Felix Ure

Titan was Felix Ure's first puzzle release, launching in 2019 before a growing collection of precision metal puzzles that now includes Piston, Hip-Flask, Kepler, and others. Felix designs and makes his products in the UK, with individual finishing and quality control carried out at his London studio. 

Titan established many of the qualities that continue through his work: substantial metal construction, restrained industrial design, precise machining, and a mechanism hidden inside an object that looks much simpler than it really is.

Machined From Solid Brass

Titan is machined from solid brass, giving the 2-inch sphere considerable weight and a tactile quality that is central to the solving experience.

Felix Ure leaves the brass unfinished, allowing the surface to gradually develop a natural patina through handling. The official version measures 50 mm in diameter and weighs approximately 515 grams.

It feels less like a conventional brain teaser and more like a small precision-engineered object, which is part of what makes Titan particularly appealing to collectors.

An Expert-Level Mechanical Challenge

Kubiya rates Titan at 5/5 difficulty, and it is much better suited to an experienced mechanical puzzle solver than to someone looking for a first puzzle.

There are only two main pieces and one clear objective, but neither of those facts makes the puzzle simple. Titan demonstrates particularly well that mechanical puzzle difficulty does not depend on a high piece count or an elaborate exterior.

The entire challenge is concentrated inside one sphere.

For Serious Mechanical Puzzle Collectors

Titan is particularly well suited for solvers who enjoy hidden mechanisms, tactile investigation, precision metalwork, and puzzles that can remain unresolved on a desk for a long time before the underlying idea finally becomes clear.

It is also an important piece for collectors interested in Felix Ure's work because it was the puzzle that began his commercial puzzle line. 

The result is a puzzle that looks exceptionally simple from the outside but gives the solver a deep mechanical problem to understand.