How do you tell which cube is which?

[dboeren]

As I'm starting to acquire more cubes, I'm noticing that it's not necessarily easy to tell them all apart.

There are no model names on them cubes. Some have a brand sticker, but not all of them. For instance, I recently received a Cong's that did not come with a brand sticker. Besides, most brands have more than one model anyway so knowing it's a Dayan or Moyu only goes so far.

So how do you keep track of yours? Right now I'm trying to be careful to keep them all in their original boxes but it would be easy for them to be mixed up if we took multiple cubes out at once. Taking them apart and comparing the internal mechanisms is one way, but it's a hassle and you need some sort of reference to compare to.

 

[Phinagin]

Most of the time people can just tell what the cube is based on how it feels to turn. Each cube has a unique feeling to turn and so if you have spent enough time with your cubes, you will be able to tell. Also external appearance is a bit of help too sometimes. But if that doesn't work, you can simply pop out an edge/corner and look at the design of it. With that you can compare it to pictures of it online if the cube you suspect it to be.
As I said most people can tell based on how the cube feels to turn.

 

[IRNjuggle28]

You sound so much like a collector that doesn't speedsolve. Forget being able to look at a cube and figure out what it is; if you can't tell which cube is which with your eyes shut by turning it and seeing what it feels like, you're bought too many cubes and not practiced enough. I suppose the exception to that is if you've got a bunch of really similar cubes, like V1 and V2 of the same cube.

My method is to use the same cube for a million solves in a row. xD

 

[molarmanful]

You could make different custom logos for each cube to differentiate.

 

[newtonbase]

I always use new cubes as mains for a while so find it very easy to identify just by turning. I was looking at them all last night and couldn't tell a Guanlong from an Aolong from a Hualong by sight other than the logo but the weight was enough to distinguish them.

 

[~Adam~]

I push the tabs into the box and put the cube in it. Easy access, they don't just fall out and you know what it is.

 

[dboeren]

I have 5 cubes now. A Guhong and Lunhui from the older days, and then when I started back up recently I bought an Aolong v2, Yueying, and Yuxin. The reason I bought a few was basically to make sure I'd get at least one I really liked. Turns out I like the Aolong and Yueying, but not a big fan of the Yuxin. I can tell them all apart by feel, but I was thinking this method wouldn't work forever, especially with older cubes that you haven't actively used for a few years so you may no longer be familiar with them. Part of what put the question in my mind was seeing people's "for sale" threads with a couple dozen cubes including very old ones that have probably been on the shelf for a long time.

 

[ketchuphater999]

The feel, and the look. Once you use a cube for a while, you can tell from the feel(like said above) and also the sticker patterns. For example, my old Zhanchi had a chip on the corner and adjacent edge sticker and there was a chip on the white center sticker. Also the size of the gaps between pieces. basically every little thing becomes obvious.

 

[Ordway Persyn]

I actually Keep the logos on mine after I resticker them, as well as the stickers are fitted for different cubes. I can distinguish them by how they turn though. [ps I have 10 3x3 speed cubes].

 

[Anubis]

Another way is to buy cube boxes and label them


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[Rcuber123]

Or u can buy the XMD tornado...

 

[AlphaSheep]

I have around 20 different 3x3s. I peel the logos off all of them as soon as I get them. I've always been able to tell them apart without having made much effort. Every cube has something that makes it different.

 

[willi pilz]

I have around 20 different 3x3s. I peel the logos off all of them as soon as I get them. I've always been able to tell them apart without having made much effort. Every cube has something that makes it different.

Very true my friend, I think you can give every serious cuber a blindfold and he will easily tell you the difference between their mains. z.B. zhanchi, weilong, aolong v2, hualong, gans 357, liying, meiying, thunderclap, tanglong, yuexiao, weilong gts, gans air, Those were all my mains BTW.

 

[JaredRB9000]

If you don't buy cubes like every 5 seconds (like I do but probably shouldn't), It's easy cause you get to know it. Also just spending a lot of time doing it (and not only ever touching your mains) just puts into memory. I have some old cube, a Rubik's, Rubik's 2.0, ThunderClap, ThunderClap V2, Sail, Weilong GTS, Valk, and a Gans Air and within seconds i can tell you which one is which with my eyes closed, just after having them for a while.

 

[efattah]

if you can't tell which cube is which with your eyes shut by turning it and seeing what it feels like, you're bought too many cubes and not practiced enough.

That must be the funniest comment I've ever read on here! And absolutely true! There is an exception though. I can easily tell my 30+ cubes apart by how they feel, but I recently made the error of buying 6 cubes and unboxing all of them and putting them into a bag, without first identifying them. It then became very difficult to figure out which was which since I had no experience with any of them. Eventually I figured it out...