Do These Count As Purist?

[Schwa]

I have a couple questions about what counts as "purist". Do these count?

 

Lego Packaging (boxes, bags, etc)

Lego Instructions

Lego Stickers

The old Lego Wooden Toys

 

Thanks!

[Robianco]

Anything that's made by Lego that hasn't been modified is purist. I've only ever really seen 'purist' used in terms of creating custom figures. As long as the parts are regular lego pieces without any recolouring or messing with print then it's a purist. Once you modify a part in some way (rubbing some of the print off or recolouring) then it's no longer considered purist. I'm not sure why Lego packaging or instructions would need to be considered purist? 

[Nick Wolfe]

I would say that stickers definitely do, whether they're applied to the intended pieces or to different ones.

The old wooden toys would be an interesting argument but since they were created before the LEGO system of interlocking parts I would say they are not.

Theoretically the Instructions and packaging could be considered purist too but here's the caveat to that. Purist parts can't be altered physically eg: painted or broken. So in order to use the instructions you wouldn't be able to tear or cut them at all, you would have to use the entire instruction booklet as is. So if you're using them as a tent for minifigures or having the minifigures use them to build something like they do in the LEGO movie then they would be purist.

The packaging, by these same rules, presents a different challenge. The plastic bags with parts inside are right out because they have to be torn to remove the bricks inside. The actual boxes could be considered purist if they are kept intact and not torn when being opened. Weather cutting tape counts as defacing a part is up for debate but my first instinct is to say no.

This is an interesting philosophical question! If you're asking because you're entering a purist competition then you would probably do better to ask whoever judges that contest because it's really up to each individual's discretion but in that case my instinct would be no to all except for stickers.

In any case I say that since finding new and interesting ways to use the materials you have is the core of the LEGO spirit that if you have any ideas that involve any of these grey areas please make them! Pushing limits and finding ways around rules is what fosters creativity and innovation!

[Schwa]

Thanks for your responses. I was just curious to see what people thought. I have a few more items to put up for debate:

 

Misprints

The Lego Factory Test Print pieces

Scala/Clikkits

The Lego Dimensions character/gadget bases (the trans-blue circle ones)

[deraven]

Yes to all of those.  I think it's fun to see creative uses of things from Scala, Fabuland, etc..  As long as they're not being cut/modified that's purist.  I think it might be a little odd to see boxes used in a MOC and I think you might get a little flak if you, say, used cardboard set boxes for internal structure on a large MOC instead of engineering something out of bricks... but we did get Lego instruction booklets used in The Lego Movie, so...  

[samurai-turtle]

Well their is this set...

https://brickset.com/sets/1906-1/Majisto-s-Tower

It has a fancy box which has a "painted tower" on the back with punch out holes. I guess the original idea was to expand the LEGO tower. 

[AmperZand]

1 hour ago, samurai-turtle said:

It has a fancy box which has a "painted tower" on the back with punch out holes. I guess the original idea was to expand the LEGO tower. 

Indeed. There are also sets such as Easter Bunny Hut (5005249), Iconic Cave (5004936) and Banana Guy Beach Hut in which part of the box is designed for play/display.

I believe there have been LEGO sets in which, according to the instructions, you were supposed to cut the string/tubing to size. If the instructions direct you to cut a part, it raises the question of whether the part and anything made from it is still purist. The problems of LEGO ontology! 

In relation to the boxes-as-part-of-the-set, cutting string/tubing and in the general case, shouldn't 'purist' be defined as anything TLG does in or intends for a set? If so, does that only apply to particular parts such as the box-cave from Iconic Cave or for any LEGO box? If LEGO's boxes are purist, are its (branded) shipping cartons purist too? It seems we need to consider LEGO's intention and whether it matters or not.

 

Edited July 23, 2018 by AmperZand

[Blondie-Wan]

On 7/21/2018 at 12:37 PM, Schwa said:

Thanks for your responses. I was just curious to see what people thought. I have a few more items to put up for debate:

 

Misprints

The Lego Factory Test Print pieces

Scala/Clikkits

The Lego Dimensions character/gadget bases (the trans-blue circle ones)

What’s to debate? With the possible exception of Clikkits, those are all LEGO elements that work with other LEGO elements.

[zux]

9 hours ago, AmperZand said:

I believe there have been LEGO sets in which, according to the instructions, you were supposed to cut the string/tubing to size. If the instructions direct you to cut a part, it raises the question of whether the part and anything made from it is still purist. The problems of LEGO ontology! 

In relation to the boxes-as-part-of-the-set, cutting string/tubing and in the general case, shouldn't 'purist' be defined as anything TLG does in or intends for a set? If so, does that only apply to particular parts such as the box-cave from Iconic Cave or for any LEGO box? If LEGO's boxes are purist, are its (branded) shipping cartons purist too? It seems we need to consider LEGO's intention and whether it matters or not.

 

Yes, for example, 8455 set contains a all pneumatic tubing uncut and suggest you do cut to the size (shown in instructions). This leaves you with some spare tubing as provided one is little longer. Everything came from LEGO set, so is considered purist! Since TLG doesn't produce pneumatic tubing some people consider a purist solution to cut them to required size or use 3rd party ones.

@Blondie-Wan Some Clickits work with other System/City bricks like the rest of LEGO. Don't see why these should be excluded.

[Johnny1360]

Sticker sheets after the stickers have been removed from it? I save mine and occasionally cut my own stickers from the used up sheet. Purist or not?  

[AmperZand]

Here is your philosophy final exam question:

What is LEGO purity? Is it a binary category, i.e. something is purist or not, or is it a scale, i.e. degrees of purity? Is purity a Wittgensteinian 'family resemblance'? Or is it what mathematicians call a 'fuzzy set'?

Discuss by means of a Hegelian dialectic and supported by examples. 

 

Edited July 23, 2018 by AmperZand

[Johnny1360]

14 hours ago, AmperZand said:

Here is your philosophy final exam question:

What is LEGO purity? Is it a binary category, i.e. something is purist or not, or is it a scale, i.e. degrees of purity? Is purity a Wittgensteinian 'family resemblance'? Or is it what mathematicians call a 'fuzzy set'?

Discuss by means of a Hegelian dialectic and supported by examples. 

 

I would but my lack of proper education and or understanding of the subject matter would soon be readily apparent. 

[engineermax]

The cutting of things like pneumatic tubing always interested me. On the one hand its cutting, on the other LEGO has asked you to do it in the past so I don't object. I also maintain that third party elements like Brickarms are OK since you don't modify the LEGO and the LEGO company doesn't make guns like that.

[anothergol]

2 hours ago, engineermax said:

The cutting of things like pneumatic tubing always interested me. On the one hand its cutting, on the other LEGO has asked you to do it in the past so I don't object. I also maintain that third party elements like Brickarms are OK since you don't modify the LEGO and the LEGO company doesn't make guns like that.

I would consider "purist" cutting a specific tube color to a length that Lego has cut in the past. A "tube 8L in black" that you cut yourself is in no way different from the same tube that Lego cut (or asked to cut) in a set.

I wouldn't consider "purist" cutting a tube at a length that Lego hasn't done, but if Lego would do it, then I don't mind doing it. Like, I may cut a tube to 11L, without bothering to check if Lego has done it for that color.
I would however avoid cutting it to 11.1L. And I'm still wondering if I should start cutting 2L tubes, because I don't believe Lego would either do that, as kids would lose them inside other parts. Or maybe they would, in a set for adults. But I feel like if I start cheating with bars 2L I will enter the realm of unpure MOCs and they will have to be REALLY as good as cheating MOCs can be.

2 hours ago, engineermax said:

I also maintain that third party elements like Brickarms are OK

Well that's definitely "unpure". Of course it's "ok" (it's ultimately your choice), but if I see other brands in a MOC, it's then a "cheating" MOC, & thus another form of art that follows other rules, and it really has to be amazing to impress me. I'd put it in the "hacks & mixed brands" category & would compare it to other MOCs in that category - some of which being really much better than pure MOCs, because they can.

Like, those new 1x1 brackets that Lego just introduced, they are gonna allow so much stuff. Other brands already had them, & thus anyone doing mixed brands MOCs was already able to do them. Different rules, different expected outcome.

 

Edited August 8, 2018 by anothergol

[anothergol]

On 7/23/2018 at 11:15 PM, Johnny1360 said:

Sticker sheets after the stickers have been removed from it? I save mine and occasionally cut my own stickers from the used up sheet. Purist or not?  

one day I expect someone to knit an entire pullover out of Lego strings & call it a MOC

[LucyCol]

8 hours ago, anothergol said:

one day I expect someone to knit an entire pullover out of Lego strings & call it a MOC

 

[x105Black]

On 8/8/2018 at 12:13 AM, anothergol said:

one day I expect someone to knit an entire pullover out of Lego strings & call it a MOC

That would be fantastic.  Please, someone, do this.

[MAB]

On 7/21/2018 at 5:37 PM, Schwa said:

Misprints

 

Misprints and similar parts are also an interesting case. I have a number of unprinted LEGO parts that are only officially available as printed parts. Are they purist? If I wiped the print they wouldn't be, but these were never printed.

 

An even bigger dilemma, what happens if you draw on a lego part with one of these (5005147) ...

 

If you can use an official lego sticker on a different part than lego intended, then why not official lego ink?

 

Edited August 22, 2018 by MAB

[Johnny1360]

Very interesting, never thought about it before, are those ink pens actually brick colors?