K'Nex using Lego like bricks...

[Jippon]

Have you seen this?:

More on this link:

This link

I knew about megablocks, but K'Nex? Really? I used to have a lot of K'Nex and I liked it because it had its own style.. why would they do this?

[Mirandir]

They have had theese blocks for a while now. AFAIK they are 100% compatible with LEGO. But you can easily tell them apart as all the K'nex pieces have rounded corners.

[Teddy]

Well,

Lego actually made something simular to K'Nex a while ago.

Called Znap:

Link to Brickset Znap folder

Edited June 20, 2009 by Teddy

[just2good]

Ya, I saw this at K-Mart last october.... Knex was great, because it had a building idea that didn't copy LEGOs.. and it functioned well.... Oh well, now theres praticly no building toys that didn't copy LEGOs....

[prateek]

this is pretty old. the bricks are pretty low quality, a bit lower than megablocks

[Darth Legolas]

This was news back in 2007 by now. Lego's Znap ripped them off, so they ripped back.

Anyways, there is more difference than the low-quality and round edges. They have wholes in the center where K'nex pieces interlock, which, in my opinion is quite useful for setting up things such as Lego teepees if you don't have the original pieces.

[Peppermint_M]

Oh yes, they have been in The Entertainer for years. I have never bought them because they are expensive there. I think it is an interesting method of building, I had lots of K'nex and space I would use it in self constructed towns (Just imagine a ferriswheel in you own Lego theme park/fair!). Its a cool idea.

[Rijkvv]

Znap looks more original than the bricks of Knex.

[Jippon]

I agree with Richie, Znap does look more original... there were things I did with Znap that I couldn't do with K'nex, the two where not compatible.

Why K'Nex would do this is unclear to me... do they really need it?

[larry marak]

Knex's idea was to make bricks that would allow interfacing of standard and micro knex elements with bricks, Knex and Lego both. As the bricks and plates have rounded elements to be safer for children, Knex created a tweezers style brick separator which is included in every boxed set. Adapter elements allow you to use "technic" style pins to make any brick or plate a rod, and adapter plates to allow you to turn any standard size Knex connector into a brick! Two adapters on a Snowflake (an 8 rod connector) give you a double sided brick! As the years have passed Knex has given more thought to brick design. 1x1 bricks are square and sharp corned, just like Lego. Light bricks are 1 and 1/3 bricks tall, with two small emitters in studs to light us translucent 1 by one bricks. The reliable Knex motor now has a brick housing, allowing immediate motorization of any brick model. They also created a number of unique brick elements, not seen by any other company. The T brick and the H brick, tall studded plates (studs 4 times larger than normal) which can function either as a normal plate when placed under a brick, or as a set of bars when placed under another plate. These tall studded plates led to the creation of a line of "super" elements, large bricks (8x12 etc. ) and 4 stud and 8 stud wide axel rods (2/3 of a brick thick) that lock on with a death grip clutch to the brick above them. The provide far greater clutch stregnth than you can get with the best Lego bricks. These Knex bricks and their adapters have also lead to a rennaisance in the micro-scale knex parts. Where before these were very rarely used, they are now integral to every Knex set.

Edited June 22, 2009 by larry marak

[Peppermint_M]

I found some cheap-ish sets in ASDA recently. Next time I'm there I shall pick up a small set and give it a review. I woud be interested in how well it combines because I am still enamoured of the thought of a minifig scale ferriswheel which is also quite sturdy.

[Lord Admiral]

Knex also has Duplo-sized bricks. They don't hold very well though, and feel kind of soft.

[larry marak]

I am still enamoured of the thought of a minifig scale ferriswheel which is also quite sturdy.]

By the way Peppermint, K'nex also makes minifigs, brick compatible of course, differing only in that the hands, unlike Lego, form micro-scale sockets, not clips. Besides a civilian line, they have space, racers, and knight minifigs.

[Peppermint_M]

That sounds cool. Only problem is the pricing. I know the sets in ASDA will be cheap, as they are small and being sold in a supermarket. However the only other place that sells K'nex is The Entertainer, and they mark-up everything to begin with, I don't even buy Lego there (unless it's a really old set).

I'll keep an eye out for some sets with figures.

[Peppermint_M]

Well. I bought a small K'nex set today and I have posted a review in the community forum. The second in a (hopefully) series of non-Lego brands review.