A spirited journey through the world of collectible artisan puzzles
Pairing craft cocktails with crafty puzzles
Checkmate Box
This is no ordinary chess themed box. The Stickman No. 14 Puzzle Box, aka the Checkmate Box, represents the evolutionary development of a modern day renaissance artist in his chosen medium.
Walking with the Moon
I’m facing the new year with this sense of wonder, walking with the moon, if you will. Yoh Kakuda captures the sentiment beautifully in this piece, which is closer in style to his automaton work where the movement is the beginning and the end.
Pineapple Secret
Hiroshi Iwahara’s Pineapple Secret is one of the most strikingly beautiful pieces he has created and is an incredible achievement from this master of the Karakuri Creation Group.
Code Name L
Code Name “L” is an extremely creative box which will keep you guessing until you experience the wonderfully satisfying AHA moment.
Mayan Box
We're taking an exotic journey to the tombs of the ancient Maya for this installment. Benno Baatsen is a puzzle box designer from the Netherlands who has been creating devious and complex mechanisms since he first began making puzzle boxes out of Legos when he was nine years old.
Sleep Lion
I’ll never get tired of the whimsical, adorable creations of Japanese artist Osamu Kasho. As he admits in his brief bio on the Karakuri Creation Group site, he embraces and cherishes playfulness in his work.
Ze Genie Bottle
Sometimes, it’s rather useful to have a genie lamp handy. It may not actually produce any genies, or grant wishes, but you never know. Stephen Chin, the master of the lathe, worked some impressive magic with his “Ze Genie Bottle”, which he produced for the 2017 International Puzzle Party.
Haleslock 5 (Firestarter)
Over the years Shane has created a number of devious and mysterious wooden puzzles, and more recently, a series of puzzle locks. He loves to restore old and vintage locks, and knows the fascinating history of his craft. It’s no wonder he comes up with such intriguing and clever mechanisms.
Of Mice and Mazes
Dr. Thomas Beutner is an aerospace engineer who has worked with the Navy and the Department of Defense for many years. Simultaneously, he has been a woodworker for twenty five years, honing and refining his skills, and bringing his intelligent and clever ideas to life.
Houdini’s Torture Cell
It may not be so obvious at first glance, but Brian’s “Houdinis Torture Cell” is a perfect Halloween puzzle. One of his coveted limited edition puzzles, Houdini won a Jury First Prize in the 2012 Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition.
Traditional Box (Stickman No 32)
When it comes to traditional puzzle boxes, the history books direct us to the Hakone mountain region south of Tokyo in Japan. The thousand year old wood marquetry technique known as yosegi-zaiku is the region’s greatest claim to fame.
Pharaoh’s Secret
Those familiar with the creations of the Sandfield brothers won’t be surprised to see that this pyramid is held together by perfect dovetails, impossibly positioned at opposing sides all around.
TARDIS Box
Who doesn’t love a confusingly eccentric Time Lord who goes around saving the world? Dr. Who (his real name is exceedingly hard to pronounce) originally premiered on November 23, 1963 starring English character actor William Hartnell, who would go on to be known as the First Doctor.
Drunken Dancing Fraulein
I’m turning upside down with this post as well and channeling my friendly dentist from down under, that madman of mechanical mischief, the Leonardo with a lathe, puzzle maker Stephen Chin.
Caterpillar Box
Nature is full of beautiful sounds, don’t you agree? Especially in Colorado, where artist Kagen Sound and his family reside.
Jack in the Box
Perhaps it is no surprise then that a puzzle box can serve as a biography of a life as well. It seems perfectly fitting that someone who has spent a lifetime with puzzles should write their own autobiography into the wood.