<<< click on either rainbow spiral ( \/ or cone rainbows below \/ ) for larger versions >>>
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This Home page displays a few     that didn't have a place anywhere else



The following buttons below link to the same puzzles as from those above, except that the puzzles are now grouped according to their status catagories .



CHINESE PUZZLE RINGS :  A History through the ages .

~ Puzzle For $ale ~


  Solution Pages  



Star of David . . . as of . . . 3 / 23 / 08
Icosahedron92 solution . . . as of . . . 3 / 31 / 08


Try the RUSSIAN PUZZLE
~ Its simplicity belies its deceptively difficult solution ~
The solution for woosies is here

 Exceptional Puzzle Boxes

www.puzzleboxworld.com/
"Unique Japanese Secret Puzzle Boxes And More From Around the World"
. . . . . Costa Rican & Moroccan puzzle boxes, along with Kumiki burr puzzles . . . . .

www.cleverwood.com/
"Hundreds of Mechanical Puzzles, Puzzle Boxes, Jewelry Boxes, and many unique, fine quality amazing wooden gifts are featured here ~"

www.puzzleboxesusa.com/main.htm
"Puzzle Boxes USA was created to increase the availability of quality Japanese puzzle boxes to new and veteran collectors in North America. We specialize in short run and rare puzzle boxes. "



A fantastic site on the History of Jigsaw Puzzles can be seen at :  Jigsaw History


~ Metagrobologist :    one who does and makes puzzles ~
   New Hampshire   Craftsman / Collector   
Richard Whiting           bios       

Peter Marineau designed this puzzle by hand in 1986. It was the highest level burr known before Bill Cutler did his exhaustive computer analysis.
. . . . . all little bit of everything . . . . .
. . . . . an assemblage of total frustration . . . . .


Bullet Burr

Made and sold by the good folks at Kel-Tec
(Kel-Tec 15-Year anniversary Bullet Puzzle)

According to the folks at Kel-Tec, this exceptionally, crafted novelty puzzle is "Machined from solid brass and engraved with the Kel-Tec Logo. Includes 6 pieces and instructions for assembly. The solid brass bullets are the size of the 5.56mm NATO round, but should not be used in a firearm.

NOTE: This is unfinished brass and it will tarnish with age. "

One can view their page for this puzzle here







    \/ click for larger pic \/
. . . . . pieces

The six pieces are notched the same as the common Star burr .








www.spacecubes.com

The greatest mystery to this puzzle is its awe-inspiring ability to maintain the holding integrity of its own structure .

According to the folks at Space Cubes, "The clever bit is that until you have all 6 pieces together, the CUBE falls apart .   There is no glue, magnets or clips .   When all 6 pieces are together, they each hold each other together to form the CUBE .

That is the clever bit .   The cube is very strong until you twist one piece and then it falls apart."





Different forms that can be made using multiple cubes.






Black Box   . . . a take-apart puzzle from Mag-Nif Inc

Although their online catalog does not display it, one can still purchase the Black Box by just asking for it through the e-mail .

This puzzle is made of a stiff plastic, and remains stable throughout all climate changes, which is crucial to this kind of puzzle - the sliding seams have to be perfectly matched (and thus, invisible) .

The black color aids in hiding them even further .   Each of the three sides of each half of the puzzle are ever-so-slightly less than 90° to ensure a fairly tight fit as the two halves are fitted together .


    \/ click for larger pic \/
Molecule
This unique 24-piece gem was one of 54 entries in the 2001 IPP21 Puzzle Design Competition as seen on John Rausch's Puzzle World

According to Joe's intro, "This brain teaser has several colorful disks that have been cleverly designed to fit into other pieces.   This gives rise to a colorful structure that some say looks like a molecule.  There are approximately 11 Billion colorful permeations.   An exact count is unknown ."


\/ click for larger pics \/



The next two pics of the toy, Jacob's Ladder, is not part of my collection; it was just added here to head my description of the item that follows:   Magic Chain .

Jacob's Ladder
Back in the 50s (this toy probably dates back as far as, or further than, 1352 B.C.), when I was just a young child , a flip-flop toy known as Jacob's Ladder came to my attention .   This toy was so named for the biblical Jacob who saw a ladder leading from earth to heaven in a vision, . . . . ."   "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending upon it. (Genesis 28:12)"

These next two pics below, however, are part of my collection, but set aside as just a toy, not as a puzzle .   Being a 3D version (with the dog's head) of the basic toy, I couldn't help but purchase it off eBay .

     \/ click for larger pic \/
  \/ click for larger pic \/
Originally made of wood or strong cardboard, plain (like above). . . or with various decorative patterns on its rectangular surfaces -- or with 3D figure representations (as in the pics to the left), holding the flip-flop in a vertical position, one would allow the 'free' block to start its way down - alternating its descent by flipping on one side, and flopping on the other - the entire 'chain' of blocks until it settled on the bottom .


Magic Chain
ENTER . . . the Modern version, incorporating the use of metal rings .

This amusing toy will boggle anyone's mind.   Everyone will see the ring falling from the top of the chain . . . to the bottom end of the chain, but all the rings are solidly connected.   So how is it possible?

. . . find out how to work it . . .
H E R E

Matchstick Puzzle Cube

One of the most complex of the matchstick puzzles, this cube is held together with nothing more than the match heads themselves -- no glue . . . no trick notches .
<<< This picture -- taken from the front paper cover of my hardcover 200-page puzzle book titled "Creative Puzzles of the World", authored by Pieter Van Delft and Jack Botermans, with 216 illustrations, 131 full-color pics, 1304 two-color and black & white drawings -- portrays a cube of basic design .   I don't know where the maker got the red matches with the yellow heads .   Perhaps matchstick manufacturers around the country offer varying color-schemes for their matchstick products .

Unfortunately the book has no direct solution to give other than this statement: "Nothing holds the 114 matchsticks of this structure together except the skill of its design .   If you have determination and time to spare, give it a try .   The first phase of building is log-cabin technique -- one four-match square piled on top of another ."

This checkerboard-patterned cube was made by Mark, from Texas, a man with whom I've since began a friendship, and from whom I've had the priviledge of purchasing this mini-perplexity through E-Bay, with much patience and perserverance, has solved the mystery of its unique construction on his own, and has since developed and perfected a special technique of making it in an hour's time -- with first-time success, every time !

One just cannot imagine the amount of dexterity and patience one has to perform . . . and endure . . . to fascilitate a victorious assembly of one of these Little Titans . . . . . until one actually tries it !



                      \/ click for larger image \/
These next 3 cubes were fabricated by another friend of mine, Johan Heyns, of South Africa, who, by sheer determination, created them on his own instead of acquiring them from another source .   The two larger cubes were made using 'long' matches, and 507 of them were required to complete the checkerboard version on the left .

The bottom cube is of 'normal' length . . . the most common of all matchsticks bought in a grocery or hardware store .







Saddle The Horses . . . a cardboard puzzle

According to the folks at PuzzlePLAYGROUND:

"Puzzle promoter Sam Loyd invented 'Saddle the Horse' in 1872. Loyd sold the concept to P.T. Barnum (of Barnum and Bailey circus fame), who handed out millions of them to circus-goers under the name "P.T. Barnum’s Trick Mules.

It has since taken on many variations, from clowns on donkeys to witches on black cats, and has delighted generations of puzzle lovers around the world. "

The idea is to arrange the three cards so that each rider is in his correct riding position on top of each horse, and that the horses are then in a full-out racing position .

For the solution, click here






 Balancing Act

Can you balance 6 nails on the head of a seventh, without any of the six nails touching anything below or above the head of the seventh?   Yes, it can be done .   But, probably not the way you may think . . . . .

Give up?     Go here for the solution .




  ..... Everything you always wanted to know about puzzles .....  
  . . . . . but were afraid to ask . . . . .  

Who has the largest puzzle collection in the world ?
With over 30,000 (correct #) puzzles, meet Jerry Slocum
The link above will state his collection as numbering at 40,000, while another web source has stated 20,000, and a third source at 28,000 - a writeup with Jerry and Martha Stewart .   After a personal e-mail to Jerry, I was able to receive the actual amount from the man himself, the correct number of puzzles being 30,000, as stated above .

What is a mechanical puzzle ?
Click on this link to find Jerry Slocum's Classification of Puzzles !

Classification of Mechanical Puzzles & Physical Objects related to Puzzles
by James Dalgety & Edward Hordern

Articles about Mechanical Puzzles
All you want to know about mechanical puzzles

You might be a puzzler if . . .
Click on this link to find the puzzler's equivalent to Jeff Foxworthy's 'redneck' jokes .

Technical Raps on Rob Stegmann's website
Click on this link to find a lot more technical data about puzzles where these pages left off.




Sandy's Rubik's-type Puzzle Collection
Chris's Puzzleboxes (IPP member)
~Juozas's Rubik's Collection~
Eric's Collection (450+)
Enygmo (400+)
Puzzle Maniac
Juno's World
Puzzle Locks
My Puzzle
CGN Puzzles
Martin H.Watson
Erich's 2D Jigsaw Puzzles
Peter Knoppers Collection
Isacisco's French Connection
John's Kumiki Burr Collection
Matti Linkola from Finland (600+)
Rob Stegmann's Collection (2800+)


 ~ links to   U N U S U A L   puzzle   boxes ~



 ~ My favorite puzzle STORES ~

  Frik 'n' Frak's Curio Shack 
  PuzzleMaster  
  WiredForFun  



 ~ My favorite puzzle LINKS ~

Craftsmen / Designers / Collectors (Photos / Bios / Websites)



 Famous Quotes
. . . . . from Cleverwood's pages . . . . .

*   “A mechanical puzzle is a self-contained object, composed of one or more parts, which involves a problem        for one person to solve by manipulation using logic, reasoning, insight, luck, and/or dexterity.”
       (Jerry Slocum)
*   "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.   It is the source of all true art and
       science."
(Albert Einstein, What I Believe (1930))
*   “It is one of man’s curious idiosyncracies to create difficulties for the pleasure of resolving
       them.”
(Joseph de Maistre)


 My Quote

    “Puzzle solving is an art and a science, which involves the organization of patience and
  perserverence, within the framework of simplistic logic influences,
~ with a dab of intuitiveness and a slice of luck ~
for the purpose of effecting and augmenting creativity within an expressive matrix of  
    imagination and three-dimensional spatial stimuli .”  



very  Expensive Puzzles

  Japanese/Cleverwood's Puzzle Boxes

  Puzzle Sculptures by Miguel Berrocal

     Puzzle Sculptures by Franco Rocco

  The CONUNDRUM by GarE Maxton

   Puzzle Palace . . . catalog of puzzles handmade by George Miller
. . . . . go to the 'Oskar's Exotics' section (Oskar van Deventer) . . . . .

   Puzzle Sculpture by Bathsheba Grossman


Who turned to doggie do?
Get off the earth
The Vanishing Leprechaun
Other Vanishings
Geometrical Paradox
Vanishing Area Paradox II
The Lost Jap


~ SAM LOYD'S Cyclopedia Of Puzzles ~

~ Pictures of stacked pennies ~

'Star Molecule' ~ A coin transfer solution ~





Give me a buzz . . . tell me what you think !



                                       
                                                     
                                                     
                                       

Great for displaying your prize puzzles in their special cabinets
. . . . . and a plethora of many other uses as well

The Puzzle Wizards' Ring
This site belongs to
  ~ Richard Whiting ~  

The Enigma 49 SiteRing

This site is owned by
  ~ Richard Whiting ~ 
SiteRing by Bravenet.com



. . . . . trebuchet photo -- courtesy of Yankee Siege . . . . .

For those of you who like to reminisce the days of the 'Knights of the Round Table'
-- and watch a trebuchet in action -- Pronounciation : [treb'-yoo-shet, treb-yoo-shet']
~ (trebuchets were designed to throw large round rocks that weigh 250 lbs.
Yankee Siege is designed to throw the same thing.
They substitute pumpkins and other such objects for the sake of safety) ~

. . . . . you are invited to see "Yankee Siege" in action starting on September 20, 2008, across the street from "Yankee Farmer" in beautiful Greenfield, New Hampshire, on Route 31
-- between Bennington and Lyndeborough --
The good folks there will be demonstrating the machine from 1:00 to 5:00 PM
every Saturday and Sunday through the end of October, weather permitting.
Call ahead if the weather is threatening at 603-547-6421.