P and A is yet another brilliant design by German craftsman Jean Claude Constantin – I’m yet to find one of his puzzles that I don’t like. P and A is a simple name for a puzzle, but I guarantee you that solving it is anything but simple.

One thing that immediately captures your attention is the shape of the pieces, which are based on the letters p and a, and it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before in a puzzle. This is one of the reasons I like Constantin’s puzzles so much. He has this genius ability [Read More...]

Category: All Puzzles, Wood Puzzles

The Blue Knight is made in Canada by PuzzleMaster, which offers a wide range of wire puzzles from easy to extremely hard. The puzzle has the shape of the letter K and attached is a handle with a golden ring. Your task is to “simply” remove the ring.

As always, PuzzleMaster’s wire puzzles are made with a beautiful nickel-plated finish, giving a very pleasant appearance and smoother manipulation, not to mention that it doesn’t leave any metal smells in your hands, which is a big plus.

The Blue Knight is rated as a 9/10 puzzle (Gruelling), [Read More...]

Category: All Puzzles, Metal Puzzles

The Cyclone, by The Lagoon Group, is a fantastic puzzle and one of the most stunning in my collection. The mesmerizing swirling shapes create a wonderful pattern to look at, however, quite intimidating to solve. Holger Strøm, a Danish designer, created the puzzle in 1973.

The Cyclone is comprised of 30 identical pieces that interlock to form a spherical shape. The material is a highly bendable plastic, so there’s no risk of damaging it during assembly. It comes already assembled and the idea is to take it apart and then reassemble it back to its original shape. It’s [Read More...]

Category: All Puzzles, Put together Puzzles

After having recently reviewed a couple of easy Wire Puzzles, I am now moving on to tougher paths. It still isn’t a top level puzzle, but it can be a little tricky with multiple steps required.

The Beetle Bug is another PuzzleMaster’s version of the Tucker-Jones House original from 1985, the Satan’s Stirrup. As mentioned in previous reviews, I prefer the material used by PuzzleMaster, with a smoother surface.

The puzzle belongs to Tucker’s group 4/8 puzzles, so it’s right there in the middle of difficulty. PuzzleMaster rates it at 7/10. Not too hard [Read More...]

Category: All Puzzles, Metal Puzzles

Dreiecksbeziehung. Now that’s a mouthful! Can you pronounce it? – Dreiecksbeziehung (German for triangle relationship) is another great design by -Who else?- Jean Claude Constantin. The name of the puzzle is a well fitting description to understand how the triangle properties relate to the actual solution.

This Packing Puzzle is made from laser cut wood and it’s comprised of nine identical triangles. It is relatively small, with the frame measuring just over 10cm (about 4″) and each triangle measuring exactly 2.6cm (1″). The packing area is an exact square with 6cm in length. Inside the frame there [Read More...]

Category: All Puzzles, Wood Puzzles

Philos, a German puzzle manufacturer, has a very interesting series of original wooden sliding puzzles designed by the Japanese Hirokazu Iwasawa, the Jam Puzzles. I chose to review the easier of the four, the Triangular Jam Puzzle.

What I like about Philos’ puzzles is that they’re very high quality. The tray and the pieces are very well built and polished for a clean and smooth surface. This particular one is made from Beech wood, tray and the three lighter pieces, and the darker triangle is made from Cassia Siamea wood. The dimensions of the tray are about 15cm [Read More...]

Category: All Puzzles, Wood Puzzles

Today’s puzzle is a little different in a sense that it’s not really a puzzle, albeit it puzzles your mind just as much as any other puzzle. It’s not a magic trick either, although some folks will think of it that way. It’s called the Wide and Long Puzzle and it’s simply an optical illusion that plays with perspective very well.

There has been many versions of this puzzle, but the one I have here, made of wood, was manufactured by Jean Claude Constantin and looks stunning. The concept is no more than two pieces of wood, part [Read More...]

Category: All Puzzles, Wood Puzzles