Wooden Puzzles
Peter Friedrich Catel, a merchant in Berlin, decided to publish a mail order catalog of 'mathematical and physical cabinet of arts' in 1790. In that catalog there were many wooden puzzles. And more than 225 years later people are still being puzzled and perplexed by wooden puzzles and brainteasers.
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12 piece interlocking star burr
The puzzle is to assemble the 12 pieces into the interlocking star sha...$8.09 -
5 Sun 12 + 1 Step Panda and Crane pattern Puzzle Box
This puzzle box from Japan has the classic Japanese crane on one side ...$236.36 -
Hex Sticks burr - 12 piece interlocking puzzle
The puzzle is to try to interlock the 12 hexagonal sticks to make the ...$8.09
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ATM wooden puzzle box for giving cash or tickets
Slide your gift into the puzzle box, lock the puzzle up again, and it'...$14.50 -
Cubebot wooden robot put together puzzle
Cubebot's powerful hardwood frame can hold many poses. His elastic ban...$36.32 -
Caribbean Pirate Treasure Puzzle Box
Aye! me Hearties. A great place to hide your stash of Pieces of Eight!...$13.64
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Gift Card holder puzzle box
This clever puzzle box allows your recipient to see what the gift is t...$10.00
There are almost 150 different wooden puzzles on our website, from the cheapest to the most expensive puzzles on the website, from the easiest to the hardest, across more than 20 different manufacturers.
Many different types of puzzle really lend themselves to being made in wood. Aesthetically people enjoy the feel and colours of wood, especially when some sort of sculptural element is used in making the puzzle. From early examples in Catel's catalog of the Small Devil's Hoof, to the very high level Bill Cutler burrs made here at Mr Puzzle, wood has been the medium of choice for many puzzle makers creating interlocking burr puzzles. And many kids have made the famous three piece knot puzzle in woodworking class at school.
Wood and rope brainteasers are another category often seen in wood where the puzzler usually has to remove a wooden ball, or a metal ring, from the rope tied in complicated ways through the wooden base. Often ending up with a very knotty problem!
Dissection puzzles are usually made of wood too. Whether than be 3D like the Soma Cube type puzzle or 2D like the Tangram puzzle there are many examples of these puzzles in wood.
And puzzle boxes too of course! Japanese puzzle boxes with their very fine marquetry type woodwork decoration have been amazing puzzlers for generations. But we're also now seeing less elaborate and complicated wooden puzzle boxes from China coming to the market. Great new ideas born out of functional boxes used to store documents and valuables.
Puzzlemakers have been creating puzzles and brainteasers out of wood for hundreds of years. And puzzlers have been collecting and enjoying wooden puzzles for just as long and look like continuing to do so for a long time yet.