MagicPuzzles.org

Here are a different class of puzzles, called disentanglement puzzles.   The object is to disentangle one of the parts, often a ring.  A few basic puzzles comprise only 2 pieces which must be taken apart.  Unlike puzzle boxes, everything about the puzzle is visible immediately, so it’s a different type of challenge.  This is my second favorite class of puzzles, behind secret opening puzzles (such as puzzle boxes, locks, and bolts).

Wire and string disentanglement puzzles are generally inexpensive.  Most of the puzzles shown here were purchased from Daiso, a Japanese five-and-dime chain, for $1.50 each.   I think that Daiso’s designs are copies of other puzzles – many of the designs are found in more massive Tucker Jones tavern puzzle versions.  I don’t know how copyright and patents apply to puzzles, but I can’t imagine that the original inventors are too happy to see their designs duplicated.

I had to resort to reading the solution on this one. It turns out that it was manufactured poorly, so you really had to crank on it to solve it. My coworker solved it by bending one of the springs (which I assume you’re not supposed to do). Oh well, that’s what you get for a $1.50 puzzle!

This is a classic buttonhole puzzle. There are 2 of them pictured; they don’t link together. You put it through a buttonhole, and the owner of the shirt has to get it out without cutting it. My coworker Mike Butler introduced me to it, and he made a makeshift version out of a rubber band and pencil. It took me a while to figure out how to solve it. I recall one night drifting off to sleep trying to figure it out. I had the geometry so well memorized that I was manipulating it mentally.

I think this is a pretty old, classic design.

I think this is another old, classic design.

I’ve seen larger, more expensive versions of this floating around.

Another old, classic design.

One of the names for this puzzle is the “wedding vows”. The object is to move one ball over to where the other one is. I had to look up the solution for this one.

This has the same geometry as the Tucker Jones tavern puzzle “Tinkers Bell”.

This has the same geometry as the Tucker Jones tavern puzzle “Double Bypass”.

This final puzzle I got for free from William Strijbos when I bought a puzzle box and a puzzle bolt off of him. It is definitely one of my favorite disentanglement puzzles due to its simple, elegant construction. Of course, the two pieces can be taken apart by applying a little force and bending them slightly, but that’s not the correct solution:

Here’s the first group of puzzle boxes that my wife photographed.  It includes the Moroccan puzzle box.  It’s the first box I bought, and it got me hooked!  I immediately showed it to my wife, father-in-law and coworkers, who all loved it.

I got it off of eBay for around $40. The Moroccan puzzle box is made of thuya wood. It has what is called a Sorrento style design. The Sorrento design is seen in old puzzle boxes, in which the front design is disguised as a set of small book spines.

I also want to write about the 8  “small boxes” from the Karakuri creation group. These are, in my opinion, the best values for puzzle boxes (along with #11 Moroccan box and #8 “magic” box). They are relatively inexpensive ($35-42 each, available from Karakuri Creation Group or Izumiya.

Even though they are small (around 2″ on each side), many have mechanisms based on more expensive boxes created by the Karakuri creation group, so you get all of the puzzle at a fraction of the price. As with all the Japanese boxes I’ve seen, the workmanship is absolutely fantastic.

Japanese puzzle boxes trace their origins to boxes made in the Hakone region of Japan.  They traditionally had about 54 moves, and supposedly the difficulty in opening the box served as a lock to protect important documents or tools.  While this is the explanation provided on several Japanese sites, I don’t buy it.  If you really want to get inside, it’s easy to destroy one of these boxes.

In any event, the traditional puzzle boxes are primarily souvenirs of the Hakone region.  The construction of all the boxes I’ve seen are superb.  They normally range from about 4-72 moves, with 2-16 sliding panels.  In general, the more moves, the greater the cost.  They tend to follow a certain logical opening pattern that is not too hard to figure out.  I have a 54 move box which has 12 sliding panels.  Even with that many moves, it tended to follow a certain pattern which made it possible for me to solve in around 30-60 minutes.

This is a Karakuri “small box”.

Karakuri small box #1. This was pretty tricky for me to solve, but not as hard as #2.

Karakuri small box #3. Simple, but with an intricate mechanism.

This is a Karakuri “small box”.

Karakuri small box #2. This is my favorite “small box,” since it’s the hardest. It took me a while to figure out how to solve it.

Karakuri small box #7. This has a very unusual and satisfying mechanism.

Karakuri small box #8. This is easy to solve, but has a very unusual mechanism.

Another Karakuri “small box”

Akio Kamei is the most famous designer of modern “trick” puzzle boxes.  These often require less moves to open than a traditional puzzle boxes.  However, they are often more difficult because you don’t know what the mechanism is!  They can incorporate magnets, sliding pins, etc.  There are a great variety of different mechanisms.

The Karakuri creation group is a group that started as Akio Kamei’s fan club.  Kamei was joined by a number of other Japanese designers.  I strongly recommend checking out their web site.

The designs are very high quality, with prices to match.

Some of Kamei’s designs are available more cheaply as reproductions from Bits and Pieces.  The quality can be good or poor.  Fortunately, Bits and Pieces has a very good return policy – or at least they did.  I have not tried to return anything to them after they went out of business and then came back into business this past year.

This is designed by Akio Kamei, and manufactured by Bits and Pieces. It looks like a book. It is not difficult to open, but there are 2 different ways to open it that reveal 2 different compartments.

This is designed by Akio Kamei, and manufactured by Bits and Pieces. My particular box is not manufactured well. It is loose, and tends to almost solve itself.

Some other small puzzle boxes:

This is a “magic billet box” designed and patented by Mr. Krusen. I got it on eBay, but now the boxes are also available at www.magicbilletbox.com. It is machined out of aluminum, so it’s sturdy. For that reason, it’s one of my favorite boxes to show people who have never seen a puzzle box. It’s a clever design – baffling at first, but not overly difficult. It incorporates several magnets.

The “magic” box. I think I got this from creativecrafthouse.com. I think this is an old, classic design whose inventor is unknown. For that reason, it has a number of manufacturers, and can be purchased cheaply. For example, I think Daiso stores carry a version of this, as well as DealExtreme.com. Even though it can be purchased for $3, it is not necessarily easy to solve. I had to work at it for quite a while before I got it. I’ve shown many people who’ve struggled with it, and very few got it right away.

This is a Haselgrove box, designed by Jennifer Haselgrove. It’s not really a box because there is no internal compartment to put anything in. It is based on an ancient Egyptian locking mechanism.