Ebony Maze Burr by Kagen Sound

This really is a great design and masterfully crafted by Kagen, and took top honours in 2006 at the IPP.

You can read more about this masterpiece at Kagen’s website.

“This version of the Maze Burr has plates of narra venered with curly maple. The result is an elegant look. The etched mazes are of a contrasting color. The veneered surface is a very nice curly maple. The movement is also stabilized by the crossed grains of wood with in each sliding plate. As always the ebony is one of the finest woods available.

Awarded both the Grand Prize and People's Choice at the Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition. The commitee declared this "The Puzzle of the Year".

The Maze Burr is a puzzle version of the Rune Box. Each side of the Maze Burr has two sliding plates. One moves up and down. The other moves side to side. A 3x3 maze etched into the upper plate, and a peg connected to the lower plate restricts the movements. Furthermore, certain plates must be moved out of the way of other plates. The position of the 3x3 mazes about the puzzle determines the complexity of the solution. The solution can be anywhere from 7 moves to 116 moves to unlock the puzzle. Once unlocked, the puzzle can be taken apart and rebuilt into any other configuration.

A special thanks to John Rausch, Tom Lensch, Mitch Slevc, and Robin Schaefer”