October 2022 Update Preview

Jammed Gem is the latest Sequential Discovery collaboration between Frederic Boucher and Eric Fuller. The pair knew that any follow-up to ResQ would have to up the ante. Finalizing the design took months to complete. Similar to ResQ, Jammed Gem is packed with secrets and puzzling value.

The goal is to find the gem jammed inside somewhere. While ResQ and Jammed Gem share a few similarities, Jammed Gem takes a different approach to deny the solver. We can't say more without revealing spoilers, but we can say that the duo has pulled out all the stops, with many new tricks and obfuscations awaiting.

Jammed Gem was challenging to craft. The work pushed our limits and required the development of several new jigs and techniques. This puzzle epitomizes the type of work that very few in the world can execute, representing a flagship offering you won't want to miss.

We have created two variants; one with a sleek quartersawn walnut and deep wenge box and pieces from finely grained Bubinga, the other with a bright quartersawn Sapele and black palm box containing pieces from dark Macassar Ebony.

These are the remaining copies of the split run from August, with approximately 37 copies of the walnut, wenge and Bubinga variant, and around 35 copies of the Sapele, black palm, and Ebony version being made available this release.

Initially released in 2012, Topless Box is a favorite we never tire of recreating. The solution is tricky and surprising. Upon inspection Topless immediately presents a conundrum: with two lids and no top or bottom, how can it be opened? Where do you even begin?

The mechanism may be deduced without the use of external tools. No bumping, banging, shaking, spinning, gravity moves, or excessive force is necessary or allowed. Once opened, the elegant mechanism is visible to the solver, and you'll want to pop it open again and again just to feel the smooth fit of the pieces.

This batch of Topless Box was constructed from quartersawn Sapele for the sides, with the bottom and bottom lid panels made of smooth figured maple and bright orange padauk.

Approximately 150 copies were made for this release. Topless Box is signed and dated, and ships assembled.

Reviews and Blog Posts:

• Neil's Blog and Video
• Puzzle Pusher
• Puzzle Paradox
• Jerry's Collection

Benno's Segmented Maze puzzle box requires the solver to navigate a hidden labyrinth. Helpfully, the maze paths are engraved on the box's top. Sounds easy! Yet it is anything but.

Knowing the layout tells you where you need to go, but you'll have to pay careful attention to where you are. There are multiple traps, dead ends, and other complications to be navigated before you reach the goal. Once solved, the labyrinth is revealed beneath a transparent layer under the spacious cavity.

As with many of Benno's creations, this puzzle may not end where you expect it to. Finding the final prize will require ingenuity and perseverance.

Segmented Maze was carefully crafted from laser-cut Baltic birch plywood covered with custom-laid zebrawood and quilted maple veneer. This is not your ordinary laser-cut work; once assembled, we perform our customary final touches, which include hand-smoothing, beveling, and finishing with our proprietary waxed lacquer blend. The result is an extraordinary piece that exudes quality.

Segmented Maze ships in an unsolved configuration.

TriLox was inspired by Vesa Timonen's excellent "Lox in Box" puzzles, both of which are favorites of Eric. The goal is to pack all pieces entirely flat into the box.

TriLox is delivered in a very close state to the solution, yet one piece does not lay entirely flat. Repacking the pieces to meet the goal is quite tricky. Seven or eight pieces will easily fit, but the ninth will stubbornly resist. Discovering the underlying principle behind the limited tray space and oddly dimensioned brass pieces will provide a clue. TriLox is medium in difficulty while remaining very satisfying and fun to solve.

This puzzle includes a Cubicdissection-crafted walnut tray and nine precision metal pieces (three from solid brass and six from aluminum). All components are exact, with a smooth turned finish and lovely heft of solid metal. Sadly, we experienced a minor issue with the anodizing on the smaller aluminum pieces, resulting in slight discoloration around the end. The price of the puzzle has been adjusted to reflect this anomaly.

TriLox ships with the pieces in the tray in an incorrect, unsolved configuration.

Melting Block 4 is Cutler and Rausch's evolution of Tom Obeirne's original Melting Block puzzle. The result is a tour-de-force of mathematical theory applied to the real world of puzzles.

Melting Block 4 has two unique solutions. The first solution uses 11 polished aluminum pieces to fill the box entirely. Or so it seems... There remains a second, utterly different solution by adding the final brass piece, which seems to magically "melt" into the box despite an apparent lack of space.

How is this possible? Cutler and Rausch achieved this magical feat through exhaustive analysis, resulting in 76 doubly-unique solutions using as few as 11 pieces and as many as 14. The duo chose a 12-piece assembly from these possibilities as the best balance of difficulty and aesthetics.

The math is based on the physical dimensions of a single brick. Sixty-three of these bricks stacked in a 3x3x7 array result in a rectangular solid of size 259x195x147. Sixty-four of these bricks stacked in a 4x4x4 array result in a rectangular solid of size 260x196x148. The single unit difference, when rearranged, is what creates the space to add the final brick to the twelve-piece solution!

Crafting Melting Block 4 requires extreme precision to prevent unwanted false solutions. Each CNC-machined and hand-finished block is accurate to 0.002 inches. The wood box is precisely crafted to a perfect fit. The result is excellent, weighing in at a hefty 1.75lbs. The bright, clean character of the pieces contrasts nicely with the dark warmth of the wood.

Melting Block 4 ships in an unsolved configuration.

The Boston Subway was designed by Oskar van Deventer and was Dave Rossetti's IPP26 Exchange gift in 2006. This pocket-sized maze was crafted from five layers of chromatic acrylic, making it tricky to see where and how the layers interact. The original release, as crafted by George Miller, included a 3D printed wand with an embedded magnet to help guide the ball through the maze. Our version also includes the wand, but conceals it a bit better.

The goal of Boston Subway is to navigate the trapped sphere magnet from the start of the maze to the finish and back again. While there are several routes, the shortest will require you to "transfer" more than a dozen times.