1 December 2006 Sue Young

Coated Burr

Sold Out 2006 Limited Edition set of 30
Original Price: AU$140
In November 2011 one of these puzzles sold at Baxterweb Puzzle Auctions, for USD 163.00

The original Coated Burr puzzle was designed by Jürg von Kanel without the aid of a computer. That puzzle was made for the 18th International Puzzle Party (IPP18) puzzle exchange held in Tokyo in 1998. This puzzle has always caught Brian’s eye when he’s seen it in other people’s collections but as his first IPP was 1999, he was never been able to collect this puzzle.

At first, this puzzle looks like a 3 piece interlocking burr but on closer inspection, you will see it has 6 pieces. All 6 pieces are different. The puzzle had four different assemblies; 3 simple solutions and 1 complex level 5 solution. To ensure that it was assembled with the level 5 solution Jürg branded the IPP18 logo across 2 pieces; the correct solution would keep the logo intact.

Jürg had always wanted to revisit this design to see if he could find a unique high level solution. Alas – time has never allowed him to do this. From Jurg’s plans Brian was able to rework the puzzle so that now the 3 simpler solutions have been eliminated. To solve this puzzle you will need to find either the level 5 solution that Jürg had intended or an alternative level 3 solution. These are the only two solutions now possible.

Brian had intended only small changes, but on reflection, he now realises he has changed half the pieces of the puzzle; two of them quite extensively. With even more time maybe a unique solution is possible sometime in the future.
The pieces that form the coating of the burr are crafted from Queensland Maple and the three inside pieces from Black Wattle.

Tags jurg von Kanel, ipp