Condor’s Peeper very difficult multiple move 18 piece burr

Edward Hordern IPP Puzzle Exchange – San Francisco, USA. August 2009.  200 made.
Presented by Frans de Vreugd. Made by Brian Young @ Mr Puzzle Australia. Designed by Jack Krijnen in 2008.
Original Price: AU$95.00

In October 2022 one of these puzzles resold at Puzzle Paradise auction for USD 180.00 (at the current exchange rate that’s about AU$275.00)

Jack Krijnen has invented a number of different 18 piece burrs in the past few years but this one stood out from the others. The puzzle has 29467 possible assemblies.

To assemble the puzzle in this symmetrical colour combination the puzzle has a unique solution. This solution is a level 62 disassembly; this means that it will take a minimum of 62 moves in exactly the correct order to remove just the first piece. The puzzle requires a total of 105 moves to remove all pieces and take it completely apart. The number of moves to remove each piece in order is first piece – 62 next piece – 4 next piece, then 21 next piece 1 and so on – 2.2.1.1.1.2.2.2.1.1.1.2.

We cannot stress enough how hard this puzzle really is – that’s 105 moves in exactly the right order as a computer would solve it and along the way you will find that there are many, many moves you can make which will lead you in completely the wrong direction.

In almost 20 years of manufacturing puzzles for a living Brian says that Condor’s Peeper is up there as one of the hardest puzzles he has ever had to assemble. The only one that he remembers being harder is Puzzlers Cage which he made as a Limited Edition in 2002. At least he only had to make and put together 24 of those!

If you don’t believe it’s as hard as we stay check out this fantastic solution on YouTube.  Thanks Barry!

The puzzle uses three distinctly different colour woods to achieve a pleasing symmetry when completed.

Timbers used: Queensland Silver Ash (blonde wood); Vitex (and olive-grey toned brown wood, otherwise known as Papua New Guinean Teak); Western Australian Jarrah (red toned wood). Size: 80mm x 80mm x 80mm