Original Wooden Burr Puzzles 1979-2007
We have been in business since 1981 and our main course has always been the disentanglement puzzles. During this time we have had very little time to make burr puzzles.
In spite of the lack of time we have designed a few wooden burr puzzles, but we rarely had time to produce them. This summer 2007 I have had some time to spend and in
the end of this page is the result. But I will start this list from the beginning with pictures and description of at hand copies of our original burr puzzles.
Some I remember are missing though, and maybe I will make a copy to display later. If you need the solution to our burr puzzles, use the solution request form.
Pictured sets of pieces are copyright Erik Johansson.
Erik Johansson
The Five-Star Burr
Original design: Åsa Tallberg 1979.
Pictured design: Åsa Tallberg/Erik Johansson 2007.
Material:
Status: Not yet in production.
©Tankenötter AB
In 1979 my wife Åsa and I had a competition to make a burr puzzle the other could not assemble in 24 hours. During that Åsa discovered a trick to
assemble a 15 piece star formed symmetrical burr. It had a single internal hole to allow the trick to twist-slide one piece. It took six moves to release the
first piece. The burr type is the three piece burr connection. The center connection is surrounded with six such connections. All our versions have
a 2-units single hole.
The pieces displayed when you click on the picture is a modified version with two twist pieces and only three moves to release the first piece.
Fästningen (The Fortress)
Original design: Erik Johansson 1981.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 1981.
Material:
Status: Discontinued 1995.
©Tankenötter AB
A prototype to this puzzle was made 1979 during the afore mentioned competition. It is actually two 12-pieces cages built together. The inner second cage is the symmetrical shape of six crosses meeting each other in the ends forming a rectilinear cage "lacking" corners. The outer cage is a regular 12-piece twist opening cage burr, providing the corners of the 24 piece cage. The result of the mid-side cage-connections are 3-piece connections. The rounding is circularin all twist pieces.This is the first attempt to hide a two piece rounded connection; two of the cross connections are rounded inside to allow twisting a quarter of a circle. The room inside can be used by a 2-piece wide object. The pieces are designed to give false solutions.
Sju-Knuten (The Knotty Seven)
Original design: Erik Johansson 1982.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 1982.
Material: Pine
Status: Discontinued 1990.
©Tankenötter AB
Seven pieces that can be formed to a pagoda alike, or a star with six of them. Witch pieces that can be left out to form a star? And witch pieces can be in the middle of the pagoda? This is more an assembling puzzle than a burr.
2D Storflotten (The Big Raft)
Original design: Erik Johansson 1982.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 1984.
Material:
Status: Discontinued 1987.
©Tankenötter AB
This was first made by square rods notched to form a 2D interlocking object. Later it became this raft alike with plugs and holes. Ten different pieces.
2D Flotten (The Raft)
Original design: Erik Johansson 1982.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 1984.
Material:
Status: Discontinued 2002.
©Tankenötter AB
An easier verson of the Big Raft puzzle. But it has two solutions to mix it all up! Eight different pieces.
Fyr-Knuten (The Four-Block Burr)
Original design: Erik Johansson 1983.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 1983.
Material: Teak
Status: Discontinued 1985.
©Tankenötter AB
The idea derives from the common twist opening twelve-piece symmetrical cage burr design, the one with a ball inside. Now compacted to a symmetrical solid burr. And without space for the rotating pieces to move? Without giving it much of a thouht, the twist keys were almost triangulary rounded. This burr was first manufactured 1983. Displayed in our shop but sold to burr puzzle collectors only. 1996 a hat was printed with a picture of this burr. The only remaining copy was displayed at IPP 22 in Antwerpen.
Hole-In-One
Original design: Erik Johansson 1984.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 1984.
Material: Mahogany from 1984
Status: Discontinued 1995.
©Tankenötter AB
This is my all time favourite! It was sold assembled with a golf ball in the package. The goal is to place the ball inside the cage filling the room. To achieve this you have to disassemble the puzzle, witch is done like in the the "Altekruse Cross" puzzle to take it apart. But, to put the ball inside that way or reassemble it around the ball is impossible; the ball takes the space that is needed. The solution is to reconstruct the cage in a way that allows you to take a "lid" off and put the ball in. And it is not the simple twisted cross solution! The only lead to conclude how is the single piece with the connections obscure quarter-rounded. Twelve different pieces. (We said we never release the solution and the answer to solution requests was how to rebuild the first assembling)
Inburad (The Caged In Burr)
Original design: Erik Johansson 1986.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 1986.
Material: Mahogany from 1984
Status: Discontinued 1987.
©Tankenötter AB
With the quarter of a circle rounding in the Hole-In-One cage above came also the knowledge of the triangular rounding. Both rounding has the radius of 1 unit and the center part of the Hole-In-One twist-key is at best triangular partly rounded. This gave the possibility to design a tight cage around a regular three-piece puzzle instead of the usual ball. In this design at first only one piece comes free after twisting the keys. Not until you discover the simple trick will you be able to go further. Not difficult to the experienced. Fifteen pieces, Twelve pieces are mirrored.
The Bolted Cage
Original design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Material: Mahogany from 1984
Status: Limited to 4 copies.
©Tankenötter AB
One of the puzzles I intended to participate in the IPP27 design competition gave the idea to this puzzle with a "bolt" through a cage. I choosed the type of opening used in the Hole-In-One cage above. It is a combined twist and slide opening using one rounded key piece slide releasing the crossed pieces-lid in four moves. But here with a rod through it making it a three-piece connection. To make it work it has an internal hole, witch the Hole-In-One cage does not need. It has fifteen pieces, two alike. After the first four copies I decided to change the symmetry in the puzzle. Now the time to make it has gone.
The Married Burr
Original design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Material:
Status: Not yet in production.
©Tankenötter AB
Making the Bolted Cage puzzle I started thinking about other symmetrical puzzle shapes. The lack of a nine pieces symmetrical burr was natural. But what should that unsymmetrical shape be like in a puzzle? I made a prototype and realised that it was a combined three pieces and six pieces puzzle! It were only the twist pieces needed to be rounded. I was the surprised puzzler in the Married Burr story.
The Seven-Star Burr
Original design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Material:
Status: Not yet in production.
©Tankenötter AB
This puzzle is designed as a three piece burr in the center with six pieces added to make the three planes. Together and around the center burr is a doubled six piece burr to embrace the center burr. The burr has internal holes to allow sliding and twisting moves. To remove the first three pieces takes a total of nineteen moves. Pieces in this design can be pushed or pulled or twisted. Twentyone pieces, only six are in pairs.
The Eight-Square Burr
Original design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Material:
Status: Not yet in production.
©Tankenötter AB
Twentyfour pieces in a perfect symmetry and with solid connections. Each axis has eight pieces forming a square tube intersecting the other tubes. Inside the cage is a tiny 8 units room that cannot be filled. (It can if the design include holes.) The principle is the three piece burr connection. It is built with twenty such connections with ten twist pieces. The burr uses sequential twist-moves to open. It takes a total of fifteen moves to release the first four pieces. Ten pieces are in pair besides the twist pieces.
The Nine-Block Burr
Original design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Pictured design: Erik Johansson 2007.
Material:
Status: Not yet in production.
©Tankenötter AB
Twentyseven pieces in homogeneous symmetry with all connections solid. Three blocks of nine pieces that intersect with each other in twentyseven three-piece connections. The burr have sequential twist moves to open. It takes seven moves to remove the first piece. All pieces but the seven twist pieces are different.
