Hanayama L'Oeuf cast metal mechanical puzzle

From puzzle maker Hanayama is this intriguing egg-shaped cast puzzle. (L'Oeuf is French for "The egg".) The two plates each have a pin that moves within a track on the opposite plate goal is to separate the two metal pieces and then put them back together. While it may seem straightforward, the puzzle is rated at "intermediate" difficulty, so perhaps there is more to it that it might seem?

If you are interested, here is where you can get the Hanayama L'Oeuf cast metal puzzle.

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The Superplexus - absolutely huge 3D puzzle

If you've got $30,000 and a sweater-vest, you might be the in the target demographic for this giant version of the Perplexus 3D puzzle.

About this monstrous puzzle:

This is the three-dimensional spherical labyrinth that challenges the limits of your manual dexterity and spatial understanding as you maneuver a 5/8" wooden marble through its entire course. The Superplexus is a complex network of chicanes, multi-planar hairpin turns, spirals, and staircases--even a vortex. Hand made from 3- and 6-ply Finnish birch that form the track, over 400 hours are involved in its construction. The labyrinth is set inside a 36" diameter acrylic sphere affixed to a Jatoba base using a stainless steel gimbaled mount that allows you to tilt the sphere in any direction to guide the marble.

You can learn more about the huge Superplexus puzzle over at Hammacher Schlemmer.

If you're short on cash (or the sweater vest) you could consider the regular Perplexus Maze Game for a mere $22.

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The Kuku impenetrable metal ball puzzle(s)

Imported from the UK, this precision aluminum puzzle is made by the same folks who make the Isis Puzzle. And, like the Isis, it is a puzzle within puzzle. If you manage to open the Kuku, inside you will find a token that can be registered online to play a game -- which itself is a puzzle requiring you to decode a picture clue to come up with a 10 digit code. Should you solve this second puzzle, you are admitted to a special vault area where you will have 5 minutes to explore and perhaps lay claim cash or other prizes. Clever idea.

Here is the link to more info on the Kuku Impenetrable Metal Ball Puzzle.

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Hanayama O'Gear cast metal brain teaser puzzle

The object of the O'Gear Cast Brain Teaser Puzzle is to remove the 5-pronged gear from the square box, then replace the gear into box so that gear tooth with hole (not shown here) is inside the box. Rated as a 'medium' level of difficulty.

From the puzzle description

First developed in 19th century Britain, this die-cast zinc cube and key is an ancient puzzle that still baffles minds today. A prizewinner from the 2001 1st Annual World Puzzle Design competition, this puzzle was designed by the young Dutch phenomenon, Oskar, consider to be one of the world's brightest creators. The gear exhibits a unique kind of movement. Once together in its final form of beauty, the gear fixed in place in the cubic box could very well serve as a desk decoration to satisfy a kind of soothing, intellectual curiosity.

Here is a link to the Cast O'Gear Puzzle

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Isis Impossible Titanium Puzzle

Invented by a magician and manufactured from high-grade aluminum (not sure where the 'titanium' name comes from) the Isis puzzle is a mechanical puzzle with an interactive twist. Solving the physical puzzle is just the start. Now we can all feel like characters in The Da Vinci Code.

From the puzzle description:

As the Isis puzzles are supposedly "The hardest puzzles in the world" the manufacturer gives you some clues, encrypted of course available on their website. The Isis is a high quality puzzle, similar to a combination lock. The object of the puzzle is to solve the combination and obtain the secret number inside. Each Isis is unique, and you will need to obtain the key number inside and enter the numbers onto the Isis Adventure website in order to access the "Pyramid Map". Many hidden pyramids will be found on the map, and fantastic monetary awards are available to those that can solve the location and the pyramid passwords.

Here's a link with more info on Isis Titanium Puzzle and its even more difficult cousin known as Ramisis Pyramid Puzzle.

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Three spherical 3D ball maze puzzles

Check this assemblage of 3D puzzles. With all three puzzles the idea is to rotate the sphere such that gravity pulls the small enclosed ball through loops, tracks, corners, walls, and around the various pitfalls of the 3 dimension maze. They look pretty challenging/fun to me.

Perplexus Maze Game

Magicel Intenect Ball - 3D Maze Game

Superplexus 3D Game of Skill

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Revomaze - extreme mechanical puzzles

I'm not entirely sure how you operate this mechanical puzzle, but they sure make it sound difficult to solve. It comes in three levels of difficulty for personalized levels of frustration.

From the ThinkGeek.com description:

Individually milled from a solid block of metal, the Revomaze features an internal labyrinth full of dead ends, traps, and one way paths you need to navigate to remove the metal core and solve the puzzle.

What makes the Revomaze truly great is its challenge to both your mental and physical aptitude. You need dexterity to manipulate the Revomaze as well as brain power to ferret out the correct path in the labyrinth. One wrong move and you're forced to start from the beginning. However the Revomaze is very fair minded... you screw up, you get punished, but you're always aware of whether you are making progress towards the solution.

Here's the link for the Revomaze mechanical puzzles.

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Solid wood Sacred Myths Legendary Puzzles

This isn't just one puzzle, but 7 different puzzles -- all based around great moments in science and history. If you solve each mechanically unique puzzle in order, each will provide a clue to solving the next one.

From the ThinkGeek.com item description:

Sacred Myths is a series of 7 individual puzzles. Following the series sequentially, each puzzle contains clues and codes to solve that particular puzzle, as well as a password needed for additional hints for subsequent puzzles. It is possible to solve each puzzle individually, or solve them in order to take advantage of the hints. Up to you.

These puzzles can be pretty taxing. Solving them without using the hints makes them especially difficult. We were floored by the mechanism used the Carta Blanca puzzle box. It's one of the most unique puzzles we have ever seen. All of the Sacred Myths puzzles are hand crafted from solid wood.

The seventh puzzle will be released in the winter of 2009. Interesting. It could be a puzzle figuring out what the next puzzle will be!

Here is Thinkgeek.com's link for the Sacred Myths Legendary Puzzles.

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Multi-stage wooden mechanical puzzle box

Here is a neat little wooden puzzle box I acquired recently. It was a lot of fun figuring out how to open all of the little compartments of the box. It was an exercise in 3-dimensional and lateral thinking.

The box is sturdy, made entirely of wood, and measures about 6 x 3.5 x 2 inches. It could be used as a low-tech "safe" for kids who want to store secret messages or other small items. For the price, I give this little wooden puzzle box the thumbs up.

The puzzle box is offered by BudgetGadgets.com. Their product page for the puzzle box has many photos, if you are interested in the multi-stage opening sequence. (If you do not want to know how to open it, you may want to have someone else order it for you.)

Here's the link to the clever and affordable wooden mechanical puzzle box. I am told you can use a the code DM5OFF4 to get 5% off discount for anything on their site.

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Fiendish Japanese mechanical pocket puzzles

These solid metal Japanese pocket puzzles are precision crafted in Japan and are based on classic mechanical puzzles from around the world. ThinkGeek.com is offering four different difficulty levels of puzzles ranging from level 3 (solvable) to level 6 (insanely hard).

From the ThinkGeek.com

What makes these puzzles so appealing is how you always seem to be on the verge of solving them. The precision metal casting becomes apparent as you try to separate the parts of each one to solve it. They are just sooo close to coming apart you will be cringing with delight.

Here is the link to the solid metal Japanese mechanical pocket puzzles.

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