This blog has been inactive for a while, so maybe it's time to start it up again. I'll start with the Enigma Burr from Puzzlemaster.
It kind of looks like a normal burr if you don't look too closely (do I ever look too closely when it comes to puzzles?) but this one, unusually, has a 'key' piece that can be removed simply by pulling it out. These types of 'key' pieces tend to make puzzles easier, and in this case it does. Don't be fooled, though: there's still a small element of challenge.
As a non-experienced puzzler, this one took me around 1/2 hour from disassembly to reassembly. That's just a guesstimate, though. In any case, not too hard, and shouldn't be a problem for anyone with experience in burr-type puzzles.
Puzzle quality: This puzzle costs around $12 CAD, which should give you an indication of the quality. Many rough edges on the inside, and the puzzle is quite tight under the current humidity (around 62 %, by the Google). It took me a minute to figure out the second move because everything was packed together so solidly.
There's 6 pieces to this puzzle, and each one only requires 1 move to remove (though I somehow managed to find a 2-move piece on the way back together, so maybe I just wasn't paying attention on the takeapart...).
I haven't really got a basis for a number-value rating, so I'll probably go with something along the lines of 'good', 'horrible'*, 'superb', or other such adjectives. This particular puzzle is only 'good'. Nothing exceptional to see here, though it may be a good confidence booster for someone who thinks they're rubbish at solving burrs.
Final note: I'm too damn lazy to take a good picture of this puzzle. I'll start future reviews with the sort of picture that you can expect from the moderator of the Facebook Puzzle Photography group.
*Is any puzzle really horrible?
It kind of looks like a normal burr if you don't look too closely (do I ever look too closely when it comes to puzzles?) but this one, unusually, has a 'key' piece that can be removed simply by pulling it out. These types of 'key' pieces tend to make puzzles easier, and in this case it does. Don't be fooled, though: there's still a small element of challenge.
As a non-experienced puzzler, this one took me around 1/2 hour from disassembly to reassembly. That's just a guesstimate, though. In any case, not too hard, and shouldn't be a problem for anyone with experience in burr-type puzzles.
Puzzle quality: This puzzle costs around $12 CAD, which should give you an indication of the quality. Many rough edges on the inside, and the puzzle is quite tight under the current humidity (around 62 %, by the Google). It took me a minute to figure out the second move because everything was packed together so solidly.
There's 6 pieces to this puzzle, and each one only requires 1 move to remove (though I somehow managed to find a 2-move piece on the way back together, so maybe I just wasn't paying attention on the takeapart...).
I haven't really got a basis for a number-value rating, so I'll probably go with something along the lines of 'good', 'horrible'*, 'superb', or other such adjectives. This particular puzzle is only 'good'. Nothing exceptional to see here, though it may be a good confidence booster for someone who thinks they're rubbish at solving burrs.
Final note: I'm too damn lazy to take a good picture of this puzzle. I'll start future reviews with the sort of picture that you can expect from the moderator of the Facebook Puzzle Photography group.
*Is any puzzle really horrible?
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