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[Robert Yarger]

Everyone has thier own ideas about what perfection is when it comes to a puzzle, and each type of puzzle has thier own unique criteria.  Here is my personal criteria for a perfect puzzlebox.

Moderate Difficulty - Must be challenging and yet not frusterating.

Logical Soluttion - Must be able to be figured out using logical deduction as opposed to random chance.

Ahaaa Moments - Must achieve moments of satisfying revelation.

Geometric Symemetry - The pieces must balance out for each side and quadrant.

Dual Purpose - It should serve a purpose as well as being a puzzle (such as the chopstic puzzlebox).

Multiple Solutions - Once solved and closed back up, the puzzle should require a different solution to solve it the next time (such as the waterfall, three lock box - and beast box).  

Dual Puzzles - There should be a secondary puzzle component to it aside from just getting in open (such as the No 5 and snowflake that breaks apart into an assembly puzzle or a burr that can be taken apart an put back together to form a new shape).

Amish Effect - The puzzle should not have any glue or nails holding it together, but should be held together by the mechanical shape if its parts.

Least Common Denominator - The puzzle should be reduced to the smalles amount of simplest pieces.

Can such a puzzle be made.  Probably not, but I'll keep working on it.  

[JWDiaz]

To me the perfect puzzle looks a lot like yours, except it must have only one solution so clever that if you put it away for more than a day the solution is forgotten. It must be self contained, regardless of the number of pieces it consists of and I don't mean in a tray. It must have no more than 12 pieces. Made of wood (padauk or cocobolo), it must be interlocking and, most important, it must be linear.

[Stephen Chin]

Hmmm, The Perfect Puzzle,

Robert, to satisfy your criteria , it would be like searching for the Holy Grail, or getting the Perfect Woman,,,,,not gonna happen, I feel

Can I add a few more :

It has to look Attractive and Desirable,,,,,,,,,,,,I want, I want

It has to be Fun to Play with ,,,,,Get this right and you win IPP

It has to be Woodturned!!!,,,,,,,,,,,,,John and co will love this

And when you do make that Perfect Puzzle, call me

[Robert Yarger]

Woodturned !!!!! 

[Johan Heyns]

If you aim for the clouds you just might be lucky enough to hit the top of a mountain, but is you aim for the stars, you might well hit the moon!!!

[Robert Yarger]

Oh, I get it.  All you woodturners are ganging up on me now.  Still, I must concede that the lathe puzzles of Hoffmann are classic.

[Stephen Chin]

O Dear, I think I have let a secret out. It is common knowledge among turners, that a Perfect Puzzle IS WOODTURNED. Ask any woody.

It also has to flash so you can play with it in the dark, thou making noises is an option

So, there you have it Robert,,,,,Who's Hoffmann?

[Robert Yarger]

Stephen, try this link.


www.puzzleworld.org/PuzzleWorld/books/hoffmans_puzzles_old_and_new.htm

[RKB]

Stephen, try this link.


www.puzzleworld.org/PuzzleWorld/books/hoffmans_puzzles_old_and_new.htm

or better yet: http://puzzlemuseum.com/library/hoffm/hoff-bk.htm

[Peter Wiltshire]

Also Stephen check my avatar  it's Hoffman's Lighthouse puzzle.  Very lucky find off Ebay.

[Robert Yarger]

Yeah, by the way did you ever get that thing unstuck.

[Peter Wiltshire]

I believe that was Tom Jolly that had the stuck Castle Puzzle.  Tom any luck getting your puzzle open.  We all are curious if you found anything hidden inside?