VIP Altekruse Block Puzzle ***

This high quality 3-D-puzzle is made of padouk, maple and black walnut. So it is not only a tricky puzzle but also a nice decoration. It consists of 24 pieces and is packed into a very nice carton box with magnetic closure.
Patented on June 17, 1890 by William Altekruse (USA). This burr puzzle is named after the patentee. Although, in all likelihood, the puzzle is of earlier origin. William immigrated to America in 1844 and most likely brought the idea with him from his homeland. The name "Altekruse" is of Austro-German origin and means "old cross" in German. Apparently, when he drew up the patent, William was only aware of the simplest one-axis solution. But in fact there are three solutions, depending on whether the assembly occurs along one, two or all three axes. This in itself supports our idea that he was not the original inventor.
A classic Altekruse puzzle consists of 12 identical pieces. This can only be dismantled by sliding a complete section to one side before any pieces can be removed. Puzzle designer Stewart Coffin discovered 14, 36 and 38 piece variations. This type of puzzles is unusualbecause all parts are identical.
Warning! Not suitable for children under 36 months.