I got this puzzle for my husband since he likes challenging puzzles and was impressed since the very first time he saw it.Taking all the pieces apart was not the biggest challenge (of course!). All pieces are the same shape. You have to give it quite a thought to figure it out how to put them back together.Quality is amazing. All pieces are soft and feels great to manipulate wood pieces.Comes with instructions, however if you really want to keep you busy, try not to look at them!
Difficulty is pretty highBeauty is VERY high! This is an excellent accent piece for your desk, living room, office etc. I have it in my living room and everyone who comes over plays with it. It is one of those pieces everyone wants to try and everyone likes to look at - but it also looks like art.OVERALL - excellent price point for a very well made wooden puzzle. This is a very classy piece.
Well made, no harsh smells, lovely wood color, fairly easy to read directions. Good size puzzle. Bought two other puzzles from this company and they are beautiful as well (Lumberjacks Challenge & Shooting Star)! Would definately buy again as a gift.
This is my amended review of the Double Lock-A-Ball cage puzzle updating my previous opinion since receiving a replacement. Recapping the situation: the puzzle I initially received had four broken pieces. No damage to the shipping or inner box. I could not determine why or how this occurred. I noticed a very dark, almost scorched-like finish to them. But the coloring is superficial so I attributed this to a staining process that brings out the grain of the wood for appearance. And there was no smell or residue that would rub off. Also, I could not re-glue them due to the small "neck" location of each fracture. I do not think the repaired pieces would hold up over time at all. Then I was careless and threw away the original box (with the receipt in it) and accidently kept the Ball in a Cage (Balls Out) box. I REALLY did not expect to get a refund having thrown away the original box with the receipt in it. So I didn't even attempt to request a replacement/refund.But, Siam Mandalay saw the review and immediately offered to replace the puzzle. AND DID! This, in it's most splendid form, demonstrates the saving grace of (great) customer service. Regardless of these issues, they sent an immediate replacement which I received within a week. After inspection, disassembly and reassembly--- I have amended my initial review. I think that Siam Mandalay deserves to be applauded for their diligence and superior business ethic. One can already tell they take pride in their product not only in their actions in this instance, but in the quality of the puzzles themselves. There are very nicely produced solution videos on youtube showing 3D CG assembly of their puzzles. They take pride enough to place a company logo on each puzzle. Also, you must consider the precision needed in a puzzle like the double lock-a-ball, among others, in which the complex structure of the design lends itself to possible issues. Even after proper curing of wood, tight tolerances and straightness of the pieces can change with temperature, humidity and aging/drying.So, in my opinion, they stepped up to the plate and knocked one out of the park here. I can confidently state that I feel secure in knowing that their promise of backing up their product is demonstrably legitimate. I currently own several other puzzles by Siam Mandalay and have had no problem with quality. And now I feel I can rest assured, as well as the readers of this review, that any future purchases are safe and secured by their genuinely honorable guarantee. Buy with confidence.As for the puzzle itself: Siam Mandalay has done a great job on this puzzle that has so many pieces. It has become my second favorite from them -- just after Balls Out/ball in a Cage. Both have their own quirks in the way they fit together. But I think that gives a cage or burr puzzle "personality". And just as with an actual person, you become accustomed to them as you become friends. A special kind of challenge. Kudos to Siam Mandalay. Full marks five stars.
Super verarbeitet und ganz schön knifflig.Ich hab das Puzzel verschenkt und hab schon beim auseinander bauen ganz schön geflucht.Super Artikel, das war nicht das erste und wird auch nicht das letzte Puzzel sein.
Imballato nelodo giusto e rompicapo molto bello
Great quality and value, looks good and is fun too. Great gift - recommended.
I am not normally a fan of this type of puzzle, but I thought I would try it and I’m glad I did. Not because it was easy or I am particularly good at it, but because it comes with a nicely illustrated “cheat sheet” – 33 steps to take it apart, and 40 steps to put it back together! If you are really good at this kind of thing you won’t need it, but if you get frustrated, it’s there for you.Otherwise, this is a nicely made adult or child prodigy toy. The wood is smooth, and all pieces were perfect, and there was just a hint of a mineral oil smell. It looks great assembled as a conversation piece and will keep guests busy for hours. Made for people smarter than me, and a great gift for the person who thinks they are good at everything!
This thing is really cool. Makes for a great little coffee table toy you can leave out for when guests or kids are over who want to pick it up and first figure out what the heck it is then watch them struggle to solve it!That's not the hard part though. Once you have it apart, oh boy. I gave up and let my wife take that on! Way more difficult trying to reassemble the thing. Now I'm also not a huge puzzle person so others may not find the same difficulty, fyi.Could make for a very fun and unique gift. Kids will enjoy it but anyone who is really into puzzles especially will love it.Otherwise the pieces are all made well enough, I don't feel like its going to start snapping or anything, and it looks like a little handmade piece that you can leave out on a bookshelf or wherever else. It isn't too large either, maybe a bit bigger than a baseball? No real weight to it.Can't go wrong for the price here. Something different!
I bought this for my foyrteen year old grandson. He figured out how to do a Rebic's Cube so I got this for him. It's made of wood so it will last his lifetime and he loves this puzzle. It will give him endless hours of pleasure and once he knows the secret to putting it together he can help others learn too, mainlt his younger siblings.
2 pieces broke the first time I tried it! No, I did not apply too much force and no, I wasn't pulling the pieces in the wrong order. The puzzle is just so fragile!It would have been fun if it was made of better materials. The pieces are supposed to seamlessly slide in and out. The wood wasn't sanded down on some of the pieces though which created resistance and made the whole experience unpleasant.I wouldn't recommend this to anyone but if you really want it, don't give it to a kid under the age of 12. They will just force it and break it and you'll be left cleaning up the mess.
This is a very good gift for a puzzle person.It is an impressive wooden puzzle, about the size of a hardball.Great hand feel and I understand difficult to solve.
I am a sucker for gadgets and gizmos, especially 3D puzzles. This double lock-a-ball wooden puzzle is a difficult one. The object is to free the ball inside and then, of course, put it back together. There are 25 wood pieces all together, and one ball. The company provides a lifetime guarantee on the puzzle and based on other reviewers, it sounds like they mean it.The puzzle came in a form-fitting box and is fairly well made. There are no rough edges and it looks very nice. I have it in my office and people cannot resist playing with it. Highly recommend!
It is really cool, a great gift idea. The pieces were a little looser than I'd prefer, which made it come apart easier than I think it is supposed to. I will day putting it back together was very trying though, that's the real puzzle! Good stuffa
Daughter has enjoyed getting to the ball and putting it back together. Getting it back together was a bigger challenge than getting it open!
I ordered this puzzle because I have a granddaughter who is mechanically inclined and who needs to be kept occupied. I wanted something intriguing and different, and this puzzle met all the criteria. Not only did it keep her happily engaged, it’s very attractive and looks nice sitting on a table or desk top, too. It was money well spent.
This was a Christmas gift for a family member so I can't comment on solvability however the gift when opened a piece fell out and I offered to return the puzzle but the recipient said he would try to glue the wooden piece back after he figured out how to solve it. Have had very good luck with these puzzles year after year so this was the first time one arrived broken. Don't know the end of this story yet so we'll see how this turns out.
This is a good and quite difficult puzzle. The fit of the pieces could be just a little better, that is my only slight proble. It causes an important "movement" to be tricky. Definitely, the solution is needed unless you are a puzzle expert.
I gave this to my hubby for his birthday. He loves puzzles. This one is lots of fun for him, he took it apart easily enough but putting it back together took some time. The pieces are all the same shape so it takes some thinking to remake it. The only reason I gave it 4 starts instead of 5 is that one od the pieces cracked while he was putting iy back together and we need to wood glue it. This is probably user error though.
Excellent as always. Recomended