Wooden Burr Puzzles


Notched sticks of wood, locked into a form that seems impossible to take apart.

A burr puzzle holds itself together with nothing but geometry: no glue, no nails, just pieces cut so precisely that each one traps the next. Each of our wooden burr puzzles is cut from monkeypod and fitted by hand in our Thai workshop, so the pieces slide with resistance but never stick. Taking one apart takes a minute. Rebuilding it is another matter.


Explore by craft: Burr · Kumiki · Tangram · Disentanglement · Cube puzzles
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What makes a burr puzzle

A burr is a set of notched wooden pieces that interlock into one symmetrical form. The name is thought to come from the spiky seed burr the finished shape resembles. Burrs were already being sold in European toy catalogues by the early 1800s, and the classic six-piece burr has fascinated puzzlers and mathematicians ever since; computer searches in the late twentieth century catalogued every possible six-piece design. Most burrs set two challenges: find the key piece that releases the rest, then rebuild the form from a pile of near-identical parts.

Read more: A History of Burr Puzzles

Why the fit matters

A burr is only as good as its fit. Cut a notch a fraction too wide and the puzzle wobbles and gives itself away; too tight and it jams. Our pieces are cut from dense monkeypod and sanded by hand until they slide with a smooth, deliberate resistance. That feel is what makes a burr satisfying to solve, and handsome enough to leave out on a desk once it's done. Every puzzle is backed by our lifetime guarantee.

Which burr puzzle should I choose?

  • New to burrs: Shooting Star. Six pieces and two challenges: take it apart, then put it back together.
  • A classic shape: Powder Keg. Seven pieces that rebuild into a keg. Intermediate.
  • Something to display: Ascher. Twelve pieces that reassemble into a lotus flower.
  • For a serious puzzler: Hidden Passage. A seven-piece cube with a hidden key. Level 3.
  • The hardest here: Double Lock-a-Ball. Twenty-four pieces. For experienced puzzlers only.

Want to go deeper? How to solve a 6- and 12-piece burr puzzle · Interlocking puzzles: the 101 · Shooting Star solution · The 5 most difficult wooden puzzles

Frequently asked questions

Are burr puzzles hard?
It depends on the design. Six-piece burrs like Shooting Star come apart quickly, and rebuilding them is the real puzzle. Designs with a hidden key or twenty-plus pieces, like Double Lock-a-Ball, can take hours.

Are solutions included?
Yes. Step-by-step solutions are also on our blog: How to solve a burr puzzle.

What's the difference between a burr and a kumiki puzzle?
Kumiki is the Japanese term for interlocking wooden puzzles in general, and many are figures such as animals or vehicles. A burr is a particular kind of interlocking puzzle built from notched sticks around a central point. See our kumiki puzzles.

Is a burr puzzle a good gift?
For anyone who likes working with their hands, yes. Solved, a burr looks like a small wooden sculpture, which is why it's a favourite desk gift for adults.