15 Steps to Success - Stairs Cube

Down the stairs to get a puzzle off the unsolved pile; up the stairs to solve it; down the stairs to put it on the solved pile.  Unlike some puzzle collectors, the majority of my puzzle collection does not reside on the same level of the house where I spend most of my time, requiring me to go up and down the stairs when puzzling.  Who said that solving puzzles wasn’t an aerobic exercise?

After recently going up and down the stairs several times to organize my puzzles, I decided that it was time to take a look at Stairs Cube by Osanori Yamamoto.  This puzzle, made by Wood Wonders, has been patiently waiting for some attention as it listened to the sounds of other puzzles being carried up and down the stairs over the years.  It was overdue to come upstairs and be appreciated.

Stairs Cube is a level 10.3.2 puzzle that consists of 4 pieces.  My version from Wood Wonders is made from Swiss Pear and Wenge.  The 2 woods contrast very nicely and couldn’t be more different.  The Wenge is very dark with a very noticeable grain pattern.  The Swiss Pear on the other hand is very light and so uniform it almost looks artificial.  Together, they make a very attractive puzzle.

If it looks like this puzzle would not be that difficult, you would be right.  It’s obvious where the pieces have to go and pretty easy to get them there.  There are some rotations involved, but they aren’t difficult to navigate.  This puzzle would make a good introduction to burrs requiring rotations.