Stave puzzles: let the tortuous fun begin

Jigsaw puzzle aficionados take note: You haven't mastered the skill until you've conquered a Stave puzzle. Equal parts excitement and frustration, each hand-cut, wooden design is intended to confound you. We got an inkling of what was in store when we learned that the president of Stave Puzzles, Steve Richardson, is also known as the "Chief Tormentor."

Make no mistake about it, these are not ordinary puzzles. The first thing you'll notice is the deceptively small box, hand-lettered and personalized with your name, but there's no picture of the contents. The pieces are designed to confuse--what looks like a corner actually will fit in the middle, side pieces are thoroughly disguised and, often, there are no straight edges. They have Teaser puzzles with confusing colors, repeating shapes, irregular edges, and empty spaces into which nothing fits. Tougher still are the Trick puzzles, with pieces that fit in more than one place. They come with clues in the form of a little block of wood to explain what you are trying to accomplish.

If you think you can use the wood grain to help you, forget about it. It's inconsistent in the correct solution. What about studying their catalog? Sorry, no help there, either. The pictures shown are purposely incorrect. You need to figure it out for yourself. What's more, Stave reports a deluge of e-mails, calls, and letters from puzzlers not just praising their artistry, but requesting clues or hurling insults about their maddening experience.

In a workshop in Norwich, Vt., maniacal crafters create puzzles from family photos, collages, corporate logos, etc., or from an extensive array of available images. One individual is responsible for the project start to finish, with all cuts made by hand, without the use of a computer. Though they do keep some creations in stock, most are made to order. Many can be personalized with names and dates and many other creative ideas.

There is a wide range of pricing, with some under $100 and others costing in the thousands. (They hold the title in the Guinness Book of World Records for "Most Expensive Jigsaw Puzzle"--a hand-painted limited edition created in the late 1970s, priced at $15,000.) Call 802-295-5200 or visit www.stave.com to see what challenges await you.

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