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| Kumiki is a Japanese word that means to join wood together. In Japan,
the word kumiki refers to several different varieties of wood craft. For our purposes, a kumiki is a 3-dimensional wooden interlocking solid puzzle made in a
familiar shape. |
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Animals
 | 20 different items |
 | All are Easy or Moderate |
 | Almost all are unfinished
Ho wood |
 | $3.50 $21.00 |
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Burrs and Shapes
 | 30 different items |
 | Most are Moderate, some are Difficult |
 | Most are unfinished - some are dyed |
 | $3.50 $96.00 |
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Structures and
Other Man Made Items
 | 10 different puzzles |
 | 5 of these are coin banks |
 | These are the most elaborate kumiki |
 | $4.50 $98.00 |
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Transportation
 | 10 different puzzles |
 | 2 of these are coin banks |
 | The Trolley is a puzzle box |
 | $4.00 $25.50 |
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Vintage Kumiki
 | 10 different puzzles |
 | Made more than 40 years ago - in new
condition! |
 | $2.50 $17.00 |
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Kids Kumiki
Set
 | 3 different puzzles |
 | The kumiki puzzles children like best |
 | Save 15% |
 | $17.00 |
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Cleverwood imports our kumiki puzzles directly from the
workshops in Odawara and Oisi, Japan. Cleverwood
deals personally with the makers, so we are able to offer a huge selection of high quality
kumiki puzzles to you at exceptionally reasonable prices: $3.50 - $98.00. With more than
seventy different kinds, Cleverwood has the
greatest selection of kumiki puzzles outside of Japan, and the largest selection available
at any web site.
Wooden
interlocking figural puzzles made in Germany are mentioned in the classic book, Professor
Hoffmanns Puzzles Old and New of 1893. Although Japanese artists may not have been
the first to make this puzzle craft form, they have fully developed the interlocking
figural puzzles now known as kumiki to the highest degree.
Traditional Japanese craftsmen did not use nails in building construction because nailed
wooden joints were easily compromised during earthquakes. They developed ingenious methods
of interlocking wood joinery that would stand up to earthquakes. Even today, books are
available on the unique, traditional wood joinery of Japanese craftsman. Kumiki puzzles
utilize the concept of notched joinery to make interesting looking and working puzzles.
Tsunetaro Yamanaka (1874-1954) was the first craftsman to develop the figural wooden
interlocking puzzles known as kumiki. He designed and constructed puzzles that resembled
buildings and vehicles, not just abstract shapes like spheres and cubes. His descendants
continued to carry on the tradition, still creating new puzzles including animal shapes.
Today, Tadaaki Yamanaka, great grandson of Tsunetaro, continues his great
grandfathers work. The Robot kumiki is an example of one of his newer
designs (1993)
There are
four different Kumiki design techniques: oshi, mawashi, kendon and sayubiki. The first
means push, these puzzles have a key piece which has to be pushed out. Puzzles based on
the mawashi principle have a piece which has to be twisted in order to solve the puzzle.
In kendon puzzles you have to remove a piece by moving up and down or from left to right.
With sayubiki two key pieces have to be removed simultaneously. The key piece is always
skillfully hidden.
Most kumiki puzzles are made from Japanese ho wood and are unfinished, but we have
quite a few deluxe kumiki which are extra large and dyed. Ho wood is also known as Boku or
Japanese Magnolia - Magnolia Hypoleuca.To learn more about
interlocking solid puzzles read the books of Jerry Slocum, Puzzle Collector and
noted author of books about Mechanical Puzzles.
Because they are so inexpensive, Kumiki puzzles are
perfectly suited for beginning puzzle collectors - especially children. |
Guaranteed Quality
Each and every kumiki puzzle we sell here at Cleverwood is carefully
visually inspected right before it is shipped to you. We look at the assembled puzzle
carefully. But, we do not disassemble and reassemble each puzzle. That would be just too
time consuming, and we are assured that the puzzles shipped to us are the very best made.
We will replace or refund any of our kumiki puzzles that you judge to be
unsatisfactory within 30 days of the date you receive it. We will make all reasonable
accommodations after 30 days at our discretion.
Your satisfaction is our top priority. Please read the Comments from our Customers.

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Pronunciation Guide to Japanese Terms
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