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A burr puzzle is an interlocking puzzle consisting of notched sticks, combined to make one three-dimensional, usually symmetrical unit. These puzzles are traditionally made of wood, but versions made of plastic or metal can also be found. Quality burr puzzles are usually precision-made for easy sliding and accurate fitting of the pieces. In recent years the definition of "burr" is expanding, as puzzle designers use this name for puzzles not necessarily of stick-based pieces. The term "Burr" is first mentioned in a 1928 book by Edwin Wyatt, but the text implies that it was commonly used before. The term is attributed to the finished shape of many of these puzzles, resembling a seed burr. The origin of burr puzzles is unknown. The first known record appears in a 1698 engraving used as a title page of Chambers's Cyclopaedia.〔The title page of Chambers's Cyclopaedia on Wikimedia Commons〕 Later records can be found in German catalogs from the late 18th century and early 19th century. There are claims of the burr being a Chinese invention, like other classic puzzles such as the Tangram.〔 ((A page about burr puzzles in the book's website ))〕 ==Six-Piece Burr== The six-piece burr, also called "Puzzle Knot" or "Chinese Cross", is the most well-known and presumably the oldest of the burr puzzles. This is actually a family of puzzles, all sharing the same finished shape and basic shape of the pieces. The earliest US patent for a puzzle of this kind dates back to 1917. For many years, the six-piece burr was very common and popular, but was considered trite and uninteresting by enthusiasts. Most of the puzzles made and sold were very similar to one another and most of them included a "key" piece, an unnotched stick that slides easily out. In the late 1970s, however, the six-piece burr regained the attention of inventors and collectors, thanks largely to a computer analysis conducted by the mathematician Bill Cutler and its publication in Martin Gardner's column on ''Scientific American''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Burr puzzle」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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