| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | Norwich, Vermont, USA (1974) |
| Founder(s) | Steve Richardson, Dave Tibbetts |
| Headquarters | Norwich, Vermont |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Jigsaw Puzzles |
| Owner(s) | Steve Richardson |
| Employees | 24 (2008) |
| Website | http://www.stavepuzzles.com |
Stave Puzzles is an American jigsaw puzzle company located in Norwich, Vermont. The company was started in 1969 by Steve Richardson and Dave Tibbetts, the name being a combination of their two first names. They manufacture hand cut jigsaw puzzles made from cherry-backed, 5-layered, 1/4" wood. Stave produces several different puzzles types ranging from traditional puzzles, teaser puzzles which can have many open areas within the puzzles, trick puzzles in which the puzzles can be put together in two or more ways of which only one is correct. They also create three dimensional puzzles, limited edition puzzles and complete custom puzzles. Each puzzle is provided in a green and blue rectangular box and does not include a picture of the completed puzzle.
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Steve Richardson moved from New Jersey to Vermont in 1969 and started a game design business with Dave Tibbetts.[1] In 1974 he was offered $300 to make a wooden jigsaw puzzle.[2] He accepted the job and bought a saw to teach himself how to do so. In the same year Steve and Dave the two formed Stave Puzzles,[3] forming the name from a combination of their first names. In 1976 Richardson bought out Tibbetts's share of the company for $1 and a jigsaw.[4] He built a small shop behind his garage and hired his first employee. In 1983, Stave introduced their first 2-Way Trick Puzzle, called Go Fish. In 1998 Stave was invited to show their puzzles at the White House.
In 1989, Stave Puzzles released an April Fools' Day joke puzzle called 5 Easy Pieces, which had no solution. The puzzles first thirty buyers were refunded their purchase price.[5] In 1990 Stave Puzzles was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the most expensive jigsaw puzzle.[6] In 1997, Stave introduced the Monkey Fist trick. In 1998, the Crazy Claws were introduced and in 2003 the first 3D Trick Puzzle, "Loop-de-Loop".
Owners of Stave Puzzles include Queen Elizabeth II, Barbara Bush, Stephen King, Julie Andrews, Tom Peters and Bill Gates.[7][8]
Stave Puzzles is the largest hand-cut jigsaw puzzle company in the USA, and perhaps in the world, but faces growing competition from laser-cutting companies like Liberty Puzzles and Artifact Puzzles that produce similar (but generally judged to be lower-quality) products at roughly 1/10 the cost.
Stave produces traditional rectangular puzzles that range in size from 5"x 7" (75 pieces) to 25"x20" (1000) pieces. For every hundred pieces, five custom pieces such as dates, names or silhouettes can be cut into the puzzle.
Stave's Teaser puzzles are designed in such a way as to make assembly of the jigsaw puzzle harder than in a traditional jigsaw creation. Stave commissions original artwork for these puzzles. Illustrators and Stave craftspeople work together on the design to reduce the number of visual cues that would normally make it easy to put together a traditional puzzle.
A typical Teaser design has some areas that are similar to traditional puzzles, making it easier to assemble some of the puzzle. However, in the center of the puzzle, or in other separate areas, holes are left into which many pieces have to fit. These pieces may be silhouettes of shapes that are representative of objects, people, animals, etc. It's not apparent how they fit together in the holes of the puzzle until they are played with and studied.
The difficult rating system for Teasers is measured on a scale of one to four swords, with four swords being the most difficult.
Steve Richardson earned the name Chief Tormentor for inventing the Trick puzzle,[9] a puzzle genre in which some pieces fit in two or more different places, but only one of the solutions is considered correct. The object of a Trick puzzle is detailed on a small block of wood that accompanies Trick puzzles.[10]
An example of a Stave Trick puzzle is Champ which is made up of 44 blue pieces and fits together 32 different ways, only one of which is correct where the serpent eats its own tail.[10][11]
The difficulty rating system for Trick puzzles is measured on a scale of one to five lightning bolts, with five being the most difficult.[10]
Teaser and Trick puzzles have been combined together in puzzles such as Palace of Pranks.
Stave Limited Edition puzzles are the premier puzzles Stave produces. Each is produced from custom commissioned artwork and sold in a limited quantity. Typically the limited edition is only 50, though some run to 100.
There are four main types of limited edition puzzles: Double Deckers, Riddle, Mystery Story, and Trick. Some of the limited edition puzzles are hand painted (as opposed to a print affixed to the wood).
In general the limited editions also include items that fit the theme and help guide you through the puzzle and additional games. For example the Limited Edition Trick Puzzle Time Traveler comes with several hand crafted booklets to link the puzzle to the time-travel theme underlying the puzzle. The theme of the puzzle is major events (cultural, historical, scientific discoveries, etc.) from 1000 CE to 2000 CE. The booklets guide you through untangling a set of chronological mishaps caused by an evildoer.
Double deckers: Double decker puzzles are made up of multiple layers that sit on top of one another. Irregular edges and dropouts highlight the imagery in interesting ways. Some double decker puzzles include very simple tricks—swappable image areas. For example, the Snow White limited edition allows you to swap the Evil Queen and Snow White in the mirror.
Riddle puzzles: Riddle puzzles are accompanied by a book of riddles, word games, and other surprises linked to the puzzle. For example, figural pieces in the puzzle might form a rebus that must be solved.
Mystery story: Each puzzle is accompanied by a complete mystery novel. However, you do not learn the ending of the mystery until you send in your answer to Stave's "mystery hot line." For example, the limited edition Hexed has artwork by Andrea Farnham and a novel by Susan Stofflet. The puzzle comes in sections enclosed in velvet bags that you do in pieces as you read and solve parts of the mystery.
Trick: The limited edition trick puzzles are similar in general challenge types to the other trick puzzles sold by Stave. The main difference is greater theming and integration. Taking Time Traveler as an example, the entire puzzle has a theme, and solving the tricks and re-arranging the pieces is linked to a story and learning about history. Other puzzles such as Knight at Stavely Castle include 3D pop-ups such as an entire castle facade that goes together multiple ways and a 3D sword that you need to remove from a stone.[10] These trick puzzles are thus more intense than the generally available trick puzzles because of the themed linking between the puzzle and accompanying materials.
List of Limited Editions and statuses
(Status approximate as of 19 May 2008; list based on Stave Limited Edition advertising mailed in Dec 2007 combined with phone call with Stave to obtain statuses on 19 May 2008)
| Name | Type | Artists | First Sold | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At the End of His Rope | Mystery | Andrea Farnham (art) Suzanne Stofflet (mystery) |
1996 | 39/50 | |
| Cinderella | Double Decker | Jennifer Brown | 1992 | 23/50 | This puzzle also includes a simple trick. |
| Densel the Dragon | Trick | Steve Richardson (tricks) Candy Thun (tricks and art) |
1990 | 25/35 | |
| Dickens of a Christmas | Riddle | Molly Delaney (art) Suzanne Stofflet (riddles) |
1997 | 20/50 | |
| Dollhouse Village | Handpainted | Jim Schubert (art) | 1979 | 98/100 | This puzzle is actually composed of five smaller puzzles that are now sold only as a set. There was a period where individual components could be purchased separately. |
| Hexed | Mystery | Andrea Farnham (art) Suzanne Stofflet (mystery) |
1998 | 23/50 | |
| HMS Pinafore | Trick | Steve Richardson (tricks and teasers) Suzanne Stofflet (word games) Molly Delany (art) |
2000 | 7/50 | |
| Knight at Stavely Castle | Trick | Steve Richardson (trick) Candy Thun (art) |
1994 | 20/50 | |
| Mad Tea Party | Riddle | Jennifer Brown (art) Suzanne Stofflet (riddles) |
1997 | 25/50 | |
| Midsummer Night's Dream | Double Decker | Henri Loustau | 1981 | 77/100 | |
| Nutcracker Suite | Double Decker | Jennifer Brown | 1991 | 28/50 | |
| Off with Her Head | Riddle | Jennifer Brown (art) ? (riddles) |
1998 | 20/50 | |
| Pentagon | Mystery | Andrea Farnham (art) Suzanne Stofflet (mystery) |
1996 | 50/50 | |
| Peter Pan & the Irate Pirate | Riddle | Molly Delaney (art) Suzanne Stofflet (riddles) |
1997 | 26/50 | |
| Pharaoh's Curse | Trick | Andrea Farnham (art and tricks) | 1993 | 50/50 | |
| Romeo and Juliet | Double Decker | Jennifer Brown | 1999 | 12/50 | |
| Snow White | Double Decker | Jennifer Brown | 1993 | 19/50 | This puzzle also includes a simple trick. |
| Stavely Manor | Trick | Steve Richardson (trick) Candy Thun (art) |
1993 | 34/50 | |
| Time Traveler | Trick | Andrea Farnham (art and tricks) | 1999 | 50/50 | |
| Treasure Island | Trick | Andrea Farnham (art and tricks) | 1991 | 47/50 | |
| Twain Foolery | Riddle | Molly Delaney (art) Suzanne Stofflet (riddles) |
1999 | 16/50 | |
| Under the Big Top | Trick | Andrea Farnham (art and tricks) | 1992 | 22/50 | |
| Wizard of Oz | Riddle | Molly Delaney (art) Suzanne Stofflet (riddles) |
1998 | 27/50 |
Custom puzzles are just that, full custom work designed in conjunction with the crafters at Stave. The efforts can range from the "simple", such as a wedding picture made into a puzzle, to complex, completely commissioned artwork and carefully designed cutting styles.
Stave Puzzles was named by Tom Peters as the 1991 Product of the Year.[14]