**Background **
The original Matchbox was conceived by Peter Hajek in 2007 as his exchange puzzle for the International Puzzle
Party (IPP) held in Tokyo that year. Frank Chambers and Ken Stevens devised the internal mechanism and produced the puzzle in corian.
Two years later, Bits & Pieces released a wooden version.
This, however, allowed an unintended solution, a problem that affected some of the corian pieces as well.
**Back to the present **
Peter decided to revisit the Matchbox and has designed a new internal mechanism that eliminates the problem. To bring this new design to life in wood, Peter has partnered with Australian
puzzle box maker Christopher Maruca (Maruca Furniture.) Originally, Peter intended to commission a marquetry inlay for the lid, but Chris went a step further, creating the inlay himself while also adding some other original touches.
A total of 100 boxes will be made in this edition crafted from Tasmanian Oak and 15 deluxe boxes made from figured Victorian Ash. Both Tasmanian oak and Victorian ash are eucalyptus species. The Victorian ash is sourced from where Chris lives in the Goldfields region of Victoria, Australia. The supply of this beautifully figured wood is much more limited. Each box features hand-crafted marquetry using rosewood, boxwood, and dyed birch veneers, complemented by hand- carved walnut accents along the sides that evoke the striking surfaces of a traditional matchbox. The Tasmanian Oak editions are fitted with black steel handles, while the deluxe editions feature brass handles. Size 90 x 55 x 25mm
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