I’d like to start this year off with a favorite box. I feel like this should be an auspicious year, so why not improve the odds by starting with something auspicious. We will step back in time approximately eighteen years to the beginnings of what would become the Stickman Puzzlebox Company. The first Stickman box, the Oak Wood Slide Box, was not truly “No. 1” in the series until there was a second, naturally. I wrote about that one, another favorite, a few years ago as a nice year end tribute, so let’s focus on No. 2 now, a box that launched an empire. Ok, ok, a box that launched a bunch of other boxes, at any rate.

Stickman No. 2 Puzzlebox ("55-Move Box")

Back then Robert Yarger only had an old radial arm saw to work with, a dangerous and somewhat crude machine on which he created all of his work. He had to get pretty creative with it to produce such fine and complex looking works of mechanical art, which is a true testament to his skill and particular form of genius. On the other hand, he notes that there are certain design aspects, such as the carved feet found on his second puzzle box, that can only be created using this type of overhead table saw. Such saws were deemed too unsafe (especially how Rob uses them) and were discontinued from the market years ago. Which is why he has obviously purchased a few more second hand over the years to always have one in working order.

A handsomely surprising next act

His second puzzle box has a striking design, appearing like a handsome lidded chest raised up on four ornately carved legs and feet. Incidentally, those legs were an accident - Rob had mismatched the cuts for these corner pieces to the side pieces, resulting in them extending beyond the sides. He liked the look and rather than waste wood, he turned them into feet. Each box bears a decorative carved tree with leaves engraved on the top. This is, according to Rob, because a tree was the only artistic thing he could manage to draw. Somehow I doubt that but it’s funny. He drilled holes at odd angles and inserted dowels, which initially looked like something from a horror movie, until he trimmed, sanded and smoothed them down to form leaves (all with the radial arm saw!) There are a few cross bars present on the front, and once things start to move, prepare to be surprised by the unexpected. There is a nice symmetry to the movements, which total at least 55 in all before all four internal hidden compartments are revealed. Rob describes this as a rhythmic exercise which can be done very rapidly with practice, and difficult to repeat even if an uninitiated observer is watching closely. The boxes were made from very old oak and other wood he picked up from an estate sale, extra lumber the owner had kept from his years of working on the railroad. Rob notes how hard the wood was, almost too hard for his saw blade, which spit out smoke as he made the cuts. Some boxes still the bear burn marks he could not sand out. He relates a funny story about that time, when he lived in his father-in-laws farm house and used the den, with sheets hung on the doors to block the smoke, as his workshop. His father-in-law was not amused.

What started the Stickman Puzzle Box numbered series was a stroke of innocent logic by his young son, who wandered into his workshop one day to see all the colorful wooden boxes with feet. They reminded him of his favorite Pokemon characters, and he began to give the boxes individual names. Thinking it would be an opportune way to find a creative name for his new box, Rob asked his son to name the box design itself. Thus, No. 2 was born. Second box, No. 2, very logical after all. Rob was amused by the irony of his son’s name choice, exactly opposite to what he had expected. But his son had stumbled upon the essence of collecting – after all, you’ve “got to catch them all” - as in Pokemon, as in Stickman Boxes. It proved a smart marketing ploy for Rob’s fledgling business and has served him well, especially on the secondary market, where he still reaps the publicity and accolades if not the financial rewards. It’s amusing to note that at that time, it took Rob over two years to sell out of his second puzzle, and he even had many of his No. 1 remaining.

Brooklyn Bridge

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a cocktail competition, having placed in the “finals” for the prestigious “home bartender of the year” award. I created many cocktails for the challenge, and paired up some of them with puzzle boxes too, as I am apt to do. More often than not for this blog I will take an old (or new) classic from the history books (or interwebs) to pair with a box, especially if something perfect already exists. But I don’t hesitate to make something new if need or mood move me to it. One of my favorite personal cocktail creations, the “Bon Iver”, was created to pair up with another Stickman, the “Traditional Box”. It’s still one of my favorite pairings of all time. So toasting this favorite Stickman box, the No. 2, with an original was an easy decision. The drink is one of my favorites from the cocktail competition, and the garnish I created for it was also the most complex. Somehow I found that all very fitting as a backdrop to this toast.

Fresh squeezed citrus, juice not included

The competition had a few broad requirements. Specifically, the drink had to include tequila, it had to include some bitter amaro, and it could not have any juice at all. The cocktail I created is a deconstructed Paloma, a classic Mexican cocktail made from tequila and grapefruit soda. I used a balance of light and strongly bitter citrus aperitifs with a sweet grapefruit vermouth to recreate the drink according to the rules. Since the bar that hosted the competition is located in Brooklyn, I envisioned the drink as a bridge from New York to Mexico. It’s a deliciously complex cocktail and an ideal toast for another historic Stickman Box. Cheers!

A Winning Pair

Brooklyn Bridge

2 oz Altos Reposado

¾ oz Mommenpop D’Pampe (or other grapefruit forward vermouth)

½ oz Cocchi Americano

¼ oz Bittermen’s Amere Nouvelle

1 dash Scrappy’s Lime Bitters

1 dash salt tincture

Stir ingredients together with ice and strain into a glass. Single cube, lemon twist.

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