EDOG 2.0

Inspiration strikes when you least expect it, and nothing motivates some people quite like a challenge. So it was, many years ago, with Canadian puzzle maker Kelly Snache, an ornery old acquaintance, and a weathered piece of barn board. But before we embark on that tall tale, we should back up, and begin at the beginning.

“I believe I started making puzzles before I knew they were puzzles,” Kel recalls. “As a kid it was all about hiding my stuff from my younger brother, nothing serious, just kid stuff, but still I guess that’s where I was motivated early. The old parable states that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. That seemed to be my case indeed. In 2000 I met a fellow just passing through that was a machinist, and we talked about locks and mechanical systems and he said to me that a lock is just a series of on/off switches. At that moment the light went on and has only gotten brighter since. Right away I applied what I knew and retrofitted a second hand toy chest I had in the shop, and before a lamb can shake its tail twice I had built my first puzzle chest!”

Fast forward a few years and we learn the origins of the original “EDOG” puzzle box. “At one time I used to work in a warehouse and as I was exploring the puzzle making experience, I would bring them in and share them with the guys on lunch. I learned lots from that. One old fella named Ernie would watch everyone’s attempts from afar but would never try himself.  He actually snickered at others not being able to solve them, kinda mean spirited, but that is why they called him Ern Dog mostly due to his generally rough around the edges demeanor. I reckon that one time he thought he would give me a test as he ripped a piece of barn board right from the old barn on his property and he says to me “well here you go, now let’s see what you do with that”, laughing out loud the whole time. Two weeks later I brought in the puzzle and everyone just loved it! Ole Ernie actually sat back and just grinned at me, I might have earned an old crotchety man’s respect that day. Coming from a place of gratitude I told him that I would name the puzzle after him, but that it would be called EDOG for short. I winked at him and joked that one day ‘his’ puzzle would be famous. He expressed much that day when he shook my hand firmly and said “thank you”.”

The EDOG puzzle box was one of Kel’s early works but lived on thanks to a video he made back in his “Soul Tree Creations” days. The clever, rustic creation tickled a few folks’ fancies, and a few years ago Kel received a request to recreate it. In the spirit of keeping the original’s history, and allowing himself the enjoyment of making something new, Kel agreed to revisit and revise it in a new edition “that features its same basic qualities but [has] a completely different solution.” He explains a few details which are in linked to the box’s namesake. “Ole Ernie loved those maraschino cherries you’d get at Christmas, so I had to work that in. Ern Dog would revel in tales of the trapping days, which for him was just last week, of how he would tour his trap line to collect the animals for their hides.  So when I found a fidget toy that was also a replica of a bear trap, well I couldn’t resist adding this to the theme. The idea that ole Ern Dog collected many different animals for their hides was the momentous cause to make each EDOG a different wood type.” The fourteen or so pieces in the new edition are each encased in a different variety of exotic wood, each the same save for its hide. Which, if you think about it, is a rather fitting word for a puzzle box full of secrets.

“While it won’t break the skin, I wouldn’t recommend that you solve that portion of the puzzle by poking it with your finger, there is another way…”

EDOG 2.0 features Kel’s unique style of puzzle box making, hiding many locking mechanisms inside and revealing new stages, layer by layer, each its own feast for the eyes and mind. Besides the distinctive exterior wood species which vary on each box, the little chests are filled with walnut, padauk, wenge, curly maple, pau Amarillo, bloodwood and wrapped in spalted maple. “I made up a prototype in the beginning using maple from a 100 year old dresser, knowing it would be stable material to work with. While the prototype was straight forward enough, my desire to fill the inside of the box with as much fun as I could, left me in a situation where I would have to figure out how to drill holes in tight spaces AFTER parts have been glued together. Whether I don’t trust myself to pre drill a hole before assembly or I really like making sure everything lines up as more parts have been completed… either way the experience is way more intense not knowing how that will be overcome until you have to do it, HA! The secret to that was pre-drilling a tiny hole with a Dremel first, followed by a bigger hole, finally being filed to the right size, whew, that was work!”

The idea of painting oneself into a design corner is shared by a few artists and forces creative solutions out of necessity. This adrenaline fueled panic mode seems to produce incredible results, and makes the design process into a fun puzzle as well. “I would have to say that I am so grateful for the puzzle community in general, but Robert Yarger would have to be the one I most admire. From conversations we have had, I feel that we design very similarly where building ourselves into a corner to only then having to come up with a cool solution is normal. As with a lot of my more intricate designs, this puzzle was made in smaller sections, which allows for better dry assembly and testing as I move forward. Some puzzles, like this one, nearly all of the parts needed to be kept unassembled until the very end. Invariably, things fit a little different in dry assembly and the final glued state, so little calibrations here and there are just part of a fine fit.”

Kel also reflected on some of his favorite moments from this production. “I think that some of the best and most warm experiences I have had with producing the EDOG 2.0 have been through random people that stop in the shop and look at the puzzle and look back at me and just shake their head in wonder. I love that! At Christmas, I showed the prototype to a couple of teenagers who hadn’t experienced something like this before. How big their eyes were and how they couldn’t express much more then quizzical admiration for what was in their hands. Naturally hints were given, OK maybe it was closer to me telling them the steps along the way, but so amazing to see their minds light up like that.”

Kel shares his passion in many ways, including by donating his creations to the local school on the island where he lives. He notes, “it’s interesting to see an even bigger growing interest outside of my somewhat remote community. This is such a positive stage and sign that I’m in the right place to inspire others… so important during a time when we’re all perhaps grasping to find our own creativity and self worth that doesn't have to necessarily fit societies pre-scripted version of reality. But this is a much deeper conversation for another day. If there is one thing I would love folks to know is that I ultimately seek to grow into new production opportunities, that works at a level to include more people without the need for a manufacturing facility. There are many people that have such a wide range of unique skill sets, that an endeavor like this could really be a lot of fun if you have the right mindset for it. So, if you happen to be the kind of person that has a whole garage full of woodworking equipment, and you love to make little things, and would like to be part of a larger puzzle making collaborative effort then I’d like to hear from you.”

I’m raising my glass to Kel and ol’ Ern Dog in honor of this beautiful box with a perfectly paired potion, which was created for a very different purpose by my old friend Matthew Wyne. Matthew is, among his many other talents, an inspired lettering artist, and created a gorgeous series of prints which chronicle the history of classic cocktails, using stylistic art and lettering of each drink era and moment in time. Check out his amazing work at Letters and Liquor. Of course, I’m particularly partial to his choice of alliteration, being a fan of Boxes and Booze myself. Matthew is also the artist who helped me refine and perfect the Boxes and Booze ambigram logo which appears at the bottom of each page on the site.

Matthew recently joined the team at St George Distillery, the “craft distillery” pioneer which started the entire movement back in 1982 when founder Jörg Rupf made his first batch of eau de vie. St George is well known for many of its award winning spirits, including its diverse line of gin styles. The “Botanivore” is the one that started it all, and exists because St George’s master distiller, Lance Winters, wanted to impress his future wife. You’ll notice there is a bear trap on the bottle’s label – a nod to her maiden name, Behrstock. Have you ever heard of a more romantic bear trap? Matthew uses the Botanivore gin in his equally romantic gin sour that plays to the tart and bright flavors of cranberry, while subtly sweetening the drink with St George’s decadent Spiced Pear liqueur. I was fresh out of cranberry, but had some interestingly tart pomegranate juice that I used in place. Not the same, but it still trapped me quite effectively, too. Here’s to finding your passion, and letting it move you. Cheers!

The Bear Trap by Matthew Wyne

1 ½ oz St George Botanivore gin

½ oz St George Spiced Pear Liqueur

½ oz pure cranberry juice

½ oz simple syrup

1 egg white

3 drops Peychauds bitter (garnish)

Dry shake ingredients (without ice) to froth egg white then add ice and shake to chill. Strain into a coup and decorate with three drops of the bitters (drag a pick through them to create hearts).

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