Eric Fuller Retrospective

It’s been two years since we lost our friend Eric Fuller, a master craftsman beloved for his meticulously curated, well made mechanical puzzles. I used to call him the Raleigh Renegade in a nod to his embrace of counterculture, but in reality he was also a savvy and cautious business man who valued quality, price point and access for his customers. Those of us who love puzzle boxes felt a double blow at his death, knowing he had a number of incredibly cool puzzle boxes in mind, which he planned to finish designing and producing in the future. These will now be mere figments of memory.

I also felt a pang of sadness at the lost opportunity to learn in more detail the histories of some older creations Eric had made earlier in his career that I imagined I would feature here on these pages one day. I’ve lost the chance to ask Eric directly about these stories now, but I can still share a few of the boxes, which were acquired over the years secondhand.

The 16 Move Puzzle Box was Eric’s very first puzzle box, an homage to traditional Japanese puzzle boxes but with Eric’s signature playfulness. It lets you peek inside after only 2 moves, but requires a total of 16 moves to actually open, and does so in an unusual way. It was made in 2004 using various exotic and domestic woods in an edition limited to 40. In his original description of it, Eric said that it is “very difficult to open by simply moving panels at random. Only by analyzing the functions of the panels will the solution be found”. This general concept held true for almost all of Eric’s subsequent puzzle boxes.

The Hinged Box, Eric’s follow up and second box design, was also inspired by Japanese puzzle boxes, but the type that opened with a hinged lid. These are less commonly referenced, and seem to no longer be produced in Japan. Eric related, in his original description, “I repaired a couple of them for other collectors and loved the operation. However, I thought it could be trickier. I kept the concept the same but added some confusing movements.” He hides a few unexpected moves here that elevate the simple puzzle box to something we might expect from him. This one was also limited to 40 pieces, offered in a number of different “exotic and premium” wood combinations.

Eric’s third box was actually a set of two almost identical in appearance, except for the wood combinations used to craft them. They were each three inch square, and very specifically made with prominent corner reinforcements, in a very small edition of 25 pieces each. Eric explained, in his original description, “I have always liked the look of boxes made with mitered edges and a reinforcing spline down the middle. I have had several ideas for puzzle boxes incorporating the design, and finally settled on these two.” Here is number 2 in the set, made with Bocote, Quatersawn Wenge, and Sycamore splines. The Spline boxes are each uniquely clever, and open in unexpected ways. Eric also made a third Spline Box many years later, which I have also written about in the past. It is notoriously difficult to open and surviving copies invariably bear little marks and scratches indicative of frustrated attempts to reveal its secrets.

A few months after the original Spline Boxes in early 2005 saw production of Eric’s Mame Box, a landmark achievement for Eric which set the tone of his future work. I was able to capture that story before his death, and wrote about it previously. It marked a turning point for his crafting identity, as he honed in on his hallmark of precision work. A few years later, he produced the Tier Box, another nod back to traditional Japanese sliding panel boxes, but now much Fuller than his original such creations, and far more confusing. Eric commented, in his original description, “It combines several ideas I have been wanting to implement in a sliding panel puzzle box. The solution requires 14 moves, but those moves are anything but straightforward and are at times downright devious.” He passed the box around at IPP29 that year, and noted how it stumped many a seasoned puzzler for a while, with many “ahas!” along the way. Tier Box was a small edition of 34 pieces, made from Bubinga and Paduak. The contrasting woods become apparent as the puzzle box is solved, which only adds to the satisfaction and elegance of this excellent puzzle.

The original Cosmopolitan cocktail can trace its roots back before World War I to the Gimlet, a drink of gin and Rose’s lime juice. The Cosmo used vodka, and in the eighties, Rose’s grenadine was added to the lime, which gave the drink its signature pink hue. New York bartender Toby Cecchini is widely credited with reinventing the cocktail into its elevated modern format in 1988, using Citroen vodka, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and adding cranberry juice to retain the pink color. It became wildly popular.

Emily Mistell, owner and Beverage Director of Portland, Oregon’s award winning Hey Love bar, grew up with the scent of cardamom in the air during the holidays, thanks to her family of bakers. She also loves cherry, and couldn’t help but combine the two flavors for her special syrup which makes her Cosmo homage cocktail unique and special. Hey Love, which won the 2023 Best Hotel Bar in the US at Tales of the Cocktail, is a fun place to have a drink, with its distinctly tiki vibe, plant filled colorful ambiance and welcoming atmosphere. Eric Fuller woulda loved it. Cheers!

Coulda Woulda Shoulda by Emily Mistell

1 ½ oz gin

½ oz triple sec

¼ oz pear brandy

1 oz cherry cardamom syrup

½ oz lime

2 dashes cardamom bitters

Shake ingredients with ice and double strain into a favorite glass. Grapefruit peel garnish.

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