Scribe

I write a blog about puzzle boxes, with an emphasis on the stories and artists behind them. I don’t focus particularly on the puzzle solving process (there are some great blogs that do that already), which leaves some readers wondering if what I’m featuring is “any good”. Here’s a hint - I typically only write about creations I like, which is at least an endorsement, but it only helps if you also like what I like! I’m not overly impressed with extremely difficult puzzles, for example, and can marvel at and love designs that are comparatively simple. On the other hand, I also love and will wax poetic about designs that are challenging and complex, as long as they are rewarding!

It should come as no surprise that I am particularly fond of “meta” objects which embrace this world I dwell in each week – puzzle boxes that are themselves about writing, or stories, or, of course, spirits, the other aspect of my unconventional blog. It was therefore with great pleasure that I recently received this beautiful little writing box from my friends at NKD Puzzle.

Christophe Laronde, the creative genius known as NeoKid behind the designs at NKD, told me this story, which is transcribed from the French by Google. “Scribe is one of the objects that I had imagined in 2014, I wanted to create beautiful office accessories in wood and marquetry, different from what we find on the market. The first particularity of Scribe is the delicacy of its mechanism, I speak especially of the face of the top, the lid. For the first time, I used very thin plywood, 1 millimeter thick, which allowed me to make these … moving parts without the lid being too thick and unpleasant to handle. This birch plywood comes from Northern Europe. It is AA quality, made for aviation and it is surprisingly strong compared to its thickness! It's a great material that I will use again in the future.” 

“The essences of marquetry used are always, for the red of the padouk, for the gray of the sycamore, and for the black of the tulip tree. The body of the pencil box is a poplar/birch mix. It underwent a major modification this year, I reviewed the entire central part [to ensure reliable function and avoid potential problems]. I didn't want to release this object without having taken the time to make this improvement which was necessary.”

Scribe is a lovely little pen and pencil box which would be welcome on anyone’s desk. For a novice it will provide a satisfying little mystery, but a seasoned puzzle enthusiast can appreciate its elegant form and function as well. The vibrant colors of the natural wood and interesting geometric patterns really pop thanks to a new special finish NKD have applied. “We are currently testing a new less polluting "acrylic PU" varnish. It remains of equivalent quality to "classic" PU varnish while having a lower environmental impact. But the shine … is also due to the fact that the marquetry is sanded very fine (grain 1200, at the limit of polishing) before being varnished. We also try to improve our techniques to always do better!” If you love the idea of having a pretty little functional puzzle box desk accessory, you can’t miss this one!

My toast to the Scribe box needs a little explanation. If you have experienced the Architecto box, you will no doubt have noticed the immersive, fantastical world it pulls you into as you explore the streets and city ways. Christophe is a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki, and had in mind the classic Ghibli movie Castle in the Sky when he designed Architecto, along with many other influences including Escher’s Relativity. He and I traded some correspondence about our mutual love for Miyazaki’s movies, and my Scribe box came with a little surprise inside, with reference to another Ghibli movie, Kiki’s Delivery Service. Christophe apologized that he was not able to send the parcel via witch and broomstick, this time, but there’s always next time!

I’m sending this little gift of a cocktail creation back to Christophe in exchange, based on another classic Ghibli movie, Porco Rosso. The movie centers around an ex World War I Italian fighter pilot, who chases air pirates across the Adriatic in his signature red jet. Naturally, he has been cursed with a pig’s face. (“I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.”) The cocktail for Porco Rosso had to be bright red, like his jet plane, and the fact that the Campari which lends this hue is also Italian is serendipitously perfect. The drink is a Boulevardier, a Negroni with whiskey instead of gin. I used a phenomenal rye from “Whistle Pig” distillery in Vermont, which completes the story of this red pig. Here’s to the scribes, be their stories written in ink, wood, or wine. Cheers!

The Red Pig

1 oz Whistle Pig rye

1 oz Campari (or other Italian red bitter)

1 oz sweet vermouth

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a swift glass over a clear cube. Porco Rosso garnish, optional.

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