King of 3D puzzle-makers
WHEN it comes to creating intricate puzzles, Ian Courtney is king.
The Inchanga fatherof- two is one of a few puzzle-makers whose pieces are handcrafted not duplicated. They are 3D and suit children as young as 1, up to octogenarians.
Courtney, who moved here from what was Rhodesia in 1976, said he had started very small.
“I started making wooden toys for my eldest daughter Kelsey when she was 2 years old. I wanted her to have something that was only hers. After a while people noticed, and asked me to make some for their children.
“I soon found that I enjoyed my workshop time more than my day job, and knew this was something I wanted to grow old doing,” he said.
The 60-year-old gave up his job as an insurance broker and decided to pursue his passion in 1992.
When he bought a scroll saw the toys became puzzles. After a series of attempts, the Courtney Classic 3D puzzles were born. They proved too complex for children, but he found there was a market for adults. This prompted him to experiment with different designs aimed at “challenging people”.
He has invented 60 varieties, and made 50 000 to 100 000, as well as 12 000 3D puzzles. All are made from African woods, including yellowwood and mahogany. He says they can take one to 12 hours to solve, depending on complexity.
“People who attempt my puzzles do so to expand their thinking and make themselves aware of their problem-solving skills. The youth today are so preoccupied with the internet and social media they fear any challenge.
“Many people are shocked when they come to the shop in Botha’s Hill because they end up spending more than two hours trying to figure out how to solve them,” said Courtney.
Tourists have taken to his wooden masterpieces. Courtney has a map of the world with colourful pins that show how many countries his puzzles have ended up in – the US, the UK, the Middle East, Germany and Japan – since he began 24 years ago.
Which is his most challenging? “The Africa Quadruple by far. It usually takes 12 hours or longer to solve. It has four layers of brainteasers. Many customers have cracked it. Others are still trying to work it out.”