Despite what its name may suggest Goliath, is not a large puzzle. In fact it’s the smallest puzzle box I have in my collection. Made by Kelly Snache, or Snake as he’s known, this diminutive puzzle box really is a lot more fun than its size might lead you to believe.

The Front of Goliath

A view from the corner

So the picture on its own shows that there’s a lot of detail in this box, despite it being less than an inch long, and half an inch wide. The Jewel on the top helps to hide the true scale, and the hand burned brackets on the corners add a fun touch to a tiny puzzle. Even the beveled edges on the puzzle give it character and detail, that is hard to believe on a fully working puzzle box at this scale.

While it didn’t take me very long to open the box, it is a true puzzle box. There’s two moves required to open it, and there’s a properly sliding lid to the puzzle. Not only that but there’s also a treasure hidden inside the box. It’s unlikely that you can use it for storing anything given how small it is, but it’s a great touch that Snake has thought to put something inside for you. I should note that the first time I opened the box, I nearly lost this little treasure and had to scramble around the floor to find it!

The tiny treasure hidden within

For those who are not familiar with Snake’s work, he only uses recycled woods or boxes to make his puzzles. As with his recent Cigar puzzle boxes, he took old cigar boxes, and retrofitted puzzle locks to them. This is a great idea, and gives all of his work a unique feel. Goliath is little different made entirely from the scraps of wood lying around his shop! Only four of these boxes were made, and I have number 3.

Some idea of scale

To give an idea of scale I’ve taken the picture above with Mr Puzzle’s Houdini’s Torture Cell which I recently reviewed and Scott Peterson’s Rosebud. I wasn’t kidding when I said this box was small. This little puzzle sits pride of place next to my Stickman #2. Now there’s a real David and Goliath matchup!