The Sage - A SiamMandalay Magazine Issue 02 by bckfwd

A SiamMandalay Magazine

Issue 02 October-December 2015

A HISTORY OF ASSEMBLY PUZZLES WOODEN TOYS THE BENEFITS THE MAKING OF BRANCH PENCILS

Special HELP THE KIDS OF BAAN DEK DEE

Editor Firstly, everyone at SiamMandalay would like to say a huge thank you for your support of us in our inaugural edition of The Sage. We are all excited about this journey and although it may be a winding road, we are working hard to provide all puzzles fans (yes that’s you) a quarterly print or download with the very latest on all things puzzles. We have created The Sage Magazine with the premise of spreading our love of puzzles as far as we can and allowing you, the reader, to share and participate. In pursuit of this, we invite and encourage all of you to become active with your own input; articles, images, ideas, feedback or suggestions. SiamMandalay believe in a policy of sharing knowledge and experiences, we hope that you’ll join us on this journey and share yours. Thank you,

The SiamMandalay Team

Contents 3 A History of Assembly Puzzles 4 Wooden Toys The Benefits 6 Branch Pencils The Making of 10 Special : Help The Kids Of Baan Dek Dee

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of y r o t s i AH

uzzles ssembly P A by Sean Allan

Assembly Puzzles or Put Together puzzles represents a wide category, encompassing a whole variety of puzzles including, interlocking, packing, dis-assembly puzzles and even some sequential move puzzles.

The consequence of this is that solving the puzzle can become exceptionally difficult, sometimes almost impossible for humans. In the niche of assembly puzzles, we have arrived at a place where we have literally an infinite stream of possibilities. With the continued fusion between puzzle design and technology the boundaries of complexity will continue to be pushed – for this reason new forms of assembly puzzles are created with frequency as puzzle designers continuously strive to out do each other.

Generally they entail the arrangement of puzzles to make specific shapes in two or three dimensions. Some of the world’s most famous and popular puzzles fall into this category and a variety of subsets within it, including Piet Hein's Soma Cube, the Pentomino by Solomon Golomb and of course the Tangram. Modern tools, such a laser cutters and 3D printers have pushed the boundaries of assembly puzzle design, allowing for exceptionally complex creations made from wood, and acrylic plastic. 3D printers have opened up completely new possibilities!

Consider though, that the complexity of puzzle doesn’t directly correlate with fun and enjoyment. It is widely regarded that the technically most appealing varieties of assembly puzzles designs are the ones that achieve their frustrations with the fewest number of pieces.

Computers have also aided the development of puzzles design and solution; they allow for an exhaustive search of how puzzles can be designed so that they provide the fewest solution possibilities or a solution requiring the most steps possible.

This of course, is at the center of angst for many a puzzler, a puzzle that seems easy, is in fact a mind boggling challenge. The classic Pyramid Puzzle, is the archetype of this – with only two pieces they are amazingly difficult for most solvers.

TANGRAM $13.99

BIG CITY CHALLENGE $21.99

PYRAMID $22.99

TRIANGLE PYRAMID $27.99

BEST FRIEND $15.99

SIXPENNY $30.99

By Sean Allan

SiamMandalay’s pull toy collection embody a style of toys that have been a favorite among young children for generations’ wooden cars, trains and other pull toys for children. Sturdy, durable, fun and eco-friendly; it ticks all the SiamMandalay boxes. 4

SiamMandalay stands by its ethos of heirloom quality goods, and we want to make puzzles and toys that last for generations. Plastic toys and games tend to be cheaply made, poorly designed and often break soon after purchase inevitably ending up on the landfill. Remember that old rocking horse your grandmother had, or that fort from your Dad that you played with as a child. We are going for that. Every. Single. Time. From the angle of durability, wooden toys are second to none. Toys made from wood last much longer than their plastic counterpart. Toys that are made from cheaper, lower quality materials may appear to be more complicated, but you’re missing out on that wonderful tactile texture. We like to craft all our wooden children’s toys from premium grade Monkey Pod wood – we feel there should be an emphasis on children’s developing a connection with natural things. The best way for a child to appreciate their world and learn about it, is to put them in connection with it.

MonkeyPod wood provides an enriching experience that seems devoid in plastic, there is a rustic wholesome feel. We emphasize natural materials that are healthy, safe, eco-friendly and innately enjoyable. The level of craftsmanship that goes into all our wooden toys means that they are generally of a much higher standard than, mass produced factory regalia. The benefit of children handling natural materials in their toys, mean that they get used to dealing with materials that require care. If a child throws a plastic truck or train it will bounce right back – resulting in limited feedback for the child. Kids like activities with tactile elements, invigorating the senses, our natural wood grain has a feel, a smell and colored hues – developing and working a host of elements. The educational benefits provided by natural toys are often debated, however there is certainly something to be said for structured play. For example, coast-to-coast forms, for a child, a challenging assembly puzzle as well as a fun, engaging toy – this is intended, the

lines between work and play and blurred helping to contribute to their development in a deep way. Whilst high-tech toys are incredibly good at amusing and distracting children, they rarely leave any room for the child to develop. Conversely, wooden toys are ideal for encouraging creative and imaginative play in children. Push and pull toys can be incorporated into more detailed learning experience for younger children, less than 5. Children will recognize and in the future be able describe a spectrum of movement ranges; quick, slow, backwards, forwards, round, swing, turn, slide. They will also begin to explore the ways in which their bodies can move and name the parts of the body that can make movements. Children will learn to identify differences between the movements of different objects and make suggestions about how objects can be made to move. This is a very early introduction to science which bodes well for the future.

Kids love wooden trucks, they have been a staple especially for young boys. Kids have fun picking up and moving around the floor with them – at the same time they are developing their motor skills. They are also a universal toy that can help with social interaction among other children. Our wooden kid’s toys help to foster independence - they are a style of puzzle that can be done without adult help. Of course, we want to develop products that you and your child can do together, but we place a lot of emphasis on developing healthy self-confidence and autonomy. Push and pull toys like our train, car and lorry toys are ideal for young children as they are learning to combine skills they have developed together. Cars and trucks that are large enough for them to be pushed and pulled while standing upright are useful for young children and helps them to keep develop their balance.

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We like to craft all our wooden children’s toys from premium grade Monkey Pod wood – we feel there should be an emphasis on children’s developing a connection with natural things. Once the child has a sense of balance and is walking around on their feet pull toys will allow them to move around and pull their favorite toys with them. Accompanied by a vintage wash, wooden toys are timeless, they are not mass produced factory products. They have been trendy for decades, probably centuries – while there is a lot to be said for the high end technological educational toys, there a lot of value in sticking to what’s tried and true – wooden toys are not really susceptible to fads. This “unfaddy” style means that wooden toys grow with your child and are quality hand-me-downs. Toddlers and pre-schoolers can engage in simple play, and basic manipulation with toys. Older kids can begin to incorporate into more complex imaginative scenarios – working them into

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basic science and solve problems. Since wooden toys don’t have electricity there is no toxic batteries, leaky parts or Co2 emissions– they also allow for children to develop reasoning skills, forming logical conclusions to packing problems and stacked block wooden toys. They very rarely have sharp or protruding edges, unlike plastic and the top end manufacturers will make sure to sand down the toy on completion meaning there are no dangerous rough edges. Let’s face it, wooden toy and games look great, we are exceptionally proud of all our wooden toys their beautiful aesthetic and hued tones – colorful puzzles bring a bit of positive Feng shui, but our plain wax finish also means that they make a professional décor accent when the children aren’t playing with them.

Branch Pencils By Sean Allan Up-cycled learning and the pursuit of sustainable development is a policy that SiamMandalay maintains for all its products. We strive for educational, fun products that are fair to the environment and our workers. Our small farm in rural Thailand is designed to be 100% eco-friendly in everything it produces – our handcrafted branch pencils are up-cycled from the surpluses of tamarind tree branches. These rustic designs are a contemporary nod to a medieval, somewhat primitive, pencil style. To maintain our integrity SiamMandalay keeps all manufacturing local, avoiding mass produced factory regalia, we prefer the honesty of skilled hands brought up on a culture of accomplished handiwork. Every branch pencil is 100% unique – this is something we are extremely proud of. The first stage of manufacture is the dividing and fashioning of tamarind branches into small linear parts, these straight twigs will make the body of the pencil. A small hole is meticulously hollowed and graphite coated with a thin adhesive which is carefully funneled through. The graphite filled branch is then diligently whittled down and sharpened to an apex ready for use. The novelty animals are made from a blend of sawdust, adhesive syrup and paint base forming a thick gummy, putty.

This recipe is kneaded rigorously before it can be molded. The doughy nature of the putty means it can be molded into any shape and a host of accents can be worked in or added. The only boundaries are in the craftsman's imagination. Our animal collection has everything from ladybirds to dragons and everything in between. If you can think it up, we can make it. Depending on the design, hues and textures are added using rubber prints and cloth. You can see a turtle being accented below. The exhaustive detail doesn't stop at shelled reptiles, there are techniques for feathers on birds, spikes on hedgehogs, fins on fish or scales on snakes. SiamMandalay keep the whole process holistic, there are no heaters or compressors right through to completion. When the molds have been textured and accented they are simply left to bake in the sun. The novelties only take a few hours to set and then they are good to be painted. All our novelty pencils are 100% hand painted using a “layering” technique – the first stage is the complete coating of the novelty, then colors are added for shading, patterns and textures. Our woody wood pecker novelty has 5 colors, all of which are layered and textured differently down to a speckled breast. Once the paint has set the pencils are packed up, wrapped and stored into a whole manner of boxes and fabrics for delivery all over the world.

Help The Kids Of

Baan Dek Dee Orphanage Baan Dek Dee is a small orphanage in the hills of northern Thailand; an orphanage without corporate sponsorship, a lengthy donor list, celebrity endorsements or a public relations arm. Unlike so many charity foundations in the region – Baan Dek Dee is ran by its boot straps. They are small, diligent and careful out of pure necessity. This special foundation provides Thai orphans with the kind of opportunity we take for granted, the chance to pursue their dreams. The opportunity for one to fulfill their own happiness is one of the most wonderful gifts of all, and the variety of gift poor Thai kids don’t often get, let alone Thai orphans. By assisting with this foundation and with your support, we hope to help them in this pursuit and create a legacy that lasts forever. Assisting with the Baan Dek Dee kids is an act that will never be forgotten.

Manop, once an orphan himself, and his wife Dta. Born out of love for children and an appreciation of their circumstance Baan Dek Dee, offers opportunities to the poorest and most vulnerable children in the region. Many of the children have come from true hardship – born in Thai prisons to drug addicted parents, unwanted through divorces or sent to live with impoverished grandparents – many of whom are farmers who could not afford schooling or other basic needs. Due to this, many are behind their peers in education and although excited to learn will being playing catch up most of their academic lives. Without donors, big backers and sophisticated marketing strategies Baan Dek Dee relies solely on individual’s donations to survive. Currently, Baan Dek Dee are at full capacity, although they receive requests weekly to assist orphans from all across Northern Thailand.

Baan Dek Dee was started by a local hill tribe man, Currently in a precarious predicament, they offer opportunity and hope to dozens of severely disadvantaged children, providing them with schooling, shelter and daily meals – which is the bare minimum any child should receive. By donating a portion of our sales, we hope to help Baan Dek Dee in reaching their dream of a 6400 SQ meter facility (The minimum required for an orphanage by Thai law). Currently they provide 28 young children the type of opportunity that we take for granted – an opportunity of a solid education, shelter and 3 square meals. 10

THE ISSUES

Problem 1:

Their Home is for Sale

Baan Dek Dee currently rents a 200 square meter facility, however, the land owners have put the property up for sale and it will be sold as soon as the a buyer comes in.

Problem 2:

Not Meeting Criteria

SUPPORT THAI ORPHANS WITH SIAMMANDALAY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

The main aim of #PuzzlesforPromise was to help Baan Dek Dee move to a newer, larger facility. Their current plot is currently up for sale, and there is a deadline upon which they have to move out. Manop has been working hard behind the scenes for some time and already has a plot of land lined up. Furthermore, good hearted donors have helped raise a substantial portion required, but there is still much to do. Approximately $100 will purchase about 4 SQM, which seems fantastic, but Baan Dek Dee need a large facility and are required to raise around $150,000 to get a plot that meets regulation. Generating the sort of money required is an uphill struggle and probably an unrealistic task for SiamMandalay to do alone, but we feel we can help the children in other ways, by raising awareness and supporting in the maintenance of the foundation.

Due to the procedures and conditions required to obtain orphanage status – Baan Dek Dee is ineligible, they don't meet the current land size requirements.

Like, Pin and Tweet to Show your Support #PuzzlesforPromise

Problem 3:

Continued Support

Right now, Baan Dek Dee don’t receive any monthly income from any organization/foundation or government and rely solely on donations from individual people. Currently they depend on donations from people like you.

You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace. - Frank McCourt -

SiamMandalay