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Kagen Sound
Puzzle-box & puzzle-furniture craftsman · USA
Kagen Sound (formerly Kagen Schaefer) is an American puzzle-box and puzzle-furniture craftsman based in Denver, Colorado. He grew up in Colorado drawing elaborate mazes as a child, began designing puzzle boxes in middle school, and earned a mathematics degree from Colorado College in 2000—a background he channels into geometric, often mathematically expressive woodwork.
His work ranges from pocket-sized boxes to large shifting-pattern tables with trick drawers, built with refined joinery, wooden springs, and sliding maze mechanisms. He won his first Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition award in 2002, and his 'Maze Burr' took both the People's Choice and Jury Grand Prize at the 2006 competition.
Sound is recognized as a Friend of the Japanese Karakuri Creation Group—the world's only puzzle-box guild—and as of 2017 was its only non-Japanese member. His studio and process were profiled in a 2023 WIRED documentary.
Style signature
Mathematically inspired wooden boxes and furniture featuring sliding-maze locks, interlaced wood-grain patterns, and even musical mechanisms—ranging from tiny boxes to room-scale tables with concealed trick drawers.
Notable works
- Maze Burr
- Lotus Table
- Pipe Organ Desk
- Lotus Box Trilogy
- Caterpillar Box
Questions about Kagen Sound
Who is Kagen Sound?
Kagen Sound (formerly Kagen Schaefer) is an American puzzle-box and puzzle-furniture craftsman in Denver, Colorado. He holds a mathematics degree and is known for intricate wooden boxes and furniture with sliding-maze mechanisms.
What is the Maze Burr?
The Maze Burr is Kagen Sound's award-winning puzzle in which interchangeable maze plates create a vast number of different solving challenges. It won both the People's Choice and Jury Grand Prize at the 2006 Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition.
Why is Kagen Sound notable in the puzzle world?
He is recognized as a Friend of Japan's Karakuri Creation Group—the world's only puzzle-box guild—and was its only non-Japanese member as of 2017. He has won numerous International Puzzle Party design awards, and his studio was featured in a 2023 WIRED documentary.