Since 1932, PAR Puzzles has been hand-cutting one-of-a-kind wooden jigsaw puzzles in its New York studio, often designing custom puzzles from customers’ photographs or favorite artwork. John and Justin Madden now carry forward the distinctive style developed by founders John Henriques and Frank Ware, including hand-drawn silhouette pieces that date to the 1930s and 1950s. Every puzzle arrives in a pictureless box and includes a “par time,” turning the finished image into both a surprise and a challenge.
Le PuzzAlistair Matthews and Michael Hunter, two friends with a fondness for vintage puzzles and odd humor, created Le Puzz to make whimsically illustrated jigsaw puzzles with a more playful feel. The company’s signature random-cut pieces are all uniquely shaped, and its 500-piece puzzles use extra-thick stock developed with its manufacturer. Le Puzz uses FSC-approved paper, limits plastic in its packaging, and pledges 1% of annual profits to environmental causes.
Tucker-Jones House, IncFounded in 1975, family-owned Tucker-Jones House makes the handcrafted Tavern Puzzle Collection, mechanical metal puzzles forged and assembled in the USA. Dennis Sucilsky, a museum-trained traditional blacksmith known for 18th- and 19th-century architectural hardware, began producing the puzzles in 1980 from centuries-old designs as well as his own originals.SETAUKET, NY
Sherwood Forest DesignFor 25 years, artist Soli Pierce has made hand-painted, hand-turned heirloom wooden bowls one by one in her studio on a quiet one-lane road. Sherwood Forest Design began as a young mother’s way to combine art, home and time with her son, and its bowls are now shipped around the world for everyday meals and shared gatherings.CORTLANDT MANOR, NY
IntrismFounded in 2015, Intrism designs and makes build-it-yourself 3D wooden marble maze puzzles at its small production facility in Columbus, Ohio. Its laser-cut plywood kits are meant to be assembled without glue or tools, then played as challenging mazes and displayed as finished sculptural pieces. Intrism handles design, sourcing, manufacturing and marketing in-house, and says its products are made in the USA with carbon emissions offset for every puzzle.PLAIN CITY, OH