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.
ToolilaToolila makes premium 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles that pair intricate artwork with a serious challenge, including vividly illustrated cat scenes and optical designs such as The Wave Challenge. Its puzzles use thick, precision-cut pieces with matte, high-resolution printing, and each purchase is covered by a one-year missing-parts guarantee that replaces an incomplete puzzle with the same design.18TH ST, NY
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