About Us and Our Process

Our heirloom quality wooden jigsaw puzzles are handmade with the highest quality 1/4 inch plywood. These hardwood plywoods are constructed with 5 plies assembled in 90 degree angles to maximize strength. We have recently been using special plywood that is custom made to our specifications by a company in North Carolina. The plywood is specially designed for wooden jigsaw puzzles and is made with four plies of Italian Poplar and a back ply of either Mahogany or Cherry.

Puzzle images are mounted to the plywood with professional dry mounting equipment utilizing special adhesive, then treated with a UV (ultraviolet) finish for appearance and image protection.

Puzzles pieces are then cut (freehand) using the finest imported scroll saw blades. These blades are 0.007” wide, which allow for smooth cuts and a tight fit. No two puzzles are the same, as all pieces are individually cut utilizing various cutting styles. Cutting styles can include traditional knobs, earlets/heart-shapes, spirals, continuous cuts, long arms, grid. Most customers prefer a mix of styles.

One important element that really makes our puzzles unique is the inclusion of what we call “figurals”. Instead of standard style puzzle pieces, figurals are special shapes, names, dates, etc. These are chosen by the customer and usually have some meaning to them and/or relate to the puzzle image. See below for some figural sets from recent puzzles.

Additionally, we can incorporate various unique cutting styles to add difficulty and interest to your puzzle. Examples include color-line cuts, disguised edges, trick edges, sculpted edges and dropouts.

Finally, the backs of the puzzles are sanded and hand finished with Tung oil to protect the wood and bring out the natural color and grain. The puzzle is then disassembled and every piece is carefully examined and hand sanded. The pieces are then packaged in a sturdy 2-piece box, lined with tissue paper. In the tradition of the original puzzle-cutters of the late 1800s and early 1900s, puzzle images are not included in or on the box. This adds to the challenge and excitement of assembly.

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