CustomMade gets a puzzle!!

I had the good fortune to have a chat with our own Jim Ayer of J.C. Ayer & Co. Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles.  Jim makes some of the most intricate, durable, professional, and most importantly custom jigsaw puzzles around.

One of Jim's puzzles, based on "Landscape" by American painter Leon Kroll. Check out other projects by J C Ayer & Company Hardwood Jigsaw Puzzles on their CustomMade.com portfolio.

Though Jim has made countless puzzles based on famous artwork and photography, a big angle of his business is creating one-of-a-kind puzzles using artwork or photos that his clients send him.

Jim’s love for puzzles started with his grandfather, who would rent cardboard puzzles from their local library and piece them together with him.  In the 70′s Jim had a cousin who had a growing collection of wooden puzzles, and then decided he would like to own some of his own.  However, since wooden puzzles in the 70′s and earlier were all cut meticulously by hand, they were too expensive to buy and collect.  This drove Jim to find a better and less expensive way to create these great wooden puzzles.  More on Jim’s history, and
the start of his business in the blogs to follow!

Chris and Cassie try to piece together some edge pieces. See more puzzles by J C Ayer & Company on their CustomMade.com portfolio.

For now, I’ll get to the point.  Jim decided before we even spoke that the best way for us to get a grasp on his business and how his puzzles are unique, would be to send me one and have me piece it together! Yesterday, I got a package in the mail, and in a neat blue box was the most solidly built, and cleanly cut puzzle I have ever come across!  Because of the method Jim uses, the pieces have some very tight cuts and intricate shapes.  Some pieces themselves have custom cuts in the shape of assorted animals, and even famous cartoon characters!

Now, if you are left wondering “But how does Jim make his puzzles?? and how did he start??” you’ll have to just stay tuned for our update on how the CustomMade staff is doing with piecing this puzzle together.  If you are wondering “what does your puzzle depict??” I can only let out a chuckle, and inform you that we don’t know either!  I will update everyone with our progress gradually.

In the meantime, leave us some feedback!!
Have you pieced together a custom made puzzle, or had your image put onto a puzzle?
Have you MADE a puzzle yourself?
What wood/method did you use?
Do you have a guess as to Jim’s methods?

Leave us a comment and let us know! A special thank you to Jim from the CustomMade.com family for the gorgeous puzzle.  It has become an office hit!