Chris Danner, who grew up in Berkeley with a love for puzzles, has taken over Elms Puzzles, a handmade wooden puzzle company founded in Maine in 1987. Danner made a bid for the company in 2022 upon learning of its impending closure. Under Danner’s ownership, Elms specializes in unique wooden puzzles, each cut freehand by artisans. The high cost of these puzzles, often over $1,000, has led to a rental program starting at $72 per month, alongside purchase options for devoted fans.
"Puzzles made by Elms, which can cost more than $1,000 each, are handmade and cut by artisans using a scroll saw. The artisans do not use a template or markers as they work, but cut each puzzle freehand, guided only by whimsy."
"It's easy to say that every single one of our puzzles is a hundred percent unique, he said, but it's true to say that every single piece that we have ever produced is also a hundred percent unique."
"Due to the cost of each puzzle, the company started a rental program some 30 years ago, which currently starts at $72 per month. But some Elms devotees opt to buy these little works of art."
Collection
[
|
...
]