Image Employees of the Ravensburger puzzle factory in Germany inspecting a die-cutting tool, which makes a jigsaw puzzle from a solid cardboard image.Credit...Roderick Aichinger for The New York ...

Soon, puzzles expanded their reach beyond learning ... Then I mount it on cardboard and die cut it, package it, and then ship it." They've been privy to moments both poignant … and puzzling.

Traditionally, jigsaw puzzles have been made by using, wait for it, a jigsaw—though it’s also called a scroll saw. If you’ve never seen one, a scroll saw has a fine, straight blade that’s ...