There are actually puzzles backed with cork!

RoseArt has cork-backed puzzles in their Kodak puzzle line. This is my first experience with a cork-backed puzzle and I was intrigued!

In this article I’ll review the features and benefits of Cork puzzles.

Kodak Jigsaw Puzzles Images & Themes

Image Quality and Resolution

Inside The Gardener’s Shed is a beautiful image with rich colors and vibrant detail.

Kodak Cork Jigsaw Puzzle Theme Variety and Originality

There are approximately a dozen jigsaw puzzles in the cork-backed line. You’ll also find themes like:

• Americana
• Botanical & Floral
• Landscapes
• Wildlife

Just The Deets For Cork Puzzles by Kodak

Puzzles Sizes and Piece Count Breakdown

RoseArt offers their Kodak line of cork puzzles in piece counts of 1000.

Jigsaw Puzzle Materials and Cut Style

Cut Style

The Cork jigsaw puzzles are grid cut which means the pieces are cut in a more systematic grid pattern. The pieces typically have straight edges and pieces will meet at all four corners.

Material

The Kodak cork puzzles are backed with cork harvested from responsibly managed forests. The cork is peeled from the Oak tree every nine years. The cork grows back and can be harvested again. This makes cork a very eco friendly material!

The cork pieces are on the higher end of the thickness scale at 2mm (.08 inches).

Benefits of Doing Jigsaw Puzzles

There are so many benefits to doing jigsaw puzzles. They’re great for keeping your brain sharp. I use them for concentration, manual dexterity, and hand-eye coordination.

In addition to those skills, they help teach pattern recognition, shape sorting, color recognition, problem solving, and even patience.

Does Jen Recommend Kodak Cork Jigsaw Puzzles?

I want to, I really do. But…

When I first opened this puzzle it had a very strong mildew smell. I contacted Rose Art via Instagram to ask if it was normal for the cork puzzle to have that odor. They replied that it wasn’t and that if I contacted customer service via the info on the box they would replace it. They also suggested just airing it out.

I contacted customer service, but never got a response. I returned the puzzle to the place of purchase and got a second one in case the smell was an anomaly. The new puzzle smelled just as bad.

I spread the puzzle out on a cookie sheet and put it outside in the sun over several days, turning the pieces over to make sure they were all aired out. It took a little over 10 days for the odor to dissipate. Thankfully the smell never came back, even after storing it in a closed box for several weeks.

Once I was able to start working on the puzzle I noticed that cork makes for a very crumbly puzzle backing. None of the pieces ever lost their backing in total, but my table was covered in flaked off cork bits.

The cork backing made the pieces much more pliable than regular puzzle pieces and had a soft feel to them. While in the box, some of the pieces began to bend in the middle a bit, but once together the puzzle itself remained flat.

So, the upshot is this. I loved this image so much I dealt with contacting customer service, returning it, airing it out, etc. Had it been any other image I would have returned the puzzle and never looked back.

I have read other reviews from people who have done cork puzzles and enjoyed the process, the feel, and didn’t have any issues with a mildew odor.

If you are into trying out new mediums in jigsaw puzzling, go for it.

I really wanted to love this puzzle! But I did not and wouldn’t buy another cork puzzle. I didn’t care for the texture, the feel, nor the crumbling bits it left behind.

If you’re interested in the traditional RoseArt line of puzzles you can read my review here.

RoseArt is also known as Cra-Z-Art which also has puzzles under the Kodak brand. Confusing, but they are all one.

Check out all the puzzles under the RoseArt, Cra-Z-Art, and Kodak label on Amazon by clicking below.

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