Gifts for Dad: Top Picks

A quick hobby map for this collection. For the whiskey, beer, cigar, golf, or fishing lover: Whiskey/Scotch/Bourbon Lovers, Beer Lovers, Trap Your Beer Bottle, Cigar Nub, Cigar Lovers, Golf Fanatic, or Fisherman's Dilemma. For the mechanic, woodworker, or hands-on dad: Auto Mechanic's Challenge, Woodworkers Challenge, or our Tournament Cribbage Board. For the engineer or math-and-logic dad: Safecracker 50, Safecracker 40, Calibron 12, Dodecagon Dilemma, or Most Perfect Square 64. For the strategy or card-game dad: Pegs and Jokers, Nine Men's Morris, Travel Checkers, or the Original Penny Drop. For the gift-card or money-hider: Secret Stash Cherry, Cash Out, Firebird, Dragon, or the Stargazer Extra Large. For the Stewart Coffin fan or hard-puzzle collector: Martin's Menace, Cracked Egg, Outback, or Five Fit Large. If none of these is clearly right, email puzzles@creativecrafthouse.com with your dad's interests and we will pick from our full catalog.

Most pieces ship from our Hudson, Florida workshop within one business day. Personalized engraved orders ship within two business days. If you need it by a specific date, choose an expedited shipping option at checkout, or message us at puzzles@creativecrafthouse.com before ordering and we will confirm what is possible.

Most personalizable pieces accept up to 45 characters: names, dates, short messages, business logos, or sayings. Engraving location depends on the product. Penny Drop is on the sliding or lift-top lid. The themed picture-frame puzzles (Beer Lovers, Whiskey/Scotch/Bourbon Lovers, Cigar Lovers, Golf Fanatic, Auto Mechanic's Challenge, Woodworkers) is on the wood frame border. Puzzle boxes (Secret Stash, Firebird, Stargazer, Dragon, Cash Out) is on the top panel. Tournament Cribbage Board is along the top edge. Each product page shows the exact engraving area. Engraving is laser-cut into the wood and is permanent.

It depends on the piece. Most of what is here comes out of our family workshop. Dave Janelle designed Penny Drop (we trademarked the name), Safecracker 50, and Dodecagon Dilemma. We also reproduce and produce designs from people we partner with. Bob Nolet designed Secret Stash and the Secret Lock Box II family. The Stewart Coffin pieces (Martin's Menace, Cracked Egg, Outback, Five Fit Large) are faithful reproductions made with Stewart Coffin's permission. Calibron 12 is Theodore Edison's 1933 design, reproduced from the original. The Stomachion goes back to Archimedes around 287 BC. Each individual product page names the actual designer of that specific puzzle.

Difficulty in this collection runs from easy coffee-table piece through expert-only. Easy to intermediate: Cross Sticks, Travel Checkers, Get My Goat, Cracked Egg, Save Your Ass. Good evening challenge: Original Penny Drop, Tournament Cribbage, Nine Men's Morris, Pegs and Jokers, and the themed Whiskey, Beer, Cigar, Golf, Mechanic, and Woodworker puzzles. Hard to expert: Safecracker 50, Calibron 12, Dodecagon Dilemma, Most Perfect Square 64, Stewart Coffin pieces (Martin's Menace, Outback, Five Fit Large), and The Giant Puzzle. Every product page lists a difficulty rating. If your dad gets stuck, email puzzles@creativecrafthouse.com and we will help.

For Penny Drop and the Penny Drop family: pennies are NOT included (this is the most-asked question). For every other game in this collection: yes, everything you need to play is in the box, plus printed instructions and a rules sheet. Specifically, Tournament Cribbage Board ships with regulation pegs. Nine Men's Morris ships with the playing pieces and a wood cover. Travel Checkers ships with the checkers and a wood cover. Pegs and Jokers ships with two decks of playing cards, pegs for four players, and the board folds in half for safe storage and travel. Each product page lists exactly what is in the box.

Yes. Every puzzle in this collection ships with the solution sheet inside, except Martin's Menace (Stewart Coffin's #217, where the whole point is to solve it yourself). The games also ship with printed instructions and rules. If your dad gets stuck at any point, email puzzles@creativecrafthouse.com and we will send whatever help he needs.

Yes. Full terms are in our shipping and return policies linked in the footer. The short version is this: standard (non-engraved) pieces can be returned if unused, and personalized or engraved pieces are made to order so we handle those case-by-case (we replace or refund any manufacturing defect without question). Returns and account questions go to sales@creativecrafthouse.com. Deb on our team handles them.

We do not offer formal gift wrap, but every puzzle ships in clean packaging suitable for direct gifting. Add a short message in the order notes during checkout and we will tuck a printed card into the package at no charge.