Nautilus Choices at March 2022 11
I've wanted to try some of these for a while, but have held back so far because they are significantly more expensive than Wentworth, particularly when you add in postage and import duty. When I worked out how much the adorable 350pc shaped bunny jigsaw would be it came down to a value choice between it and a 1000pc Wentworth. I put together this collage to help me make up my mind and perhaps bring me up to the mark.
Reviews of Nautilus on the Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles Club facebook group indicate it is not a top ranking brand with their American members, though still popular. Criticisms are based around piece thinness and slightly loose fit, lack of cut complexity and choice of images. Personally I find plenty of their images very nice, but I worry more about dark laser-lines spoiling pale images - which has influenced my selections above.
Post Script: 've not ordered from an ebay seller yet but have managed to get St Patrick second-hand from another facebook member in the UK. If it's OK I'll order Bunnies & Neptune's Horses.
Top Left: Nautilus 609pc Detroit Industry Mural Diego Rivera 28x11in, 'Level 3 Victorian cut' - $180 on their website. The jigsaw has a great industrial themed whimsy set. I have just done the 1000pc cardboard version by Pomegranate of part of this mural and longed for a panoramic version of the whole wall or even the whole panel. I still have hopes of commissioning a hand-cut of this image, and to be frank $180 would go a long way towards it, so it probably wouldn't be on my first Nautilus order.
PS Jul22 - A review and fantastic details of this jigsaw on this website:
www.reddit.com/r/Jigsawpuzzles/comments/vc9dcl/just_a_bre...
Top Centre: Nautilus 368pc St Patrick by Jim Fitzpatrick, 15.5x11in, 'Level3 Victorian cut', $100. This jigsaw has a great set of celtic & swirly whimsies. I have a cardboard 500p jigsaw by Purrfect by this artist 'Diarmuid & Grainne'. Tailten/Purrfect were an Irish jigsaw & games manufacturer. I think their business suffered as a result of the financial collapse in the decade 2010.
PS Jul22 - This was the first I bought & assembled, as it came up second hand.
Top Right: Nautilus 404pc Neptune's Horses by Walter Crane, 19.5x9in, 'Level 3 Victorian cut', $100. A favourite very prolific 19th Century illustrator of children's books, Walter Crane painted this large easel piece for an exhibition at London's New Gallery in 1893. This was one of my earliest choices from Nautilus's range and a strong contender for my first order. Other artists have used this idea since - I have a cardboard jigsaw of something similar by fantasy artist Jim Warren.
PS - This was on my first and only order to date.
Middle Left: Nautilus 506pc Wildflower Tapestry by Bambi Papais, 19x14in 'Level 3 Victorian cut', $150. A beautiful floral carpet with very recognisable flowers and busy enough to ensure that any dark laser-cutting lines don't overwhelm the finished jigsaw. Another early choice from Nautilus.
Middle Right: Nautilus 601pc Yellowstone National Park by Larry Eifert, 23x14in 'Level 3 Modern cut', $170. Originally painted as an educational mural in the visitor centre at Yellowstone. In the foreground of this wooden jigsaw puzzle, you can see the flora and fauna of Yellowstone, including the bears, birds and bobcats whilst in the background are some of Yellowstone's most famous attractions - a herd of bison and the Grand Prismatic Spring. I wonder what the 'modern whimsy cut' is like.
Lower Left: Nautilus 441pc Autumn In Japan by Hiroo Isono, 15x11in 'Level 3 Victorian cut', $120. I was attracted to this image by the beautiful colours and the delicate, graceful dots making up the foliage. I have seen Japan in cherry blossom time and would like to see it in autumn leaf-fall - Aki, Kouyou & Kito. Japanese maple trees are associated with the peace and serenity of the world's elements. They represent balance and practicality and are also called "Kito" in Japanese which means "calm," "rest" or "at peace."
Lower Centre: Nautilus 350pc Winter Buddies by Abraham Hunter, 15x11in 'Level 3 Modern cut', $90. It was seeing this lovely jigsaw on facebook & ebay which prompted me to look at Nautilus again. I love the edge detail, the naturalistic image and colouring and the fact that the dark lines of the cut don't appear to spoil the image.
PS - This was on my first and only order to date. I'm looking forward to seeing how dark the lines are against the pale background.
Lower Right: Nautilus 425pc The Drying Sails by Andre Derain, 11x14in, 'Level 3 Modern cut', $95. The Drying Sails was one of the paintings by Andre Derain exhibited at the Autumn Salon of 1905 in Paris and became the standard of a new art movement called Fauvism. It shows a seascape of the port town of Collioure on the Mediterranean. The image is beautiful and photos of assembled portions show that the cut lines are not too dark - always a worry in light images.
Nautilus Choices at March 2022 11
I've wanted to try some of these for a while, but have held back so far because they are significantly more expensive than Wentworth, particularly when you add in postage and import duty. When I worked out how much the adorable 350pc shaped bunny jigsaw would be it came down to a value choice between it and a 1000pc Wentworth. I put together this collage to help me make up my mind and perhaps bring me up to the mark.
Reviews of Nautilus on the Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles Club facebook group indicate it is not a top ranking brand with their American members, though still popular. Criticisms are based around piece thinness and slightly loose fit, lack of cut complexity and choice of images. Personally I find plenty of their images very nice, but I worry more about dark laser-lines spoiling pale images - which has influenced my selections above.
Post Script: 've not ordered from an ebay seller yet but have managed to get St Patrick second-hand from another facebook member in the UK. If it's OK I'll order Bunnies & Neptune's Horses.
Top Left: Nautilus 609pc Detroit Industry Mural Diego Rivera 28x11in, 'Level 3 Victorian cut' - $180 on their website. The jigsaw has a great industrial themed whimsy set. I have just done the 1000pc cardboard version by Pomegranate of part of this mural and longed for a panoramic version of the whole wall or even the whole panel. I still have hopes of commissioning a hand-cut of this image, and to be frank $180 would go a long way towards it, so it probably wouldn't be on my first Nautilus order.
PS Jul22 - A review and fantastic details of this jigsaw on this website:
www.reddit.com/r/Jigsawpuzzles/comments/vc9dcl/just_a_bre...
Top Centre: Nautilus 368pc St Patrick by Jim Fitzpatrick, 15.5x11in, 'Level3 Victorian cut', $100. This jigsaw has a great set of celtic & swirly whimsies. I have a cardboard 500p jigsaw by Purrfect by this artist 'Diarmuid & Grainne'. Tailten/Purrfect were an Irish jigsaw & games manufacturer. I think their business suffered as a result of the financial collapse in the decade 2010.
PS Jul22 - This was the first I bought & assembled, as it came up second hand.
Top Right: Nautilus 404pc Neptune's Horses by Walter Crane, 19.5x9in, 'Level 3 Victorian cut', $100. A favourite very prolific 19th Century illustrator of children's books, Walter Crane painted this large easel piece for an exhibition at London's New Gallery in 1893. This was one of my earliest choices from Nautilus's range and a strong contender for my first order. Other artists have used this idea since - I have a cardboard jigsaw of something similar by fantasy artist Jim Warren.
PS - This was on my first and only order to date.
Middle Left: Nautilus 506pc Wildflower Tapestry by Bambi Papais, 19x14in 'Level 3 Victorian cut', $150. A beautiful floral carpet with very recognisable flowers and busy enough to ensure that any dark laser-cutting lines don't overwhelm the finished jigsaw. Another early choice from Nautilus.
Middle Right: Nautilus 601pc Yellowstone National Park by Larry Eifert, 23x14in 'Level 3 Modern cut', $170. Originally painted as an educational mural in the visitor centre at Yellowstone. In the foreground of this wooden jigsaw puzzle, you can see the flora and fauna of Yellowstone, including the bears, birds and bobcats whilst in the background are some of Yellowstone's most famous attractions - a herd of bison and the Grand Prismatic Spring. I wonder what the 'modern whimsy cut' is like.
Lower Left: Nautilus 441pc Autumn In Japan by Hiroo Isono, 15x11in 'Level 3 Victorian cut', $120. I was attracted to this image by the beautiful colours and the delicate, graceful dots making up the foliage. I have seen Japan in cherry blossom time and would like to see it in autumn leaf-fall - Aki, Kouyou & Kito. Japanese maple trees are associated with the peace and serenity of the world's elements. They represent balance and practicality and are also called "Kito" in Japanese which means "calm," "rest" or "at peace."
Lower Centre: Nautilus 350pc Winter Buddies by Abraham Hunter, 15x11in 'Level 3 Modern cut', $90. It was seeing this lovely jigsaw on facebook & ebay which prompted me to look at Nautilus again. I love the edge detail, the naturalistic image and colouring and the fact that the dark lines of the cut don't appear to spoil the image.
PS - This was on my first and only order to date. I'm looking forward to seeing how dark the lines are against the pale background.
Lower Right: Nautilus 425pc The Drying Sails by Andre Derain, 11x14in, 'Level 3 Modern cut', $95. The Drying Sails was one of the paintings by Andre Derain exhibited at the Autumn Salon of 1905 in Paris and became the standard of a new art movement called Fauvism. It shows a seascape of the port town of Collioure on the Mediterranean. The image is beautiful and photos of assembled portions show that the cut lines are not too dark - always a worry in light images.