In this dark but classic riddle, "Who makes it has no need of it" – what is the object that its maker does not personally use?

Introduction / Context:
This is a well known riddle that uses a somewhat morbid but thought provoking image. The line "Who makes it has no need of it" implies that the craftsman who creates the item will, in normal circumstances, never personally use that item for its intended purpose. It recognises a separation between the maker and the eventual user. The object in question is strongly associated with death and burial, which is why the riddle feels a little dark but very memorable in puzzle collections.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The riddle is about an object that is made for others, not for the maker.
• The maker "has no need of it", suggesting they do not need it for themselves.
• The options are A coffin, A bridge, A wedding ring, and A house key.
• We assume the riddle is speaking in general terms, not about rare exceptions.
• The item is something that is typically used after the user can no longer actively choose or act.

Concept / Approach:
A coffin is a box used to bury a dead person. Coffin makers are carpenters or craftspeople who construct coffins for others, usually as part of their job. While everyone eventually dies, the way the riddle is phrased focuses on the idea that the coffin maker does not make a coffin to use personally; they make coffins for customers, and they will never "need" the coffin they are currently making. When they themselves eventually die, someone else would typically make or provide that coffin. In contrast, makers of bridges, rings, or keys often can and do use the items they create.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine a coffin. It is made by a carpenter or undertaker and is used to hold a dead person during burial. Step 2: Note that the maker actively sells or provides coffins to others; the person inside is always someone else. Step 3: Realise that the coffin maker does not need a coffin while they are alive, and the riddle highlights this normal separation between maker and user. Step 4: Consider a bridge. Engineers and builders who construct a bridge may later drive on it or walk across it, so they do have a possible need for the bridge. Step 5: Consider a wedding ring. A jeweller might design a ring and then keep or wear it personally, so the maker can easily become a user. Step 6: Consider a house key. A locksmith or key maker may cut keys that they later use for their own doors, so there is no strong separation between maker and user. Step 7: Conclude that the coffin is the item whose maker typically does not personally need the specific object they create.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can rephrase the riddle: "What kind of item is consistently made only for others?" In funeral and burial practices, coffins are products bought by or for families of the deceased. The craftsperson may make hundreds of coffins during a lifetime but never lies in any of those specific coffins. Even though they might one day be buried in a coffin, it will almost certainly be one provided by someone else, not one they were making at the time. Bridges, rings, and keys, on the other hand, are often used by their creators and do not have this same strong one-way relationship.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Bridge builders often cross their own bridges; in fact, they may be the first ones to test them. Jewellers can make and then wear their own rings, and many do. Key makers may cut keys for their own homes or offices. These items do not fit the phrase "has no need of it" because the maker may have exactly the same need for them as anyone else. The coffin stands out as special because it is constructed for the dead, and by definition the maker is alive while making it and cannot personally use it at that time.

Common Pitfalls:
Some solvers are uncomfortable thinking about death and may avoid the idea of a coffin, searching for more neutral objects. Others may misinterpret the riddle as referring to something that nobody ever needs, which is not the case. The key to solving it is to accept that the puzzle uses death as a topic and to focus strictly on the relationship between the maker and the user. When you do so, the coffin emerges as the most logical and traditional answer.

Final Answer:
The object that is made by someone who has no need of it themselves is a Coffin.