Holiday Shopping Guide: 10 Gifts for Dad

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed)
Dec 2nd 2010 at 2:02PM

Dads are especially hard to shop for because they always seem to have everything they need and heaven knows they hate getting useless keepsakes and knickknacks. But that's not to say fathers don't appreciate the finer things in life, or getting something with some sentiment behind it, so show your dad how much you care this holiday season by spoiling him (just a little) with a gift that he'll love and use but would probably never have gotten around to buying for himself. Here are our top gift picks for dad -- all beautifully functional, fun, and top of the line.

Vulcain 50s Presidents' Alarm Watch, $8,350-$23,000
The Vulcain 50s President's Alarm Watch is great for any guy really but seems especially suited to dad or grandpa due to its nostalgic 1950s styling and interesting historical story: Vulcain has been gifting one to each new President since Eisenhower. Features include a casing of steel, yellow gold, or red gold and their famous Cricket movement (automatic).

Woven Leather Desk Accessories, $923
For dads that spend a lot of time at the office consider giving their work environment a style upgrade with this set of woven leather desk accessories. Rich brown leather is universally appealing and the woven accents give the set luxurious texture and visual interest. Pick and choose the most useful pieces or get the whole set, which includes an oval pen cup, letter rack, document tray, and woven desk pad ($110-$300 each).

Baxter "Not a Replica" Cut Throat Razor, $325
Loosely inspired by firearms and custom designed by Baxter of California the blade of this old-school razor is hand made in the USA of Hart Steel and has one of the sharpest and most long-lasting edges possible. The case is made from a very specific piece of horsehide leather and takes six months to make.

Montegrappa Writing Set, £2,999
Premium writing instruments are always a great gift idea, for men or women, because they're both useful and indulgent. This Montegrappa set from Harrods includes one ballpoint and one fountain pen each made of richly colored resin with 18kt red gold fittings, 146 brilliant cut diamonds totaling 0.65 carats, and a single 0.0085ct violet oval cut sapphire. Also included are a pen case, calfskin leather pen pouch, certificate of authenticity, and 2 extra pen cartridges.

Tom Cecil Hip Flask, £300
Carrying a flask is a style statement in and of itself but give the gift of a sharp, modern upgrade with this angular Tom Cecil version. Hand made by welding flat sections of stainless steel together each flask is also hand-stamped with its design and serial number and can be personalized with initials upon request (watch for a brass-plated version early next year).

Cuffhim.com Personalized Signature Cufflinks, $900-$4,800
Most men prefer not to wear a lot of jewelry so for those who suit-up on a regular basis cufflinks not only serve a necessary purpose but also express personal style. There are countless cufflinks out there to fit every style, hobby, and personality type but I like these personalized ones for Christmas since they're based on your (or your Dad's, in this case) actual signature -- so no two are ever the same.

Crocodile Treasure Box, $275
Perfect for stashing small valuables like cufflinks, watches, and precious gems this little box it's also perfect for going from dresser-top to travel bag. The glazed crocodile exterior (with traditional leather interior) gives it a luxuriously exotic feeling while the color options leave plenty of room for personalization (and at just 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1" it's a perfect stocking stuffer).

Genco Berk Humidor

Genco Berk DeLight Humidor, $4,400
Genco Berk takes his cigars seriously and when he couldn't find a humidor he liked he designed his own. Inspired by ancient Chinese coins the center square represents Earth and the round exterior Heaven, which are tied together by Berk's philosophy that cigars are "an earthy product, which for cigar lovers can create heavenly pleasures." The DeLight humidor comes personalized with the owner's name and its edition number (limited to 300).

Inventory Scented Candle

Inventory Item 012: Scented Candle, $45
Although they rarely pursue it most men will admit they like spaces and places that smell nice. Produced in Brooklyn, NY this Inventory Items 012 candle was launched this fall and smells of fig, sunwashed oak, and amber -- nice manly scents in attractive, masculine packaging that's perfect for gifting and will be immediately at home in any man's office or library space.

David Yurman Chevron Money Clip, $425
Money clips are the epitome of money-carrying minimalism and efficiency and this David Yurman design is both stylish and smart -- the chevron pattern adds visual interest and tactile texture that makes for a non-slip grip. And it's perfectly sized for hiding in the toe of a stocking.

Tags: gifts for Dad, gifts for men, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, holiday shopping, holiday shopping guide, holiday shopping season

Filed under: Holiday Guides, Men's Style

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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)

jbhellier Dec 3rd 2010 12:17PM

I agree with the comments: these gift ideas help nobody! The person who wrote this for AOL should be "reassigned".

Diana Dec 3rd 2010 12:20PM

Seems that AOL really needs to get in touch with the real world. You do yourself no favors by relating only to the elite.

Todd Dec 3rd 2010 1:15PM

I'm a dad... none of this stuff appeals to me. Typical stupid AOL "news" article.

doreen Dec 3rd 2010 12:28PM

ONLY IN AMERICA ... ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE IMPRESSED JUST BECAUSE IT,S EXPENSIVE,,,,DUH

megan Dec 3rd 2010 12:43PM

How about gifts that are affordable and not hundred and thousands of dollars? And you can forget the $45 candle. Never ever ever would I spend that much on a ball of wax.

Jenny Derfler Dec 3rd 2010 12:48PM

Yeah!! Something besides a tie and books. But I don't think my dad needs any of this stuff. In fact, he's very hard to find stuff for.

twilight_sux Dec 3rd 2010 1:05PM

This stuff is junk! My dad wouldn't want any of this usless crap! Here are some REAL ideas:
-clothes or shoes (believe it or not, some men actually do enjoy receiving things they can wear! try a nice jacket)
-watch (a watch is a good idea, but make it reasonable! it doesn't have to be $8000!)
-seasons tickets for a favorite sports team (if you don't mind spending that kind of money) or tickets for one game where he'll have really good seats
-sports memorabilia (a jersey from his favorite player makes a nice gift for the sports-inclined dad)
-alarm radio (the one i bought last year was about $150, he loved it. make it special by either buying him or burning him a cd with his favorite songs)
-chair (one year I bought a really nice computer chair for my dad's study, one of those cushioned swivel chairs. he uses that EVERY day!)
-books (only if he likes to read of course! i have a cousin who loves to read so books are a great gift for him)
-gift cards to a favorite restauraunt (this makes a good gift to give mom and dad together, or if its just for dad, you can get cards for sports bars and such)
-knife set or nice set of cookware (some dad's like to cook (i have a cousin who does) and these make a really nice gift for the chef)
The bottom line: you can get dad a nice gifts for dad without spending $10,000. Make it something he'll use. I don't know one dad who would want a candle for Christmas. Remember, match the gift to the person (i.e. don't buy books for a dad who doesn't care for reading, or sports memorabilia for a guy who couldn't care less about sports). I hope these suggestions help!

mikmccagg Dec 3rd 2010 1:54PM

I am a dad and would not want a single thing on this list and can't think of any of the fathers in my rather large circle of friends who would want this crap.

My guess? AOL sold advertising to the companies whose products are mentioned in the above article.