The holiday season is officially upon us and that means it’s time for our annual AoM holiday gift guide. When we make our gift guides, we try to hunt down and share the kind of products an Art of Manliness Man would want to find under the Christmas tree: manly, useful, and classic. The sort of stuff you’d find in Grandpa’s house.
Use the guide to find the perfect Christmas gift for your father, husband, brother or friend, or print out the post, circle your favorites, and casually leave it where your loved one will find it. And of course you’ll want to send a copy to the man at the North Pole.
Also, make sure to check out our 2008 gift guide and 2009 gift guide for more ideas on manly presents to leave beneath the tree.
Now without further ado, we present the AoM holiday gift guide for 2010.
Frost River Canoe Bag
Handmade in Duluth, Minnesota by master craftsmen, Frost River Canoe Packs hearken back to the days when fur traders and frontiersmen navigated the lakes and rivers of the North Country in Minnesota and Wisconsin. These rugged bags are constructed with waxed canvas which ensures the gear you pack in them will stay dry no matter the weather conditions. If you already have a backpack, check out Frost River’s offerings in tents, luggage, and day packs.
British Army Knife
Made of stainless steel in Sheffield, England, the British Army Knife comes with a 2-1/4″ straight, sheepsfoot style blade, a can opener, and Marlinspike for rope work. Just the thing you need when you’re out sailing the seven seas (or your local lake).
Post Office Box Door Bank
Are you ready to upgrade your childhood piggy bank to something manlier? Store your change in style with these distinguished looking Post Office Box Door Banks. These handsome wooden banks are handmade from salvaged post office box doors from the 1880s through the 1940s. Each bank is a unique piece made by an Etsy craftsman, so if you see one you like, you better snap it up.
Soap on a Rope
Soap-on-a-rope has gotten bad rap. Once a staple Christmas gift for men, it’s become the butt of jokes. For example, Bill Cosby once said, “Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.” But I think soap-on-a-rope deserves a second chance. It’s just an amazingly convenient gift, especially for the man who showers away from home. Plus, the soaps that are attached to ropes tend to be the manly smelling kind. Like English Leather. Just like Grandpa uses.
Timex Field Watch
Military field watches are all the rage among heritage menswear junkies. They’re supposed to look like the field watches issued to soldiers during the first half of the 20th century. Timex has taken advantage of this fad by issuing J.Crew “military” watches that sell for $150 . But here’s the thing. Timex makes a very similar field watch for just $25. It just doesn’t have the fancy pants J.Crew label attached to it. If you’re looking for a simple, yet handsome-looking watch, but can’t bear the thought of having your wife fork over $150 for it, consider the Timex Camper or Timex Expedition. Both are under $30, and they tell time just like the $150 version.
Saddleback Bag
My whole family pitched in and bought my dad a Saddleback briefcase for Christmas last year. His reaction: “Best Christmas present ever.” The guy was bowled over with delight. And it’s the gift that keeps on giving-he enjoys using it every day and gets compliments on it everywhere he goes. Of course, every Christmas from here on out will be a bit anticlimactic for him, but I guess that’s an okay problem to have.
Eager to get your hands on one of these babies? Well you’re in luck because we’re giving one away this week!
Amazon Kindle
This is what I’m personally hoping Santa leaves under the tree for me this year. I’m an avid reader of both books and online publications, and the thought of being able to hold a whole library in the palm of my hand has me downright giddy with excitement. Sure, there’s something to be said for the tactile pleasures of a real book, and I’ll keep on adding very special volumes to my collection, but there’s also something to be said for being able to access and read thousands of books anywhere you go. What book will I download first if I am so lucky as to receive one of these for Christmas? Why, Colonel Roosevelt, Edmund Morris’ final entry in his trilogy about my manly hero of course!
And what I said in the intro about these gift selections being the kind of thing you’d find at Grandpa’s house still holds true here; my 95 year-old Gramps is getting one of these for Christmas too. He loves the large print option.
Fire Hose Log Carrier
If you’re a man who loves to make and sit by a roaring blaze in the fireplace, or in other words, if you’re a man, you need a nice carrier to bring in the loads of logs needed to keep your fire roaring. Consider this one from the Duluth Trading Co. It’s made with tough “fire hose” canvas and reinforced leather handles. And it’s nice and big, so bark and other debris don’t get trailed into your house.
Man’s Face Stuff Mustache Wax
Are you holding onto the cookie duster you grew during Movember? Perhaps you need something to style it and keep it from becoming too unruly. Try the mustache waxes from Man’s Face Stuff. As if mustache wax wasn’t manly enough in and of itself, these waxes come with scents like pipe tobacco and coffee (the “all-nighter”) and gin and tonic.
Col. Littleton No. 9 Journal
Every man should keep a journal. If you’ve had trouble getting into this manly habit, perhaps what you need is a journal so handsome and inviting it’s hard not to write in it. Enter the Col. Littleton No. 9 Journal. Wrapped up in rugged steer hide, this baby will have you putting pen to paper in no time. Perfect as a travelogue for all your manly adventures.
Mark Twain’s Autobiography, Vol. 1
100 years after his death, America’s most beloved humorist and writer has finally released his autobiography. Mark Twain started his autobiography back in 1904 but requested it not be published until a century after his death. This is the first of three volumes that will be published. The New York Times said this book is the “Dad Gift” this Christmas. The publisher, not anticipating such high demand for it, has been scrambling to print more copies.
Pendleton Blanket
Pendleton Woolen Mills has been making high-quality woolen garments in Oregon since 1889. In addition to their famous shirts, Pendleton produces some of the finest wool blankets on the market. They have a series of designs inspired by Navajo Indian blankets. The one above reminds me of the blanket my grandpa kept draped over the seat in his old Ford pick-up truck. These blankets are a bit pricey, but they’ll provide a lifetime of warmth and comfort. Great for cuddling up to your gal by a cozy fire.
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails
Classic cocktails are making a comeback. If you’re looking to find recipes beyond even old standards like The Sidecar and the Tom Collins, check out this book by Ted Haigh. Haigh has dug up a variety of unique, forgotten recipes from the heyday of mixology and regales the reader with the stories and history surrounding each drink. Perfect for the home bartender looking to serve his guests interesting drinks and fascinating anecdotes.
Dynamite Fire Starters
Atop Wiley Coyote’s Christmas list, these fire starters are shaped like sticks of dynamite and come packed in a rugged cedar chest. Whoever makes a comment about fire starters constituting cheating gets a punch to the side of the head-this is a gift that’s simply fun to give and fun to receive. Go with it.
Bike EXIF Motorcycle Calendar
One of the blogs I regularly follow is Bike EXIF. Every week Chris Hunter posts photos of amazing motorcycles. The guy’s got a real eye for design, and he’s used that talent in putting together this must-have calendar for bike riders and lovers. It’s a first–a classy motorcycle calendar that focuses on the bikes themselves as opposed to the bikini-clad chicks straddling them. The pics will still make you drool though.
Cedar Shoe Tree
If you want to get a lifetime’s use out of your shoes, get a set of cedar shoe trees. When used regularly, they’ll maintain the shape of your shoes and absorb any moisture in them after a day’s use. And the cedar will help eliminate any smelly odors emanating from your dew beaters. The set above comes from the famous shoemaker, Allen Edmonds.
Kettlebell
Want to become strong like bull? Then you need a set of kettlebells. They’re perfect for the man who’s going to be looking to lose some lbs once the holiday eating fest is over and the new year is rung in. But the most fun part of giving the kettlebell as a gift? Watching your friend trying to lift his present off the floor.
Snow and Nealy Axe
Snow and Nealy has been making axes and mauls since the War Between the States (1864 to be exact). The axe heads are forged with fine grained steel and hand worked to give you superior cutting ability. The Snow and Nealy Axe pictured above is actually the same axe used by designer axe company Best Made Axe Co. But instead of costing $350 (yes, seriously $350) like they do at Best Made Axe Co, you can get it for $75 buying directly from Snow and Nealy. You just don’t get the painted handle. Or the hipster cred. Which is not such a bad thing.
Handmade Pipe
The perfect gift for the pipe smoking connoisseur in your life. A gentleman by the name of Andy Henderson makes these beautiful handcrafted smoking pipes in his barn in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Mr. Henderson has an interesting story. Pipe making isn’t his full-time job; rather, he makes these handsome pipes in his spare time. His day job is running programs for adults with special needs, which according to Mr. Henderson “is more fun than most folks imagine and good for the heart as well.” A talented craftsman and a man with a big heart! Support this upstanding gentleman by purchasing a pipe from him this Christmas.
Art of Manliness Swag
Art of Manliness Posters
Need something to hang up in your garage, office, or man room? How about one of our new awesomely manly Art of Manliness posters? We have two designs to choose from and both will inspire you to be a better man:
Click here to view larger image
Theodore Roosevelt “Man in the Arena”
Click here to view larger image
Art of Manliness T-Shirt
Set of Calling Cards
Calling cards are the kind of thing you always think about getting for yourself but somehow never get around to it. So why not ask for them for Christmas? We have plenty of designs to choose from. You might also want to check out our Ralph Waldo Emerson Thank You Cards. You’ll need something to send to the person who gave you the calling cards!
Art of Manliness Book
Know a man who loves reading the Art of Manliness blog every day? Put the Art of Manliness book in his stocking. We published this bad boy last year, and it quickly became a bestseller on Amazon.com. It’s full of some of the best articles from the site along with content you’ll only find in the book. Everybody needs something enjoyable to read through while they relax on Christmas Day.
Note: The book is out of stock right now on Amazon.com but our publisher assures us it will be back in stock very soon and will ship before Christmas.
What are you hoping to get for Christmas? Do you have any other manly gift ideas? Share them with us in the comments!
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{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
I like how you recommend the $30 watch over the $150 version, and then immediately recommend a bag that goes for several hundred dollars. I understand it though, as I own a saddleback wallet and it is absolutely worth paying 5 times what I would normally spend on a wallet.
I laughed aloud at that last kettlebell remark. Splendid. A good list.
It’s because you saved $120 on the watch that you can now afford the Saddleback briefcase!
This is a fine list and one that I’ll use–and hope my wife uses! I might also recommend a copy of my new manly book, “Bootleggers, Lobstermen & Lumberjacks: 50 of the Grittiest Moments in the History of Hardscrabble New England.”
Well, I suppose it’s time to forward this page to all friends and family? Ha!
awesome ideas!
now if i could just find something for my girlfriend…
Glad to see Col. Littleton made the list. I stumbled on to his web site about a month or so ago, and he has a good selection of manly things all hand made in the great state of Tennessee.
Great gift ideas! I’ve especially wanted a Saddleback briefcase for quite some time now. When is the give away?!
I’m hoping to get a nice zoom lens for my DSLR camera to be able to take some awesome pictures on my honeymoon! Just got engaged this month!
I asked Santa for a Leatherman Wave. :)
Brett, you’re giving away a Saddleback this week? How? Where? How do I sign up?
Good call on the axe. No reason any of those hipsters need a colorful axe anyway…except, of course to appear more manly…which I thought was the whole point behind the facial hair, flannel, and rugged boots…which I don’t find convincing anyway…especially when spotted in NYC.
How do we enter the Saddleback back giveaway? It would be the PERFECT gift for my husband!!!
Oops! *bag
My Dad bought me the dynamite fire starters for my birthday last month. Even though I don’t need them (of course!), they make a great display next to the fireplace.
One of the greatest “what it means to be a man movie” would also make a fantastic gift. In fact, it should be one of those items that is annually considered: Cinderella Man.
On another note, being man enough to stand against the commercialism and funneling funds towards something like buying livestock via the World Vision catalog (doesn’t have to be a religious organization specifically).
The Art of Maniless book is sold out. I actually find that comforting as long as I believe its also being read. Anyone else with me!?
I didn’t know I wanted the British Army knife…. until now, sweet. I’ve got suggestion for a manly book as well. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. It’s the story of the whaleship Essex. Great read.
I think a supplemental budget gift guide might be appreciated. Great list, though! I just bought the Kindle version of the AOM book. Can’t wait to dig in.
Love the “If” poster – but there’s a typo. It should read “breathe,” not “breath.”
Strange but I’ve seen the British Army knife long before anyone called it that. Still a nice thign to have when sailing.
Also, The Mark Twain autobiography is volume 1. I’ve been waiting for this gem ever since I watched a PBS show about Twain. Actually, Twain did write 25 “chapter”of his Autobiography long before this book( and his death). In this autobiography you will be able to read his true thoughts which I will not quote here.
The Art of Manliness book is actually not sold out. If you search on Amazon, there are new books sold through Amazon (with free shipping if you have Amazon Prime) as well as 15 new copies sold through other sellers and 9 used copies available. I just received my copy a few weeks ago, and strongly recommend it to any and every male I know.
That Saddleback bag in the picture is the one I’ve always liked, but could never afford.
Realistically, some tools to begin amateur woodworking with
I’d like to put in a vote for the Timex Expedition as a good watch. Before burglars ransacked my house and made off with it, I used to have one. My job took me to places in the world where wandering around with a £350 watch was culturally insensitive and I used to swap for the Expedition. It was rugged, accurate and reliable. It was also easy to alter when in a different time zone. For £25, it’s a great buy and your article has just reminded me I’d like another one to replace the stolen article. Oh, wait… it’s nearly Christmas.
BTW, you picked out some great stuff that had me drooling. Pity about the cost to get it shipped to the UK. Oh well, I can dream.
I’m so conflicted about buying a kindle. I really love having books, and live just a few blocks from Powells bookstore in Portland, OR. I kind of want the kindle when I travel, but I don’t want to not buy books. I wish publishers gave codes for digital downloads for books like film companies give their customers for buying blu-rays.
Well Chaps, the joking I’ve always heard about soap-on-a-rope would not be of the clean sort that Bill Cosby might tell. And that said, soap-on-a-rope would be a splendid gag gift with which to shame anyone on your list who is boorish and immature enough to oppose gays serving in the military. (and now those of you who didn’t know what sort of joke I was referring to, may get the inference.)
The Timex Expedition shown above is not great quality but looks good. I’ve had two and they’ve lasted about a year. The straps break off a lot and they tend to have mechanical problems. My friend has the Timex from J Crew and you can tell that it’s of better quality and should last a long time.
You could have just linked to my “guys gifts” post directly, it would have been easier, haha!
Great stuff though, the bank box, twain book and the kettle bells are my favorites. Might need to add them to my list.
http://memphistravler.blogspot.com/
@ Johnny Darko – Brilliant idea to request a list for your dame from AoM. I am very curious what that list would look like. The Saddleback Breifcase item on the lady’s list? Burbbery trench, definitely.
As the wife of a manly man, I’d enjoy any one of these gifts for myself – in fact, many of them are on my list or in my house already :)
As long as I can listen to Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v93PJ_qhV3M — I’ll be happy.
But if you’re offering, I’ll take the Kindle, the cocktail book, and the saddleback bag. : )
Happy holidays,
Ryan
Excellent gift guide! I have knocked out all the men on my gift list from items on the guide from this year and 2009, 2008 guides. If you have not checked the old guides out you should. Thanks AoM.
great ideas, especially because the men in my life are notoriously difficult to shop for!
As a long time fan of military style watches, I am enjoying their comeback in certain fashion circles. I would like to share one of my favorite inexpensive but absolutely wonderful finds, the Seiko 5 SNK803/5/7/9 (trailing number denotes tan/green/blue/black.) They have classic military styling, a Seiko automatic movement (no battery or winding) with a view window on the case bottom, and can be had for less than $100!
Regarding the Kindle, Amazon insists on using their own ebook format, rather than the general standard of .epub files. It seems they intend to succeed in their obstinance by virtue of being, well….Amazon. Every other ebook reader uses a different format than the Kindle, which suggests that eventually Kindle owners will be left with thousands of books that can only work on one device and are not portable to the reader you’ll buy in another 3 years. Meanwhile, my paperbacks are still readable (as are the books in pdf and epub formats, on literally any other ebook reader.)
it’s a comments thread, so i’m sure to be corrected in some aspect, but that’s my two cents re:kindle.
Great guide. If I may nitpick, I feel that it would be more convenient if the items were listed in order from least to most expensive.
A pair of REAL ViseGrip pliers-made in Nebrasksa. Probably only available, if your lucky, at garage and estate sales, maybe pawn shops.
@ Dylan-maybe get a Nook from your Barnes and Noble. We looked for a couple of months and Kindle and Nook and the decision came down to two factors
1 OUR local library listed Kindle and Nook as two readers that their software would load to.
2 I could walk into the local B&N and get answers about a Nook if I had problems, not try to get somebody online and send messages back and forth to deal with an issue.
Bought the Nook.
The Pendleton blanket is an heirloom gift that is worth every penny. Just got a Nook for my birthday, and I recommend an E-reader for anyone who has been buying a new bookshelf every year. Debating whether I will have room for the hard copy of the new volume of Mark Twain or putting it on the Nook. Hope my wife takes note of the kettlebells.
I’ve broken three or four Timex “Military” watches while in the military. Whatever their reputation might have been, they won’t take a licking any more. From the movement stopping when they get knocked around to the bezel falling off, they haven’t held up. I’ve probably spent enough on $35 Timexes to buy the J Crew Timex.
I can attest to the quality of Timex Expedition watches. I bought mine from Target a few years ago for around $30. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on it (brown leather strap, silver frame, dark gray face) and it doesn’t show a single scratch after years of continuous wear. I haven’t even had to replace the battery yet.
It may not exactly be heirloom quality as far as watches go, but it’s good-looking, functional, and affordable.
Great list!! But why pay $64 at Amazon for the British Army Knife when you can find the same Three Bladed BA Knife with Marlinspike at Garrett Wade for $34. And considering GWs 100% money back guarantee, it’s a stress free purchase. Check it out at http://www.garrettwade.com/british-army-navy-knives/p/58B01.01/
You missed a book that should be on the list. Ian Tyson released his autobiography, The Long Trail: My Life in the West, and it has turned out to be a fabulous book. I picked it up at my local bookstore, sat down at the coffee shop and kept reading until I was done. I bought four copies as gifts.
I have a kindle myself and I will tell you there is no loss of experience between reading it and a real book. Amazon designed it so you can loose yourself in it just like a real book. It is a great gift and now that they have dropped the price so much it is an even better one.
I just received a Kobo e-reader today. LOVE it. I still have to put it back in its box and wrap it for under the tree, but dammit it’s cool.
Brett + Kate
Love the list, (MT autobio has been requested) but you need to make one edit ASAP.
Please point people to a quality kettlebell. The J-fits Amazon sells are the very lowest quality. Anything else would be better. In addition, they aren’t that much cheaper than quality bells available elsewhere. For a moderately priced, but still solid quality bell point folks to the MuscleDriver Grey series, while very top quality (and top dollar) bells are made by DragonDoor and Lifeline USA. The J-fit handles are simply terrible.
I enjoy the site greatly,
Marc
Usually men are so difficult to find gifts for especially when we want to go beyond the common shirts and other simple stuffs. Our pick actually will still depend on the hobby or interest of our recipient. I am giving a gift to a friend who loves camping so the army knife would be a great idea.
My father loves Swiss knives of different styles and makes. He finds it to be very useful and even brings it with him almost everytime he goes out. Think I’ll give him something new this time. A timex watch maybe or a keepsake box.