Four for Father’s Day
Tony Sculimbrene 05.29.14
Buying stuff for Father’s Day is hard. This guy, in most cases, is the most important man in your life. But if you are an adult, you have already used up your “gimme gifts” and home made collages of your youth.
We here at AllOutdoor would love to help.
Skip the novelty grill tool set and the electric shaver. Your Dad probably has a few grill sets and is at the point where he has his shaving ritual down to a science. Instead, get him something different, something nice, something that will fit his personality. Having done the gadget review thing for a while, I have doled out suggestions for years. In doing so, I have found that there are four things I keep recommending. Here are four that I have found make very good gifts, based on personality:
Fix it Dad
Signs: You know this Dad. He is a constant tinkerer. The toaster doesn’t work, but he won’t let you throw it away. Instead, he brings it downstairs to his workshop and a month later, at random, he has it working again. It’s like a miracle, but now the toast doesn’t just gently bob above the rim of the toaster, it shoots out, denting the underside of the kitchen cabinet above.
What to Buy: Leatherman PS4 Squirt
There are a lot of a keychain multitools out there, and the Gerber Dime is probably a smidge better when it comes to tool complement, but the Squirt’s quality is much better. Fix it Dad will be so thrilled to have the mini pliers and the drivers. He’ll also appreciate the small, but functional chisel-ground blade. With the edition of the Squirt to his keychain, there won’t be a single loose doorknob in his entire house. Oh, and it will take you 27 minutes to get him out the door.
Office Dad
Signs: You have never seen him go to work in anything close to jeans (which he refers to as “dungarees”). He has more than fives suits because, well, it doesn’t feel right eating out on Saturday night unless he has a tie on. Finally, when he is forced by circumstances to don–oh my god–shorts, his pasty white legs seem to be squinting from exposure to the sun for the first time in 23 years.
What to Buy: Spyderco Chaparral in CF
The over the top pocket clip is both discrete and has a perfect amount of tension to work with slacks. The Chaparral’s blade is small and non-threatening enough that Dad can pull it out at work and not send people running. The thumb hole is super easy to use,even for a non-knife person. The appearance of the knife, thanks to Sal Glesser’s riverstone-like refinements, is classy and understated. Finally, its slim profile and amazing steel make both easy to carry and easy to use.
Pack Rat Dad
Signs: He asked for a filing cabinet for Christmas one year. His wallet is so stuffed with material that it now refuses to fold, being the wallet equivalent of an open-face sandwich. And if you need to know how much that cooler was that he bought in 1987 from Zayres, he still has the receipt–probably in his wallet, along with 17 partially filled Subway Sub Club cards.
What to Buy: Big Skinny Wallet
This is an intervention type present, like when you buy a bike for a chubby person. You are sending Dad a message and maybe he will not pick up on it. I bought my dad a Big Skinny as a form of intervention, and the result was a hamburger sized Big Skinny Wallet. He missed the point, but at least we tried. I have no fear, however, that the strain will kill the Big Skinny, as the sail material used in its construction is incredibly strong and durable despite how thin it is.
The non-slip interior is quite nice as well, cementing bills and cards in place. They even make versions with ID windows so Pack Rat Dad can flash his tome sized wallet “Book ’em Dano” style at the cashier. If you really want to send Dad a wallet intervention, perhaps on the scale of the Biggest Loser, look at a few wallets from Bellroy. They are even smaller. My favorite, which may institutionalize Pack Rat Dad, is the Note Sleeve.
Dad Emeritus
Signs: Duh, this is an easy one–he is a grandpa. You might not recognize him though, because instead of saying things like: “How many times do I have to tell you: do not play with the power windows?” or “My god you are not old enough for a machete,” (no matter how many times you asked), he now says things to your son like “Play with that power window as much as you want,” or “If you want to use that machete to chop on trees in our yard, please your safety glasses!”
What to Buy: GEC Huckleberry Boys Knife
Not only with the nostalgia take him back, but the fit and finish will blow him away. Even the retro name and packaging will be a treat. This is a great item for a grandpa to have, too. The blade is not so big as to be scary, but thanks to the 1095 steel, it can hold an edge and cut well. The bottle opener/driver will help with the maddeningly complex toy packages that the Dad Emeritus will inevitably buy for your son or daughter. Finally, the handle scales (covers) and nickel bolster will let the knife live in his pocket peacefully.
Each one of these gifts, if given to the right personality, can be real winners. And a few of them come out of the package like a million bucks, especially the GEC knife. Be prepared for looks of scorn from your siblings though, as they give your Dad his fourth novelty grill tool set. And who knows, maybe one of these gems will come your way if you are a Dad.
Happy Father’s Day.
