Christmas Gift Ideas for Men, men’s stuff part eighteen

“Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope."
-Bill Cosby

If you’re a woman and starting to face unease as to what you’re going to get your husband for Christmas, you’re in luck, this post is aimed at you.

Every year I speak to at least one friend who is frantically looking for last minutes gifts for her husband. The reasons for this is are: One, men usually don’t open up about what we want, and Two- men and women really do think differently.

So here are seven y chromosome gift ideas that I hope will be helpful-

Gift Idea Number 1: Scotch and Cigars- These can’t be beat as stocking stuffers or individually wrapped presents.

Scotch- There is a large variety of single malt Scotches you can purchase from $50 on up to several hundred dollars. There are also small bottle sampler box sets that you can break up and put into his stocking. (They’re similar to the small bottles they serve on airplanes.)

Cigars- Make sure the cigar is in a tube. Otherwise it will grow stale before he can smoke it on Christmas. Cigar accessories also make good gifts- compact leather travel cases, cigar cutters, small humidors, crystal ashtrays, etc. The key here is to avoid large sized humidors or similarly over the top merchandise. A small item is preferable as he can easily fit that into any area of his office or bedside table. (Oh and don’t forget to pack some wooden matches for him to light up with.)

If you already know his favorite cigars, you can purchase presentation boxes usually for about $200 to $300.

Gift Idea Number 2: DVDs- Buy him a DVD of his favorite movie or television program. Note that I said his favorite movie or television program, no chick flicks. If that means Chuck Norris, then that means Chuck Norris. Christmas is not the time to try to help him grow.

Gift Idea Number 3: A basic Hamilton Field Watch- Admittedly this can be a tricky item, but most men like watches, and I believe most men would welcome a field watch as an addition to their collection. And what better field watch than the original? Hamilton has recently lowered their prices on these basic watches and they can be purchased for as low as about $100 for a quartz movement model, to about $300 for a mechanical version.

Gift Idea Number 4: A Personalized Needlepoint Belt- It’s like being given permission to wear red socks with a black suit. Just make sure you match up the belt pattern to match his hobbies or interests. (Warning, a sense of humor is essential for this gift to work.)

Gift Idea Number 5: A basic clothing item like a white cable-knit sweater- Not much to elaborate here. We’re talking about a basic clothing item most men have had in their wardrobe at some point in time. If this specific item doesn’t meet the bill, think of some other basic clothing item he loves that needs replacement with an exact like item. For example say his favorite navy blue Lacoste shirt is becoming frayed, or he has an old pair of topsiders that are falling apart. I think you get the idea. Just make sure it's the exact same size and brand.

Gift Idea Number 6: Wet Shaving gear- Now this idea is risky. If he is a confirmed electric shaver man, or an analytic engineer type, forget about this one. However if he is the type that likes a little elegance in his life, or likes traditional stuff; this gift may take. To find out more about this, visit my post, “On Wet Shaving.”

Gift Idea Number 7: A Swiss Army Knife- Even if he already has one, trust me, he can always use another one. I have one in my desk, and one in each car. I also have one with a corkscrew in my travel shaving kit. That way I can always open a bottle of wine while on the road.

Finally, if all else fails, get him some soap on a rope. He will get the message and this will guarantee that he will be more forthcoming with his Christmas list next year.

John P.