Every family has one. Ask him what he wants and he says “nothing,” and he means it. He buys his own gadgets the day they come out, and anything he needs is already in his cart. So stop trying to find a thing he lacks. The gifts that land with this guy fall into four groups: a better version of something he uses every day, something he’ll use up, an experience, or something that was made only for him.
Some links go to Amazon or other stores. The playing cards marked “Gent Supply Co.” are made by our sister company, so we are a little biased about those.
Upgrade something he uses every day
He owns a wallet, a pen and a coffee mug. He probably hasn’t replaced them in years. A noticeably better version of an everyday object is the safest bet on this list.
A full-grain leather card wallet
Most men carry a wallet that’s too thick and falling apart at the seams. A slim, hand-stitched card holder in full-grain leather forces a clean-out and gets better looking every year.
Browse leather card walletsA machined metal pen
A solid brass or titanium bolt-action pen has some weight in the hand and takes standard refills, so it will outlast every freebie pen in his drawer. Engrave his initials and it’s his for good.
Browse metal pensA temperature-control smart mug
For the man who makes coffee at 7 and finds it cold at 9. A heated mug holds his drink at the temperature he sets. He would never buy one for himself, and he’ll use it every morning.
Browse smart mugsA really good pair of slippers
Shearling-lined moccasins with a hard sole so he can walk out to get the mail. It sounds dull until he puts them on. Few gifts get used as often.
Browse shearling slippersGive him something he’ll use up
The man who has everything also has no room for more stuff. Things that get eaten, poured or burned don’t add to the clutter, and he can enjoy them without feeling guilty about where to put them.
A hot sauce or barbecue rub sampler
Small-batch sauces and rubs from makers he’s never heard of. He gets to try a dozen things and keep buying the one he likes.
Browse hot sauce setsSingle-origin coffee from a few roasters
A sampler from small roasters, or three months of a coffee subscription. Every bag that arrives is another reminder that you thought of him.
Browse coffee samplersA bottle one step above his usual
Find out what he drinks and buy the bottle the same distillery makes for special occasions. If he’s a whiskey man, our whiskey gift guide has the glasses and ice to go with it.
A wood, leather or tobacco scented candle
Skip the vanilla. A candle that smells like a cedar closet, an old library or a campfire suits a den or office, and it gets used up by spring.
Browse men’s candlesGive him an experience
He can buy anything he wants. He’s less likely to book an afternoon for himself. A good experience costs about the same as a gadget and gets talked about for years.
A class he’d never sign up for himself
Knife making, blacksmithing, butchery, fly fishing or a pasta class. Pick something hands-on where he walks out with something he made. Book two spots and go with him.
A track day or driving experience
For the car guy who has every detailing product made: a few laps in something fast, with an instructor in the passenger seat. Many race tracks sell gift vouchers for this.
Tickets, with the evening planned
Two tickets to a game, a show or a comedy club, plus the dinner reservation beforehand. The planning is the gift. He only has to show up.
Something made only for him
Nobody else can buy him these, which is the point.
A star map or city map of a night that mattered
The sky over the place he got married, or a street map of the town where he grew up, printed and framed. It costs little and gets hung on the wall.
Browse custom star mapsOld family photos, scanned and printed as a book
Borrow the shoebox of prints from his mother, have them scanned, and turn the best ones into a hardcover book. It takes some work, and that’s why it means so much.
For the card table
A well-designed deck is one thing almost no man buys for himself, and it comes out every time friends sit down at the table.
Gents of Fortune Playing Cards: Black Flag Edition
Dark, gentlemanly and made for a table with a bottle on it. An easy add-on to any gift on this list.
See the deck
Mythical Creatures Playing Cards: Black, Silver & Gold
Dragons, griffins and krakens in metallic ink. It’s the deck people pick up and look at between hands.
Check price on AmazonHosting the game too? See our poker night gift guide, or browse the full Gent Supply Co. deck collection.