Useful gifts for electricians or cyclists?

November 9, 2008 9:14 PM

GiftFilter - I need two gifts: one for a ex-professional cyclist/graphic designer and another for an electrician.

I need two gifts for two very different people.

1) A work acquaintance that helped me out big time. He's an ex-professional cyclist and currently owns his graphic design business. I've only known him for a few months and only hung out with him professionally - so I'm at a loss at what to get him.

2) My ex, an electrician who helped me out by fixing a wiring problem that left half my house without power. He refused to let me pay him for the work. We haven't hung out for long time so I don't know exactly what he's into now.

I'd like gifts that are useful and/or unique, but can't seem find anything..

I'm looking at spending between $100-180 for each gift.

Help me HiveMind!

posted by wilde to grab bag (9 comments total)

Ex-cyclist/designer guy basically describes a cross of me with my dad. Ignoring the thought of what that would actually produce, the first thing I thought of was a cool bike light, such as what you would find here or here.

A word of caution is probably in order in that I see him being very picky about his gear/gadgets because they're being actively used. Other than a light, some other sort of useful, functional gadget would be good. Just don't get it from Sharper Image.
posted by niles at 9:38 PM on November 9, 2008

Or, if he's not married (or has a tolerating wife), get him this.
posted by niles at 9:40 PM on November 9, 2008

it's not quite as high as your range, but maybe as part of a gift pack, i'd suggest a nice photography book of bicycles. i have bicycle: around the world, which i would recommend (it's small). i've also seen bicycles locked to poles, which i quite liked. While I was looking, I saw a couple of other nice looking ones: here and here.

i'm stupidly pratical sometimes, so i would suggest getting the eletrician friend something to do with food. restaurant voucher for somewhere nice? gift certificate to a favourite deli or fancy foodstuffs store? everbody's got to eat, so something like this is never wasted - nor does it put any burden of displaying/wearing/caring for on the receiver.
posted by tamarack at 9:47 PM on November 9, 2008

Maybe a Leatherman for the electrician? They're really nice tools. This one in particular is pretty great.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 9:52 PM on November 9, 2008

Amplifying on Nile's comment, don't try to get them something cycling or
electricity oriented: you're just not qualified.

Get them something that you know about. Take them out to dinner or lunch
at the best restaurant you personally know about. Get them a nice shirt
(well, for the electrician. The graphic designer guy might have strong
preferences that way). Cook them a nice meal. Get them a bottle of wine
that you like. Make up a sampler basket of things to eat that you personally
know are delicious.
posted by the Real Dan at 10:16 PM on November 9, 2008

below your price point, but *awesome* for electricians: the 98002-BT klein bottle opener. (klein is a very popular maker of hand tools for electricians)

klein now also makes a set of bbq tools with the typical klein screwdriver handles on them , and a thermos that looks like a big klein handle.

actually, collectively, they end up in your price point although collectively it's kind of a lot of cute in one gift. maybe something nice for him and then the bottle opener too?
posted by rmd1023 at 5:20 AM on November 10, 2008

If you want to get something cycling oriented. Try a gift made from recycled bike parts.

Resource Revival
posted by whoda at 5:45 AM on November 10, 2008

How about a super lightweight repair stand for #1 and badass flashlight for #2
posted by swizzlepants at 11:26 AM on November 10, 2008

Graphic designers love random cool shit with inspiring visuals... I bet if you found an independent bookstore and paged through some foreign stuff you could find something suitably awesome. Cool images are always a source for new ideas.
posted by muscat at 1:01 PM on November 10, 2008