Men, what would set your hearts aflutter?

June 10, 2008 3:30 AM

What is the male equivalent of jewelry?

My boyfriend is making a big sacrifice for me, my job, & our relationship and I would like to give him something durable, valuable and sentimental to express my thanks. In a similar situation years ago he gave me earrings and a necklace, and I still treasure them and when I wear them I think how sweet it was that he gave me that jewelry to express his thanks. I want the exact same thing for him, but not in the form of earrings and a necklace.

A watch might be the obvious choice, but he has a decent one and doesn't wear it now that he has a cell phone on him all the time. We've talked about fancy watches, and he doesn't really seem interested. He's not the kind of man who wears jewelry, so I can't get him a ring or necklace or something. He recently got himself a new wallet, so that's out.

I know there are a kagillion "gift" questions on AskMe but I didn't find this one answered.

Bonus points for links to an actual item for sale!

posted by n'muakolo to shopping (67 comments total)

a really nice belt?

some fantastic mark nason shoes?

a great cologne?

a lovely tie?

a fabulous old-fashioned shaving brush and razor? (this one is great in my experience, hubby still uses it years later)

OR, you could invest in some ultra sexy lingerie and every time YOU put it on he can get sentimental and nostalgic and...um...other things. :)

also, excellent slippers and a good robe is an idea that few men have for themselves already...
posted by citystalk at 3:33 AM on June 10, 2008

"What would set my heart aflutter" is very different from "what is the male equivalent of jewelry." What would set a man's heart aflutter, I think, is something closely tied to his interests/loves. I'm thinking a used copy of a hard-to-find book from his childhood, a mix CD made with elaborate packaging/artwork, or something to do with a hobby of his.
posted by jbickers at 3:44 AM on June 10, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

A nice jacket, either of the business-dress variety (find the existing one he looks best in, steal it from the closet, and have a tailor match the cut exactly), or an outerwear one, like a leather bomber jacket or fancy "authentic" jacket from his favorite sports team.

Either way that's about $300-500, very manly, and special/unique so that he would remember each time he wore it.
posted by rokusan at 3:54 AM on June 10, 2008

To wear on special occasions, I gave my husband gold cufflinks and tie clasp. I also had to buy a shirt with french cuffs because all of his had buttons.
posted by francesca too at 4:05 AM on June 10, 2008

Cufflinks, which are both inherently cool and will inspire him to buy some nice dress shirts.
posted by mkultra at 4:09 AM on June 10, 2008

My husband loves fancy pens, but that might just be him.
posted by mcroft at 4:14 AM on June 10, 2008

It might be a bit tacky or weird, depending on who the person is, but a really nice flask, perhaps with a message engraved on it, is nice. My friend got her fiance one and he loved it.
posted by gwenlister at 4:31 AM on June 10, 2008

A manly and not extravagant bracelet ? A ring ?

n ipod with a message engraved on it and song he likes/you like/both of you like ?

Also if he likes a particular sport, maybe you can find something he has always wanted : same putter Tiger Woods uses, a puck signed by some NHL star, season ticket for his favorite team...

I think that the question your gift should answer is "what has he always wanted and that he does not have ?".
posted by Baud at 4:41 AM on June 10, 2008

If you flick through a men's magazine (not meaning that as a euphemism for porn, by the way) you'll see that the ads are mostly for watches, cars, colognes & gadgets.

Since you said a watch is out, and a car is probably a bit over the top, I'm gonna suggest a cologne. If you try to pick a gadget you'll possibly run up against his personal opinion that the technology or brand or something was wrong, plus it'll probably become obsolete quickly.

With a cologne, even if it's something he wouldn't have picked for himself, he might get a kick out of wearing it because he assumes (probably correctly) that it's a fragrance that *you* find sexy.

That's been my experience, anyway.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:43 AM on June 10, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Err, my girlfriend bought me an Xbox 360 and I almost cried - heart was aflutter because I absolutely knew that she hated buying it for me but knew how much I'd love it (nerdy, I know....)
posted by eb98jdb at 4:49 AM on June 10, 2008 [7 favorites has favorites]

ps - plenty of fashion ads, too, but guys generally don't want to be dressed by their partners, i think. that one's a bit risky (you'd know best with your particular man).
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:49 AM on June 10, 2008

Speaking as a guy, I'm kind of with Jbickers. If a woman wanted to set my heart a flutter, she would buy me this. Of course I'm not your boyfriend and he's just as likely to look at this and say, "WTF?"

Something nice that involves something he's really into. Avoid anything that might be a passing fad or outdated quickly - electronics and anything that claims to be the new hotness for this or that hobby.

The leather jacket that Rokusan suggests is also good, but make sure you know his tastes really well.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 4:52 AM on June 10, 2008

I'm not sure that there is a male equivalent of jewelry - but that might be just me.

I'd second the idea of getting him something for one of his hobbies, or some really cool gadget.
posted by davetill at 5:04 AM on June 10, 2008

When someone gives me cuff links, it means that they haven't paid enough attention to notice that I never wear shirts with French cuffs. (Although I still appreciate the gesture!)

While I think wallets or watches would be best in this situation, they are obviously out for you. Maybe some nice dress shoes?
posted by grouse at 5:04 AM on June 10, 2008

How about a really nice leather backpack/laptop bag/briefcase?
posted by tomcooke at 5:04 AM on June 10, 2008

Seconding jbickers and Kid Charlemagne: some kind of tool or collection of tools would be wicked exciting to me. But then, I'm not your gentleman-friend. How would he feel about a totally sweet leatherman?
posted by Greg Nog at 5:17 AM on June 10, 2008

a nice wallet? I like eb98jdb's idea of a video game system, but I'd prefer a Wii.
posted by jrishel at 5:23 AM on June 10, 2008

This hopefully goes without saying, but obviously, try to make sure it's the kind of thing he'd like. While a leather jacket, fancy pen, or cologne may be good examples of the male equivalent of the earrings-and-necklace, he may not be into any of them - like, at all. There really isn't any direct analogy to jewelery except for cufflinks (which he probably doesn't wear) or a watch (which you've already considered, though there's a difference between "that watch I don't wear because I have a cell phone" and "that really beautiful watch my girlfriend bought me that I wear on formal occasions.")

A lot of the suggestions here are good starting points, but all of them are also the kinds of things that large segments - majorities, even - of the male population will find flatly uninteresting. So think about the kinds of things he stops to look at in stores, or pauses to actually look at ads for. And then think about what, in those categories, he actually needs. (Remember, Guy Things are rarely purely-decorative; they tend to be functional and fancy, like watches and jackets.) Maybe he's into furniture and would love a great new armchair to relax in. Or not.
posted by Tomorrowful at 5:35 AM on June 10, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

On afterthought, and thirding jbickers & Kid Charlemagne - something rare & personalised, related to a passion of his (eg sports team, favourite musician or writer) would be ideal.

The deal with your jewellery is that it isn't something that will end up in a garage sale for $5 in a few years time when it's out of fashion / outdated technology. It's there forever. See if you can come up with something similar. Personally (guy here) a hardcover first edition of one of my favourite books would totally do it for me. Or else something signed by the author.

A totally sweet leatherman could also be nice.

Both would be better!

Mmmm...and a nice old single malt scotch as icing on the cake.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:37 AM on June 10, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

There really is no male equivalent to jewelry. I mean, different guys are going to want different things I would be very happy if my girlfriend gave me a new tablet PC or a Canon powershot G9, but gadgets can be tough because different guys want different things. I wouldn't want an iPhone, for example.
posted by delmoi at 5:51 AM on June 10, 2008

A TELECASTER!
posted by mrmarley at 5:51 AM on June 10, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

A good pen.
posted by pompomtom at 6:10 AM on June 10, 2008

A bottle of single malt scotch and a first edition copy of a beloved author. If he's a book guy at all, you can find something perfect by digging around a bit on bookfinder.
posted by felix betachat at 6:13 AM on June 10, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Nthing "something to do with his favorite hobby." My guy is a sea kayaker, and I bought him a dry suit (~$800) so he could go kayaking in the winter. I don't know a damn thing about kayaking so I had to do a lot of research before I bought it. His heart was a-fluttering. Show a man you support his passion and he's yours.
posted by desjardins at 6:19 AM on June 10, 2008

In a similar situation years ago he gave me earrings and a necklace, and I still treasure them and when I wear them I think how sweet it was that he gave me that jewelry to express his thanks. I want the exact same thing for him, but not in the form of earrings and a necklace.

Ask yourself this question: Does he think and respond exactly as you do about these things? 'Cause if he doesn't then you're looking in the wrong place. What sort of things does he treasure?

My wife gave me flowers once, 'cause she loves it when I give her flowers. It makes her feel a certain way, so she wanted to the same for me. Sweet, but I was like "uh, flowers? Really?"

However, I fondly recall the cell phone she bought me one Christmas because it was something I had been eyeing and thinking of buying. That fact she had noticed that and got me something *I* was interested in spoke volumes and is still remembered even though the cell phone has given up the ghost.

What's he looking at or talking 'bout lately as really cool or is thinking he save up for? Try defining what he really likes in this thread and you'll probably get more concrete answers.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:21 AM on June 10, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Round here, a chainsaw or a rifle.
posted by unSane at 6:27 AM on June 10, 2008

My gf paints and does ceramics and I like the things she makes for me. There is no technology toy or tool that comes close to my enjoyment of the pictures she's done, which hang in my office.
posted by jet_silver at 6:32 AM on June 10, 2008

Men totally have jewelry -- it just isn't usually a necklace, bracelet, etc. Instead, it is a common object that has been translated into art. The previously-mentioned nice pens, for example, perform the same function as a 10-cent ballpoint, but are a pleasure to look at and touch; similarly, the kinds of beautiful knives linked in this AskMe, or a nice watch, are ordinary things turned into male jewelry. And there are a lot of these sorts of things available -- anywhere your guy uses an ordinary tool or item, there is probably an expensive and beautiful option available to serve as male jewelry. So if you can figure out what he uses a lot and cares about, you can then give him a beautiful "jewelry" version of that thing, be it knife, key ring, belt, pen, hammer, etc.
posted by Forktine at 6:48 AM on June 10, 2008

"If you try to pick a gadget you'll possibly run up against his personal opinion that the technology or brand or something was wrong, plus it'll probably become obsolete quickly."

Word. If it's a 'to treasure' present then anything finnicky or obsolete-y is a poor idea.

The equivalent of jewelry has to be something that lasts, I guess. So tech is out. Also out is super expensive whiskey, and maybe even cologne.

Hobby stuff does seem like a good bet.

A nice shaving kit (brush, brush stand, single-blade razor, fancy unguent) would be excellent for a grooming, ephemera-loving fella.
A nice fountain pen w/ nice notebook if he's that kinda fella.
A woodworking tool if he's that kinda fella.
A lovely 1st edition if he's that kinda fella.
A musical instrument if he's that kinda fella.
An excellent fedora or bowler if he's a suit-wearing, hat-loving fella.
...And so on.

I agree with the consensus here - the two main parts of giftjoy are-
1) This thing is awesome!
2) By buying me this particular awesome thing, it's obvious my lady really knows my passions and interests.

You want to find something that combines those two criteria with an extra 3) he'll use the think infrequently or frequently, but it'll last and he'll think about the importance of the thing & therefore the relationship every now and again.

Happy hunting!
posted by Cantdosleepy at 6:53 AM on June 10, 2008

There's "decent" watches, then there's really nice watches. I had all manner of sorta nice looking watches that ended up being not so great and I never wore them regularly. Then my father in law bought me a Tag Heuer as a wedding gift and I'm rarely without it.
posted by electroboy at 7:04 AM on June 10, 2008

...the kinds of beautiful knives linked in this AskMe...

I was going to point you in the same direction; a nice pocketknife is both pretty and functional, just about everyone can use one, and they can last a lifetime. Clothes wear out and go out of style, electronics break and are replaced by fancier models, spirits and cologne get used up.

There may be other suggestions depending on what his interests and day to day routine involve; for example, a briefcase would be good for many men, but I never carry one myself, even though I have a nice one I got as a gift some years ago.
posted by TedW at 7:04 AM on June 10, 2008

What price range are you thinking?
posted by electroboy at 7:06 AM on June 10, 2008

Not sure if this is up your alley, but I can almost guarantee it'd be up his. Find a good boudoir photographer and get some sexy pictures done. The more risque the better (without violating your own conscience). THIS is the male equivalent of jewelry.
posted by jluce50 at 7:14 AM on June 10, 2008

There are already a lot of very good gifts listed here, but because I have just found them, I thought I'd throw in that V.K. Nagrani makes luxury socks for men. My stepdad who's a corporate executive wears them and supposedly Obama does. However, it looks like most pairs are about $35 so that might be a little low for what you're thinking of.
posted by lhall at 7:22 AM on June 10, 2008

A good quality pocketknife. Something well crafted with a wood handle, suitable for lifelong ownership.
posted by Argyle at 7:24 AM on June 10, 2008

just beat me to it. A nice pocket knife with a wood or porcelain handle. I still treasure the Buck knife my dad got me as a kid. It looks like the day I received it as a gift, and it has served me well. Also a nice looking gun I would love from my wife.
posted by Amby72 at 7:42 AM on June 10, 2008

An antique firearm. Or other antique weapon from his era and location of interest. Weapons are the male equivalent of jewelry, and a lot of guys who aren't into private gun ownership will still drool over antiques.
posted by Martin E. at 7:46 AM on June 10, 2008

"Weapons are the male equivalent of jewelry"? I was giong to just disagree outright, but I guess if you dig into the symbolism there might be some meat to it. Still, I've got to think a gun isn't an appropriate gift for most men.

I really like the idea of a great pair of shoes... if they're well taken care of they'll last years and years, they're practical, and they're beautiful.
posted by cmyr at 8:07 AM on June 10, 2008

You don't really mention what he likes, so it's hard to predict what would set his heart aflutter. FWIW, for our wedding my husband's jewelry equivalent gift from me was a set of 4 pint glasses engraved with his initials, because he loves beer and he collects pint glasses.
posted by geeky at 8:50 AM on June 10, 2008

It really does depend on the kind of guy you have. Most of what was mentioned thus far would not do anything for me.

Not to be crass, but there is sex -- techniques, lingerie, etc. -- and if jewelry is a fairly universal heart-aflutter plus for women, then sex is a fairly universal heart-aflutter plus for men. It need not be sex directly, but could be something involving sexual attraction, i.e., lingerie, sexy photos, etc.

That may not be the way you feel comfortable going with this. If so, a few other things that come to mind are a very nice cell phone carrying case (a posh leather one), one of the very upscale bedside alarm clocks (the Buddhist chimes kind -- check earlier Ask Mefis for specific suggestions and links), anything from ThinkGeek if he's a total nerd, a nice piece of homeware for whatever room needs it, or something personalized to him that requires some effort (i.e., a bunch of family photos _professionally_ matted and framed).
posted by WCityMike at 8:50 AM on June 10, 2008

I got my ex an engraved pocket watch for an engagement present - he liked it quite a lot, and it's something that will last forever.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 9:01 AM on June 10, 2008

Pick something he'll have forever.

Good jewelry is special because it has a level of permanency.

Cool things with poor levels of permanency listed above include: Xbox360, technology, and the kayak dry suit. I'd *love* the dry suit and would be very impressed if I got one, I love technology, and I'd be pretty happy with an Xbox, but these gifts only last a few years.

Cool things that'll last forever: first edition hardbacks of books I love, top quality traditional tools (whether that's a wood planer or a martini shaker), the right musical instrument, or a well-chosen piece of real art (no Nagel prints, please).

The test is whether the item you're selecting can be passed down to future generations.
posted by lothar at 9:30 AM on June 10, 2008

How about memories of a fabulous trip, together with you or with his friends? Would he like to go hang-gliding? Sky-diving? Hot air ballooning?
posted by amtho at 9:37 AM on June 10, 2008

Great gifts come from focusing on the recipient - what do they want. It makes a person feel cherished to get a gift that reflects that level of thought and care. When I want to wow Mr. 26.2 (or anyone)with a gift I hit 3 categories -

Splurge on something he wouldn't buy for himself - This is the easiest category. It's doesn't have to be super expensive, just something he wouldn't purchase. For example, Mr 26.2 is getting a subscription to Sight&Sound magazine, even though it costs a bit to get it in sent to the USA. He's a huge film buff, but wouldn't never get himself a subscription.

Find the Holy Grail - Locate some item he's been hunting for but been unable to find. ex. Thanks to some Mefi help, I found an obscure but extremely sentimental European soccer jersey for him.

Replace the irreplaceable - A tough category, but a sure winner. Very few things are truly irreplaceable. ex. Mr 26.2 had his first marathon finishers medal engraved with his name and finish time. The engraver misspelled his name which really bugged Mr 26.2. I wrote to the race director and explained the problem. The race director sent me a replacement medal and I had it correctly engraved. Mr 26.2 put it on the bookcase next to his favorite chair.

None of these things are at all meaningful to me, but they are all important to Mr 26.2. That's why they are great gifts. None of these ideas are perfect for your boyfriend, but if you ponder the categories the right idea might pop into your head.

Good luck!
posted by 26.2 at 10:36 AM on June 10, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Does he have any trustworthy friends that you can ask about his secret material desires? If you can't say "honey what gizmo would you like", then ou can ask his best friend?
posted by lalochezia at 11:08 AM on June 10, 2008

Almost any woman can go through her jewelry box and explain the details (who/when/why) about each individual piece.

The male equivalent is whatever object(s) is similarly treasured. For me, it is a book collection that is worth almost no money at all. But I take great pride in knowing when I received each book, where I bought it (or who gave it to me), and why it has been chosen to inhabit a place on my bookshelf.

If your man is a sports nut, then get him the rookie card or signed jersey of his favorite player. If he's a car nut, get him a very nice pair of leather driving gloves. If all he talks about is travelling, then take him for a weekend to that getaway that, despite being a nice destination, is always overlooked for vacations because it is too close to home (yes, everyone has a place like this).
posted by wabashbdw at 12:10 PM on June 10, 2008

If the idea is something that he will frequently handle so as to be reminded... maybe a keychain? I never thought about my keys until I got a noteworthy keychain.
posted by muscat at 12:11 PM on June 10, 2008

Thanks for all the great responses. You've got me thinking....

Cantdosleepy helped me crystallize what I'm looking for - (1) awesome (obviously this depends on him largely); (2) permanent (I've given him lots of great experience gifts, or stuff that doesn't last ages, but I want this particular gift to be different; (3) it makes him think of me and my love for him.

As for his passions, in case this prompts any more ideas:
- listening to music (blues, jazz, Grateful Dead, Phish, Dylan, Johnny Cash, Velvet Underground, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams...)
- books (mainly non-fiction, I don't know what his favorite book is, if any)
- original art (I'd love to get him original art but it's hard for me to pick something he'd like & in my price range. I did this once and I don't think it was a huge hit. I love it though.)
-SCUBA (he has lots of gear already: wet suit, fins, hood, belt, gloves, good dive computer with watch, BC)
-his family
-travel (he has the basic gear for backpacking, doesn't like to be encumbered; he doesn't have any fancy luggage for business trips)
-constitutional liberties (he's a civil liberties lawyer)
-cooking (has lots of fancy gear including 1 great knife)
-eating out
-wine
-bourbon
-his friends
-hiking and camping (has basic gear).

I've been thinking about a Tag Heuer watch for a while now. May go that route bc he has expressed a bit of interest in a really nice watch. I'd love to replace his ugly leather jacket, but he loves that jacket. Checking out books on that BookFinder site. Have already bought him very nice wine, very nice bourbon (and accoutrements). He has a nice leatherman. I bought him nice cologne a while ago and he actually wears it occasionally which was a bit of a surprise. I also got him those great Cole Haan Nike Air dress shoes.

For a while now I've been thinking of trying to commission a small illustration involving some of his personal mythology, but it seems like that would be very expensive.

My price range is around $200 but I could go higher for something really special.
posted by n'muakolo at 12:53 PM on June 10, 2008

Regarding the mythology commission, why not put something up on Metafilter Jobs? It's for contract work, too.
posted by WCityMike at 1:16 PM on June 10, 2008

Also, after looking over his interests, I'm thinking re: the music, how about some fancypants Bose speakers? Or one of those headphones that does noise cancellation so that the surrounding environment is blocked out? Or re: some of those older bands (the Dead, Dylan, etc.), perhaps a rare or semirare bootleg? Re: the family, I'll stick with the really nicely matted picture frame ... you can incorporate a number of his favorite family photos into one picture frame, with matte cutouts for each photo. I'm probably not explaining it as well as I could, but it'd be really nice. Re: the civil liberties thing, there's a Bill of Rights on steel plates that he might enjoy -- can't remember who did it but I'm sure it was linked on BoingBoing. Re: hiking and camping, Hammacher Schlemmer is extremely high-end hiking/camping stuff for the nouveau riche -- might want to check there if you're looking for something exotic relating to camping.
posted by WCityMike at 1:20 PM on June 10, 2008

Linkage: Bose, Bose noice-cancelling headphones, Dylan bootlegs, metal Bill of Rights (only $4), Hammacher Schlemmer.
posted by WCityMike at 1:25 PM on June 10, 2008

And this (warning: big-ass graphic) is what I was trying to explain re: the matte cutouts custom frame thing.
posted by WCityMike at 1:28 PM on June 10, 2008

As for his passions, in case this prompts any more ideas:
- listening to music ( .... Grateful Dead

OOH OOH WAIT WAIT CALL ME CALL ME! (I've got my hand waaay up in the air).

Seriously, how about downloading the entire Grateful Dead live archive at archive.org (all of which is legit, TMK), then buying him an MP3 player large enough to hold it? "Here, honey, it's forty years of Dead shows, for you to take with you everywhere.")
posted by jbickers at 1:36 PM on June 10, 2008

How about a money clip?
posted by defreckled at 1:40 PM on June 10, 2008

$200 won't get you a Tag, but it will almost get you a Ruger 10/22. They're a hell of a lot of fun, even if you're not into guns.
posted by electroboy at 2:13 PM on June 10, 2008

jbickers, that's a really, really good idea.
posted by box at 2:20 PM on June 10, 2008

Not sure if this is up your alley, but I can almost guarantee it'd be up his. Find a good boudoir photographer and get some sexy pictures done.

I'd question that guarantee. I'd find receiving boudoir pics to be weird. Boudoir photography is in the "laugh at other people doing this" (or at least "for cougars") category for me.
posted by mendel at 2:25 PM on June 10, 2008

Is he into photography at all? Taken some nice holiday shots that you both would like to have mounted in your home? Print some out on canvas, there are places here (Sydney, AUstralia) that print them and mount them on wooden frames for $60AUD per shot. Personal, something that you can always look at and (in my experience) works as a conversation stimulator.
posted by Admira at 2:53 PM on June 10, 2008

since i see that the grateful dead mp3 player was marked as a best answer, i might as well post what i was thinking of when i first read it...assuming an iPod, maybe see if you can get the metal back etched or engraved with some grateful dead artwork...? that'd make it pretty special.

dunno what the cost would be, but if you check myaskme question history, there's one about printing or etching digital images onto metal that might be handy.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:27 PM on June 10, 2008

Lot of great answers here - thanks so much! (And if I go the ipod route, I will definitely engrave it.)
posted by n'muakolo at 4:38 PM on June 10, 2008

http://www.garypanter.com/shop_origart_01chiburi.html - with the keywords "Velvet Underground Constitution," or something else.
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 5:23 PM on June 10, 2008

Pick him out one of the nicer Space Pens. They are so small you can keep it in your pocket at all times and you always have a pen. You can even get it engraved. I love mine.
posted by Silvertree at 5:13 AM on June 11, 2008

I'd question that guarantee. I'd find receiving boudoir pics to be weird. Boudoir photography is in the "laugh at other people doing this" (or at least "for cougars") category for me.

I think the word boudoir evokes a certain cheesiness factor. I'm not talking about Glamour Shots. Go search on Photo.net and you'll find all sorts of great classy and sexy/sensual portraits that are along the lines of what I'm talking about. For instance, this, this, or this. Maybe "fine art photographer" would have been a better term.
posted by jluce50 at 8:06 AM on June 11, 2008

Yeah, definitely make sure he's into it before getting photos like those examples. I'd appreciate the effort, but that style of photography does not float my boat and would not make a great gift for me. Everyone is different, ymmv, and all the other caveats apply -- just make sure you know your audience first.
posted by Forktine at 8:45 AM on June 11, 2008

Quite a while back I bought the mister a beautiful hand-made wooden box to put special stuff in (watch, cuff links, pocket knife, etc.). I found it at The Wood Merchant in La Conner, WA.
posted by deborah at 10:15 PM on June 11, 2008

a threesome
posted by matteo at 4:20 PM on June 12, 2008

There is plenty of high-end cooking gear that's a pleasure to use and often way to expensive to justify buying for oneself. This stuff will last forever, will be used frequently, and appreciated often.

Two suggestions that come to mind are high quality copper pans and fine Japanese knives.
posted by Caviar at 7:30 AM on June 13, 2008