It’s last-minute gift time again. The kids have all painted the “World’s Best Dad” rock for dad, so now it’s time for you to get him something he can use.
I hate trying to figure out what to buy people for gifts. I like BUYING people gifts, but hate figuring out what to buy. If you do too, we keep putting together these little gift guides of stuff WE like, and maybe your man will like it too.
Below is some of the stuff we’ve come across the past year that we really like, and ACTUALLY USE.
Photoshop Elements 11
If you don’t know what Photoshop Elements is, you must be living under a rock. If you do know what Photoshop is, listen up. Adobe Photoshop Elements takes all the power of Photoshop and boils it down to the essential “elements” (see what I did there?) needed for the normal person to edit, organize, print, and share photos with intuitive, easy-to-use options… like we’re talking guided options in a simple menu. I have it. I like it. You can even make calendars, cards, books, and more with a few mouse clicks.
Shown: Adobe Photoshop Elements 11
Cost: $99.00 (but until June 15th it’s $69.00 with code SUMMER30)
Check it out for yourself, and buy it.
Meguiar’s Dual-Action Polisher
I take decent care of my cars. I’m not a wash it every weekend kind-of-guy, but when I do decide to do a full detail to get my whip in ship shape, I bust out my dual-action polisher. This isn’t a little cheapo random orbital car buffer. This thing is a professional grade polisher. Along with the right pads and a couple bottles of the right polish, swirl remover, or whatever, I get my car looking like it should be in a showroom. I’m not kidding. I mostly use it for applying wax after I wash the car because it applies it so finely that a little goes a long way, AND (best of all) the wax is super-easy to wipe off and after you’re done you don’t have to ice your arm all evening.
Shown: Meguiar’s Professional Dual-Action Polisher
Cost: ~$200
AlumaWallet (Not kidding).
You know the Alumawallet, right? This thing…? Well, your kids probably do. They’ve probably seen the infomercial between Adventure Time and The Regular Show. I got one from my daughter a couple years ago. She was so proud because she MEMORIZED the commercial and thought it could protect your cards from RFID scanners, and was waterproof, and thought it was great how a truck could run over it, so she got me one (meaning my wife bought one for her to give to me). I’ll warn you now that it’s going to end up being all bent-up, dented, and mangled like you can see in my post about fixing it periodically. A truck definitely can NOT run it over, but what I do like is that it’s metal and the little accordian foldy-outy part of it is actually kind of cool. They are all over places like Walgreens or CVS, I bet.
Shown: The Alumawallet
Cost: $10
SOG Flash II Tanto Folding Knife
Marty turned me onto this knife. We were talking on the phone and basically told me to buy it. It’s really bad ass. This thing has a spring-loaded blade with an arc actuator. With the flick of the thumb the blade snaps open as fast as a switch blade. it’s razor sharp, and mine has been for a while. I got the Tanto blade, which if you look at the photo is the angled blade, but I would maybe have preferred the curved blade. The jury is still out. For a better description and more specs, go check out their site.
Shown: SOG Flash II Tanto Folding Knife Black TiNi with Partially Serrated Blade
Cost: $87 (on their website). ~$50 on Amazon.
Buy on Amazon (only like $50).
Leatherman Crater® c33X Folding Knife
So the SOG knife was around $50 or $90. Maybe that’s too much for a knife. OK, it most likely IS more than you want to spend on a knife, so I have an even better solution for you. The Leatherman c33X. It’s like $20 on Amazon and still has a pretty snappy thumb-assisted opening mechanism and has a really good feel in your hand. It’s not too big to fit comfortably in your pocket either. I’m not sure this knife would have ever been on my radar, but get this, the best part is that I found it in Prospect Park in Brooklyn one morning walking our dog. Finders keepers, holmes. Hey, better that I found it than some little trouble-maker, or better yet, my daughter. The worst part is that I found it like 3 days after buying my SOG Flash II Tanto Blade, so it has basically become my weekend knife that I don’t worry about taking care of. Oh, it also has a fold-out carabiner-type belt clip. Sweet.
Shown: Leatherman Crater® c33X Folding Knife
Cost: $20
Black & Decker 20V Cordless Vac
This baby is like the manliest vacuum cleaner ever. It’s so manly they shorten it to “VAC”. Like, “Hey bro, pass me the VAC”, you know what I’m saying? I love this thing so much I use it when I don’t even need to use it. Say I’m in the kitchen making something manly, like nachos, and I drop a chip on the floor and step on it? Instead of grabbing a dust pan or calling the dog in, I go get the “Vac”. THAT’S how much I like it. Get more info on the Black & Decker Website.
Shown: BLACK & DECKER PLATINUM 20V MAX* Lithium Flex™ Vac
Cost: $149.99
That’s it for 2013 Father’s Day Gift Guide. For more gift ideas, click on the DAD GIFTS link in the nav, or check out these guides:
Holiday gift guide – Part I
Holiday gift guide – Part II
Father’s Day 2012 Gift Guide
