Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers for Him

1. Lumps of Coal Gum ($4) // 2. Mother-of-Pearl Cufflinks ($95) // 3. Driinn Cell Phone Holder ($12) // 4. Ultimate Burger Starter ($17) // 5. Combat Ready Lipbalm ($12) // 6. Leatherman Wingman Tool ($35) // 7. Izola Steel Flask ($28) // 8. Moustache Bandages ($7) // 9. Classic Old Spice ($12) // 10. Moleskine Soft Cover Notebook ($12)

One. A few years ago, my Brother gave me a lump of coal.  I thought it was a funny gift, and that it might make a nice stocking stuffer for a sibling, friend or honey.  If you’re not crazy about the gum in the set, you can get a more substantial piece of faux-coal for $5.

Two. When I added the cufflinks to this set, they were priced at $29.  That should tell you something about Jos. A. Bank’s pricing integrity.  So if you are looking for a less expensive cufflink, try these Geoffrey Beene set and these Nautica cufflinks.

Three. This cell phone holder hangs from the wall jack for convenience sake.  It’s a great inexpensive gift.  But if you need something a little less expensive, here is a $6 version.

Four. I own this. It contains carmelized onions, garlic, mustard and awesome.  It’s a jar full of awesome. I would put it on cereal.  You need this, even if you have no dude to buy it for, if you eat meat, you need to buy it.  The tortilla soup starter is also pretty clutch, as is the bourbon peach braising sauce.  

Five. Combat Ready Lip Balm is a chapstick that treats and softens lips but is still manly.  The company, which is a D.C.-based business, originally made skin balm for soldiers in Iraq to help treat bites and wounds from the sand fleas the soldiers had to deal with in the field.

Six. Growing up in a blue collar community, most of the men I knew carried Leatherman tools in their cars, desks and toolboxes.  But even if you’re buying for a white collar guy, this Swiss-Army-like tool is a good gift for any man who would rather fix things himself.

Seven. The flask is a classic man gift.  This round Izola flask is nice.  I also like this Need Supply flask that says simply, “The End, and this one that says, “Haters Gonna Hate.”  If you want to skip the messages, try this simple leather flask or this stingray print one.

Eight. If your recipient likes quirky gifts, moustache bandages are kind of fun.  I also liked these completely vulgar bandages.  They’re good for a chuckle, but I wouldn’t wear them around.

Nine. The blog The Art of Manliness recently had an article on classic drugstore colognes and aftershaves and practically every man I follow on Twitter was retweeting it.  My Papa wore Old Spice, so I’ve always been partial to it.  Even if you just leave it sit on the counter, the vintage bottle has a bit of charm to it.

Ten.  Moleskine notebooks are a classic, but most men who I know like to carry their notepad in their pocket.  That’s kind of tough to do with a hardbound book, so they buy these soft cover numbers. So if you have a man who might like a notebook to jot ideas, notes or thoughts in, try a soft cover or a hard cover classic.