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We spent a great deal of time on men’s jewelry a couple of weeks ago. So I had every intention of laying off the jewelry posts for awhile. But after seeing this ring by Han Cholo, yes that really is the brand name, I couldn’t resist.

Available in silver or gold, this moving stone ring is a real eye catcher. Maybe not the greatest pick though. The site only shows a size 7. Oh, well. Also seen at Acquire Magazine.

When it’s super challenging and super cool looking. That’s when. Apparently, this puzzle has been all the rage in the UK for a couple of years. Well now it’s available in the USA and we can take a crack at it.

I was originally attracted to The ISIS puzzle because of its look. A ” gleaming orb, hand crafted in England of a premier alloy of aluminum”. Just sounds cool, doesn’t it? So each of those sections rotates and the puzzle involves lining up the hieroglyphics in the correct order in order to open the ball. Sounds simple enough; kind of like a round version of a Rubik’s cube. You even get 10 clues!

Well apparently it’s not as easy as it sounds. One review on the website stated that the guy worked on it for 12 months. So if you want to keep him really busy for a really long time, this may be a great gift for him. When he does manage to get it open, there is a serial number inside that he can use on the manufacturer’s website to possibly win prizes.

This is a good gift for men because it’s challenging (rule 6) and because it’s made of shiny, pretty metal (rule 8). Ready for the holidays in a highly polished solid wood box.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sometimes clever design is all you need for a great gift for men. I find these wood cutting boards quite interesting. They are available in three designs, the skier (shown), a motor biker, and a diver. Each image is laser engraved in a unique position on the board in order to work with the natural wood grain.

It’s always neat to me when someone takes a relatively boring gift and gives it a simple unique twist to make it cool. Remember, wood is always good!

Check them out at ELSEWARES. Search for “cutting board” to see the collection.

A few months back, I told you about an article in Details Magazine that was what I considered one of the best shaving articles I’ve read. Here is the original post. Well, Details also has a shaving trouble shooting slide show on that same page. The slide show suggested that many of the most difficult shaving problems can be solved by using a single bladed razor. It got me thinking. What is a single bladed razor? If it’s good for the tough areas, wouldn’t it be good for the whole thing? I guess there’s only one way to find out. Time for my own research.

I started out with some online research. After searching around, I found a series of instructional videos on You Tube. Here is a great overview video on single blade shaving.

So I decided to give it a go, and have been using the Merkur "Heavy Classic" Double-Edged Safety Razor for a few weeks now. Now, it does take some getting used to as it’s very different from other store bought razors you’ve probably used. However, after getting some practice, and giving my face time to adjust, I’m really enjoying it. I would highly recommend watching more of this guy’s shaving videos. All are very well done and informative. His collection is here.

Finally, this is the razor I’ve been using. It’s classy looking, heavy, and does a great job. Now it’ll set you back $31, but it is made to last a lifetime. So it absolutely can be the last razor you ever buy. However, it’ll pay for itself very quickly when you consider that the blades are only $.50 each! I was really getting tired of spending a small fortune on those multi-blade cartridges that other razors use.

So give it a try and let me know what you think. But remember to be patient. You face always needs time to adjust to a new shaving method or tool. Give it a few weeks, practice often, and I think you’ll like the results.

Finally an umbrella that tells you when to take it with you. With me, the umbrella and I are always in opposite places. I can recall many times that I’m standing at my front door, looking through the pouring rain at my car, where my umbrella is resting. Doesn’t do me a lot of good to have to get soaked to just get to my umbrella.

I am totally impressed with this one though. The Ambient Umbrella has a built in radio receiver that communicates wirelessly with accuweather.com. If there is rain or snow in the forecast, the blue LED lights on the handle flash to let you know to take it with you. It even flashes in proportion to the chance of precipitation; rapid flash for 100%, slow lazy flash for 10% and everywhere in between. Plus, it’s a really nice umbrella to boot. 58" and gust resistant, it’ll keep him dry in the worst of weather.

Tags: umbrella, gifts for men

So it doesn’t look like Geekologie or Engadget like the idea of a wooden DIY keyboard. Personally, I think the idea is kind of intriguing. But lets look at it from our Rules For Giving Gifts To Men angle.

Rule #6 states that a gift should challenge him. By their very nature, do-it-yourself projects get his mind working and his juices flowing. Projects such as this, easy or difficult, give him the opportunity to prove his worth and demonstrate his abilities.

Rule # 8 suggests to give manly things. Something, anything, made out of wood will always be a pre-approved great gift for men. It’s just one of those natural, primitive elements that is intrinsically male. Many of man’s earliest tools were made of wood; why not his latest tool?

So by rule, any item that is covered by more than one rule has a good chance of being a great gift for men, and the wooden keyboard qualifies. That being said, for my money, I’d still prefer the steampunk keyboard.

My Darling Dearest,

So you know the other night when I was supposed to be folding clothes but instead you caught me trying touch the ceiling before the fan blades hit my arm? Remember? You muttered “men” under your breath. Yeah so I’m sure what was REALLY going through your mind was “I really need to apply The Men’s Gift Guide Rule #2 and get my hunk husband something to play with.” Am I a mind reader or what? Well you were right. So here is a big hint. After all, even the ceiling fan gets boring after awhile.

Your Hubby.

I totally need this. I’ve talked about my fascination of rolling ball sculptures before. I even showed you a neat little marble tower. But, The Chaos Tower looks so cool. Please ignore the “kid” in the picture. That must have been a mistake. This is obviously a piece of highly evolved man-quipment.

I will give you, my readers, one piece of advanced notice however. I will not be getting this for a gift anytime soon. My wife doesn’t read this blog. Oh well.

In great accordance with men’s gift rule #9, my wife once got me a massage at a local high end spa. Now I had never been to a spa before, but she enjoys it, and she thought it’d be something I could get used to. So we went together. Here’s something I didn’t know, when you get to the spa, they immediately give you a robe and slippers to change into. I guess they want you totally relaxed. So you change and wait in a little posh waiting room with everyone else for your turn.

I’m six foot five. And of course, they only had one size of bathrobe which I guess was for the average sized female. I timidly walked into the waiting room with my robe hanging down to the middle of my thigh vowing I’d never do this again. Had I been in public, I probably would have broken a few laws. But I’ve got to hand it to my wife, she was smart. She purposely scheduled my massage with a pretty young blonde. So that balanced out the robe problem. I haven’t been back since, but probably will sometime in the future.

The experience reminded me why I NEVER wear my own bathrobe. It’s a large size, but still way too short for me to be comfortable. Doesn’t anyone make a nice bathrobe for us tall guys? After a little searching online, I found jaystevens.com. This is a big and tall men’s clothing store online. They have a nice page of lounge and sleepwear. I counted 35 different bathrobes on this page.

If he’s more of an average size, here is a really nice robe I’m sure he’d like. Looks uber-comfortable. The site doesn’t say how long it is though.

So think out of the box this holiday season. He may not be too impressed with a bathrobe gift right out of the package. But after a few mornings of wearing it, I bet he’ll really appreciate the foresight you had.

It’s that time of year again. The time when the stress of finding all the right gifts is just starting to nestle in your gut. You know that you’ve got plenty of time, but you also know that the holidays will be here before you know it. My advice? Get started now.

Rather than do a regular top gift list this year, I decided to be a little more targeted. I have a feeling that many women have a relatively good idea of what big gift they will get their man. However, the extra two or three other gifts can be really tough. You know what I mean; you buy the major gift and say “I can’t give him just this. I need a couple little things also.” Well, this list is for you.

The criteria for this list is to be relatively small, the size of a book or smaller, and inexpensive, $50 or less. Any of these gift ideas are perfect for small gifts or stocking stuffers.

1. The Cobalt Turbo Groomer – Don’t just complain about those stray hairs of his; give him something awesome to use to take care of them. $39.95.

2. The Silver Wallet Pen – This little accessory is the kind of thing that he’ll never notice until he really needs it. A great gift for the man on the go. $45.

3. Personalized Men’s Scarf – The cold months are on the way, keep him warm with this personalized men’s scarf. Available in black or camel, and embroidered with one initial. $28.99

4. Wurkin Stiffs – If he dresses for work every day, chances are he has lots of shirts that use collar stays. Wurkin Stiffs are on of the smartest inventions of the century. His collar stays put and he never needs to use those plastic tabs again. Nicely gift boxed and ready for gift giving. $24.95

5. Secret Storage Book – A cool little gift he can use to hide or store stuff. These are actual books that were made into boxes. A great place to hide some extra cash on the shelf. $17.50 - $44.00.

6. Csonka Pocket Cigar Case – An excellent gift for the cigar smoker. His stogies are protected and properly humidified for the road. Available in black, burgundy, or tan and can be personalized with laser engraving. $39.99

7. Josh Bach Trays – I just love the style of these valet trays. Lots of different unique fabrics to choose from; all undeniably male. $45.

8. Personalized Coaster Set – With 27 different designs to choose from, you’ll definitely find something that peaks his interests. Four coasters with wood stand personalized just for him. $30.99.

9. Details 4 Men Elements Shaving Kit – A perfect gift set for any man. Get him away from the electric razor and let him experience the true pleasure to a classic wet shave. Includes cream, aftershave, and oil. Plus a shaving brush and mug. Available in 3 different scents or unscented. $38

10. 7 in 1 emergency tool – He’ll always have everything he needs right on his keychain. $39.95

Do ball caps take over his closet? Here is a nice storage solution for his ever growing collection. This double sided hat rack will keep up to 40 caps out of the way. Or choose the over the door model to hold 20 caps. Made of vinyl-coated steel.