Gifts for the man who says he doesn't need anything

By GiftPicker ·

Ask some men what they want and the answer never changes: nothing, really. Sometimes that is modesty, and sometimes it is true in a narrow sense, because he already owns a wallet, a watch, and more gadgets than he uses. Either way, it leaves you guessing.

It helps to stop hunting for a missing object. The approaches below work for a partner, a dad, a brother, or a friend, and each one gets around the problem of buying something he already has.

Give him an experience

A man who has everything he needs can still collect stories. An experience leaves nothing to store, and a good one gives him something to talk about for years.

An Xtreme Xperience gift card goes toward driving a supercar on a real racetrack, from a Lamborghini or Ferrari to a Porsche GT3, with a professional coach in the passenger seat. Events run at more than 40 tracks across the US, so check the schedule near him first. If he follows a team, tickets to their game are easy to find by team and date on StubHub, and the seat details fit neatly in a card. For someone curious about golf, an intro lesson at Five Iron Golf, an indoor golf club in 26 US cities, covers grip, stance, and ball position on a Trackman simulator, with video of his swing. For a film buff, a backyard movie night counts too, and the Kodak Luma 75 pocket projector plays HD video on a picture that stretches up to 100 inches on any wall.

Upgrade something he uses every day

He probably owns a kitchen knife, a watch, and a kettle already, but they may be the ones he bought in a hurry years ago. Replacing one with a much better version means he notices the gift every time he uses it.

The Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife is handmade in Japan with a VG-MAX steel core and 68 layers of Damascus cladding, and it handles most of the chopping, slicing, and mincing in a home kitchen. The Timex Marlin Automatic reissues a 1960s design with a 21-jewel automatic movement, a green dial, and a black leather strap, and it never needs a battery. For his morning coffee or tea, the Fellow Stagg EKG Pro is a gooseneck electric kettle that heats water to the exact degree, which pour-over fans appreciate.

Give him something he'll use up

Consumables solve the clutter problem completely. He gets to enjoy them, and when they are gone there is no shelf to clear.

The Hot Ones 10 Pack from Heatonist holds all ten craft hot sauces from a season of the Hot Ones interview show, boxed in order from mild to extreme. A man with a full beard will get real use out of the Beardbrand Bold Fortune Grooming Set, which pairs beard oil, a matching cologne, and a large comb in a warm, smoky scent of leather, whiskey, saffron, and tobacco. If he runs the grill, Omaha Steaks' Steak Sampler sends eight steaks in four cuts, from T-bones to filet mignon, and the Spiceology rub collection gives him twelve mini jars of seasoning blends to try on them, including Smoky Honey Habanero and Korean BBQ.

Hand him a new hobby

A hobby gives him something new to learn and a reason to set aside an afternoon for it. Look for a kit that includes everything he needs, so he can start on the day he opens the box.

The Orvis Clearwater Fly Rod Outfit is a complete fly fishing setup from the Vermont outfitter founded in 1856: a four-piece rod, a matched reel, and fly line with backing, packed in a rod tube. The Marcato Atlas 150 is a classic hand-crank pasta machine from a family company in Italy; it rolls dough to 10 thicknesses and cuts fettuccine and tagliolini. On a smaller budget, the Weller Woodburning Kit comes with a 25-watt pen and ten interchangeable tips for burning names and patterns into boards, spoons, and signs.

Or ask for his stories

Sometimes the man who wants nothing would quietly enjoy being asked about his life. Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story is a guided journal with more than 300 prompts about his childhood, work, and family, and once it is filled in it becomes a keepsake for his children and grandchildren. Storyworth works over a year instead, sending weekly prompts and turning his answers into a hardcover memoir. If he would rather look at photos than write, the Aura Carver is a 10-inch digital frame you fill from a phone app, with unlimited free storage for the family pictures he keeps meaning to print.

Narrowing it down

If you are torn between these approaches, a little detective work helps. Look at what he uses until it wears out, since that points to an everyday upgrade worth making. Listen for the things he says he would like to try someday, which suggest an experience or a hobby. And ask the people who see him often, because a brother or a close friend may know exactly which team he follows or which hot sauce he keeps reordering.

Whatever you choose, add a sentence to the card about why you picked it. For someone who insists he needs nothing, knowing the reason is often what makes the gift stick.

Still stuck? Tell the quiz about his interests and your budget. On the results page, Edit answers lets you set the gift to be for him. Take the GiftPicker quiz.

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