Gift Idea for Your Dad

My dad recently had his 80th birthday. I was able to go to Austin last week to see him (and have some meetings at SXSW), and presented him with a gift from the Bay. I sat him down, without showing him the gift, and gave him four hints about the gift:

1. It's a tool that is part of a hobby that I'm really enjoying.
2. It's something that cost $1.29 when it was made, but now sells for $30-$40.
3. It's something similar to a tool that he used when I was a small boy.
4. It was manufactured during the three-month quarter in which I was born, and could have left the factory floor on my actual date of birth (odds of about 1 in 60 assuming no weekend production).

He was mystified, and had no clue what I was describing. Of course, I presented a B-2 Red Tip as his birthday present. He was ecstatic. I told him he could use it as razor or as a paperweight, I don't care, but he decided to place it on display on a nice napkin on a table in the living room. (I'm sure his wife has had him remove it by now.) He spent much time reminiscing and playing with the TTO.

I don't think I could have thought of a better gift. The next day I got him some Clubman AS, which started more nostalgia. He was splashing on the stuff all day.

I'm sure many of us have thought of this before I did, but just wanted to share my testimonial of unfettered success.

I've done the same thing but not a razor, the Clubman Pinand Classic. I brought some with me one time about 4 years ago to see him. Dad took a whiff, his eyes got real big and then they rolled back in his head all the wall back to 1959. He got all choked up too and asked me where I got it. I brought a lot of memories back for him.

great posts!!

Great post! Love stories like that. My dad has no connection at all to anything 'shaving'. He's always used disposables and has only done it out of necessity...and now even rarely shaves. Its a real bummer because i love this all so much and wish i had my dad i could share it with! But its ok - i have my 12 week old little boy here to enjoy and i will 100% certainly pass all this onto him so that we can share such experiences together.