By Jeff Schnaufer, CTW Features

Image courtesy DCI

Tired of ties for the holidays? Sick of socks? Too many tools?

Don't sweat it, dude. Santa's got a whole new bag.

From your own barbecue branding iron to taking a ride in a fighter jet, plenty of gifts for guys are cooler than an iced mocha from the North Pole.

"There are so many gifts a wife, girlfriend, mom or daughter could give their special guy, I'm always surprised that people grapple so much with what to get their guy," says Michelle Liberman, who owns The Shopping Friend (www.theshoppingfriend.com), a personal shopping service in Los Angeles, Calif. "Guys would love to get cool items that break the mold. You just have to know your guy a little bit to determine what to get them."

So whether you're into grilling or games, gadgets or outdoor gear, tuck this guide into your wife's purse or your kid's jacket before they head out for holiday shopping. They'll be glad you did.

Gadgets and Gags

Late night talk shows open with a little humor, so why not your holiday celebration? For that hunter's lodge feel in your home, without the trouble of taxidermy, get the Inflatable Moose ($20) to hang on your wall. Fishermen can brag about the "big one" they brought home with the Inflatable Fish ($20) Crack open that holiday brew with the Hammer Bottle Opener ($10), which doubles as a real hammer, or The Bottle Bunny ($20), a bottle opener shaped like a rabbit's head that opens your drink with it's "teeth".

"The items are great for the guy who has everything - they are all whimsical, unique alternatives to traditional male gifts like clothing or personal accessories," says Christine Olson, a product developer with Decor Craft Inc (DCI), the Providence, R.I.-based company that makes and distributes these gifts to thousands of retail stores nationwide.

Sure to bring a smile to the face of every man is a useful gadget. Liberman suggests the Tumi electric adapter (around $50), which she says "has four different plug configurations that fit into electric wall sockets in 150 countries. Works with laptops, cell phones and small electronics."

To get a little more out of his running, Rebel Dad (www.rebeldad.com) blogger Brian Reid, Champaign, Ill., went out and bought his own holiday gift gadget - a GPS watch.

"(It's) totally silly and overpriced, but I will not jog without it," Reid says. "It's just too, well, cool."

Grilling

If you're proud of your grilling, grab the BBQ Branding Iron ($20) from DCI and brand any message into your meat with its changeable letters. Or swashbuckle your way to a perfect steak with the BBQ Sword Spatula ($30) from DCI, which looks like a sword and comes with a peel-off musketeer mask for fun. Keep DCI's Condiment Gun ($24) handy to dispense a little saucy justice (ketchup or mustard) on your burger. Wash it all down with DCI's XL Beer Glass ($20), which can hold five bottles of a kind beer.

For more serious chefs, take the advice of Steve Raichlen, host of PBS "Primal Grill" television show. Available through retail stores like Sur La Table and others, Raichlen suggests the Lumatong ($19.99), with two bright LED bulbs attached to the handle of extra-long tongs to put light right where you need it. Or the Pakkawood Handle Steak Knife set ($39.99), which Raichlen says feature "good looks, razor-sharp stainless steel blades and a hefty feel, thanks to sleek pakkawood handles. These knives have it all. Pair with a package of porterhouse steaks for a gift he'll love."

You can't go wrong with a good knife set, Reid says. The best Christmas gift he ever received was a set of German knives, Henckels Four Stars, of which he says. "I expect to deed them in my will."

Games

The holidays means new video games, and not just for the kids.

"Every man dreams about experiencing the thrill of driving a high-speed F1 car," says Damien Sarrazin, PR manager with Codemasters in Universal City, Calif. "In F1 2009, Codemasters gives men the opportunity to do so without the risk of crashing their cars and injuring themselves, all from the safety and comfort of their living room!"

Releasing this fall for the Wii game with a price TBA, F1 2009 is the first in a new generation of FORMULA ONE video games featuring all the official drivers, teams and circuits from the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship. It's also part of the new trend in racing games, including EA Games Need For Speed: Shift (price TBA for Playstation 3, PC, PSP and XBox 360), which Michael Mann, EA Games executive producer, says "is the first racing game that delivers on what it feels like to tear up the track from the driver's point of view, featuring stunningly real cockpit views to hyper-realistic g-forces simulators" while racing in some of the world's most sought-after cars, such as Lamborghini, Reventon and Pagani Zonda.

If play's the thing, Liberman suggests Rock Band, Madden 2010, Ladderball and Tiger Woods Golf.

New for 2009 is Deca Sports 2 for the Wii from Hudson Entertainment (estimated retail $29.99), which allows players to compete against other DECAthletes from around the country in 10 different sports. Like many others, it's a game that you can play with your kids. But you'll quickly learn what separates the men from the boys.

"Everybody can pick up the game and figure out the controls, but the men will learn how to do one-timers in ice hockey, how to draft and pass in road racing or how to face out the opponent in dodge ball for an easy take-out," says Amar Gavhane, associate brand manager with Hudson Entertainment.

Get Outta Town

"Every dad should have a good-quality tent that can house the whole family," says Reid. "I'm thinking the Kelty Trail Dome 4 (from REI)."

Sporting goods stores are a good place to play Santa for guys. With thousands of stores across the U.S., REI (www.rei.com) has several gifts for the outdoor-minded guy at a broad range of prices. The featherweight Black Diamond Orbit Lantern ($29) illuminates your backcountry adventure without weighing you down, while the Naish 11.6 Classic Stand Up Paddle board ($1,800) makes flatwater cruising as exciting as big wave surfing. Or just stuff a stocking with Sea To Summit Pocket Shaving Soap ($3.95), featuring thin leaves of soap that dissolve in water, creating liquid soap wherever you hike.

For the guy on the go - outdoors or in - consider some fancy footwear.

"Boots, like many thing, depend on the man," Liberman says. "Red Wing boots for the construction/builder guy, John Varvatos brown leather boots for the sophisticated casual, or cowboy boots for your manly, swaggering guy."

And Now For Something Completely Different

Still can't find something you like? If your gift giver has the cash, consider your local airport for a helicopter, sailplane or hot air balloon ride. Or the coolest gift Liberman ever acquired for a client.

"I had a wife who wanted to get her husband something really special a couple years ago," Liberman says. "He had always wanted to fly in a military plane so we set it up, with the help of a company that has those avenues, to have him fly an L-39 fighter jet."

The cost can range from $3,000 to $15,000, Liberman says. But is it worth it?

Says Liberman: "She told me he talked about it for months."

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