Father's Day Gifts

Father’s Day has a specific failure mode: the mug, the tie, the socks, the grill tool set he already owns two of. A hand-forged knife breaks that pattern because it is the sort of thing a man is pleased to own and would never buy for himself. Engrave it with the kids’ names and it stops being a knife and becomes the thing he shows people.

Which knife for which dad

Order in time, not on the Thursday before

Engraving is done by hand before the piece is boxed, so a personalised knife needs longer than a stock one. Two weeks is comfortable. Tell us the date at checkout and we will tell you honestly whether it can be made rather than taking the order and hoping.

Questions

Is a knife a good Father’s Day gift? It is one of the few that survives the year. It gets carried, it gets used, and with his kids’ names on it he will not put it in a drawer.

What do you engrave on a Father’s Day knife? Kids’ names or initials, the year, or a short line. Up to 20 characters, and less reads better than more.

Can I get matching father and son knives? Yes. Ask for a matched pair and we cut both from the same Damascus billet so the pattern runs across the two.

How late can I order for Father’s Day? Two weeks before, if you want engraving. Stock pieces ship faster. Ask us and we will give you a straight answer.

Are knives bad luck as a gift? The old superstition says so, and the traditional fix is that he hands back a coin so the knife counts as bought. A penny taped to the box settles it.

Does it come gift ready? Presentation box as standard, and a hand-stitched leather sheath with every fixed blade.

More reading

See the gifts for him, the gifts for hunters, the folding pocket knives or the personalized gifts.

How to pick, if you have twenty minutes and no idea

Father’s Day is the one occasion where people buy a knife without knowing whether the recipient wants one. Three questions settle it faster than any amount of browsing.

Ordering in time

An unengraved knife in stock ships in two to three business days. Engraving adds around two weeks, because we send a proof and wait for you to approve it before anything is cut. Father’s Day falls in the third week of June, so the comfortable deadline for an engraved piece is the end of May. If you are later than that, tell us the date and we will say straight away whether it can be met rather than promising and hoping.

What is the best Father’s Day knife gift? A three to three and a half inch folding pocket knife with a year or his initials engraved on it. It is the one knife that actually gets carried. If he hunts or fishes, a drop point fixed blade with a leather sheath instead.

When should I order for Father’s Day? By the end of May for anything engraved, since engraving adds around two weeks including proof approval. Unengraved knives in stock ship in two to three business days.

What should I engrave on a Father’s Day knife? Initials, a year, or one short line. Twenty characters. A milestone year ages better than a message and still means something in twenty years.

Is a Damascus knife a good Father’s Day gift? If he will wipe it dry and oil it occasionally, it is the finest blade here. If he will not, buy 440C or D2 and nothing bad will happen. Be honest about which he is.

What if he already owns several knives? Buy the category he has not got round to. Most men with three pocket knives own no decent kitchen knife, and a Damascus chef knife is the single highest hit rate in that situation.

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See also knife gifts for dad, gifts for grandpa, gifts for the outdoorsman, personalised gifts, or the full knife gift guide. Please check the recipient’s local law before ordering.