Before you go and tell me to relax a little bit, it’s only February, not even close to wedding season, let me tell you this. I know! One thing I’ve learned over the last 10 years of selling gifts for groomsmen and ushers its that the traditional wedding season has changed. Couples are getting married all year round these days. That being said, the spring is still the most popular wedding season and believe it or not, its just around the corner.

So, with no further ado, I present to you our list of this years Top Ten Groomsmen Gift Ideas. Disclaimer, we sell all of these products!

• 1) 64 Ounce Super-sized flask. This massive flask is more of a humorousgift than something your friend will actually use, however, it is hysterical. Just wait until you see the face on your groomsmen when you traipse these out! On a side note, they are perfect to tote wine, sangria or a mixed drink to a picnic or family gathering.
  
  
  
  

• 2) Classic Square Personalized Cufflinks.   These classic cufflinks are ideal for keeping the cuffs of your groomsmen sealed tight while they stand up for you on your big day.  The square flat front will showcase their initials and they are a gift that your friends can use for the rest of their lives.  Sure, you can go with some novelty cufflinks or a set that says “Groomsman” on it but they are likely to stay in a dresser drawer for eternity.
  
  
  
  

• 3) Classic Bifold Personalized Wallet.   If you’re looking for a gift for yourgroomsmen that they’ll use forever, then look no further.  What guy can’t use a classic leather wallet?  Answer: They all can!  Add each of your friends initials to the face of their wallets for a personal touch.  The bonus, your wedding party will be able to hold a whole bunch of singles in their wallets to tip the bartenders!
  
  
  
  

• 4) Classic Polished Money Clip.  Thinking that maybe a wallet is too bulky for your guys?  Not sure we agree but we respect your opinion so we bring youthe classic money clip.  A simple solid single piece of metal folded on top of itself.  You’ll find no more secure grip of your cash and no more elegant way to hold it.  Add a set of initials or even a name and a date free of charge for a great personal touch, your groomsmen will appreciate it!
  
  

• 5)  Classic Polished Business Card Holder.    Noticing a trend?  Classic is in.  And by classic, we mean smooth, polished, clean and elegant.   Thispolished business card holder fits right in with that description!  Made of solid stainless steel and polished to a high sheen, this is the perfect gift for the young professionals in your wedding party.   Engrave their names and job titles for a gift they’ll use all the time!
  
  

• 6) NFL Beer Mug.    Got some NFL fanatics in your wedding party?  Maybe they drink beer too?  Well, if both of these conditions are met, then an NFLbeer mug just may be the perfect gift for them.  Available in all 32 teams, each mug features a pewter emblem with the NFL team logo of their choice.  Laser engrave the groomsman’s name and your wedding date on the back for a special memento.
  
  

• 7) Personalized Barbecue Set.  Got some grill masters in your wedding party?   Well if you do, then one of our BBQ sets with their name and a quirky message personalized on the lid just may be the perfect gift for them.  Each BBQ set comes with 3 tools: a pair of tongs, a spatula and steak fork.  The lid engraving is done using a powerful laser for a really cool look and the tools are packed in cut out foam to keep them in pristine condition.
  
  

• Groomsman’s Survival Kit.   Well, I think the name says it all.  Gift yourgroomsmen one of these handy little sets and they will be covered from pre-wedding photos to the post reception cigar.  It includes a small tubular flask to have a nip or two prior to the Church, a leatherette case with slots for credit cards and a cigar cutter and cigar holder to light that post reception stogie.  Free engraving on the cigar holder and flask add the perfect personal touch.
  
  

• 9) Personalized Man Cave Sign.  Nothing is hotter than man caves now sowhether your groomsmen have full-fledged dens complete with pool tables and dart boards or they just have small office that they call their own, a personalized man cave sign is a necessity.  Now granted, there is nothing on this sign that commemorates your big day but you can rest assured that your buddies will think of you every time they raise a frosty one in their man cave!
  
  

• 10) Personalized Wooden Lockblade Knife.  Now this one’s a little different.  This gift is really more for your rugged out-doorsy type.  Of course, so are SUVs and pick up trucks  but that doesn’t keep just about every guy from buying one.  Know any guys that have pick up trucks that are not what you’d call man’s men?  So do I.  Think they’d appreciate a handsome wooden lockblade knife with their name burnished into it?  So do I!
  
  
  
  

  So that’s it, our top ten list of groomsmen gifts for 2012.  There were some tough decisions and some really cool items didn’t make the cut.   Got some other cool ideas for gifts, by all means comment below!
  
  
  
  

  -Simon

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  • Tags: groomsmen gifts

I stumbled across this really well written article over at livemint.com that is essentially an ode to hip flasks.  Titled On The Hip, it details the history of the hip flask from inception to today’s versions. There are a lot of cool nuggets in here, like the medieval origin of the flask as a drinking vessel made of leather and slung over your steed.  These eventually morphed into pilgrim’s bottles, which were adorned with jewels detailing these travelers journeys.

Eventually, glass became the vessel of choice so the bearer could see just what they were drinking.  These morphed into flasks being made of sterling silver, a safe metal that would not taint the alcohol inside (like lead or other metals might).  Well, I don’t want to plagiarize the whole article,  because quite honestly, its writer Joel Harrison, who runs a blog called Cask Strength,  does a top notch job that I couldn’t compete with anyway!  Suffice it to say that the flask eventually morphed into the stainless steel and leather wrapped versions we have today.  And thank God it did because I don’t know how I would get through the weekend without my trusty flask!

-Simon

One of our newer products is a gigantic 64 Ounce Super Sized Flask and it is truly one of a kind! As the name indicates, this unique flask holds 64 ounces (a half gallon) of your favorite spirit. Obviously, this liquor vessel is not meant to be used alone, its meant to be shared with all of your buddies! Add a free engraving of up to 8 lines for a uniquely personal touch.

USA Today did a small write up on this flask titled: Real Man Gear 15: 64 oz Flask . It basically says that if you’re carrying a small flask (by small we mean 8 ounces!), once your friends get through mooching off of you, you’ll have very little left for yourself. This is so true and the best reason to haul this massive thing around. Of course, its no pocket flask so make sure you bring a wagon or some other large, wheeled storage device to carry it in!

-Simon

The modern hip flask is a uniquely American invention that was used in a variety of ways over the last two centuries, but mostly to provide a secret stash of alcohol for the holder. The earliest hip flasks were made of silver, pewter, and even glass while most all modern flasks are constructed of stainless steel. With higher security in place at some sporting events, people have been known to use plastic flasks to avoid being discovered by metal detectors. They come in all shapes and sizes and some even come with their very own shot glass!

Hip Flasks Historically

Hip flasks in the general form in which they appear today first surfaced in the 18th Century. They were shaped to fit a man’s or woman’s hip which accounts for that curved look most all hip flasks have. They were commonly used by women who boarded British warships in the 18th Century to smuggle gin to the crews and to use themselves if they were traveling to the New World. It’s also not hard to imagine a cowboy on a long cattle drive during the 19th Century needing that extra added jump start to get him through a tough and lonely night turning to his trusty hip flask.

The Age of Jazz and Hip Flasks

Things changed dramatically for makers of hip flasks in the early 20th Century. Not only did they see a rise in demand thanks to the Prohibition Act of 1919, but they gained a whole new target market for the very first time – American women. After the end of World War I, women in America for the first time were welcomed in bars which had for years been the sole dominion of men. Unfortunately, they picked the wrong time since alcohol was now illegal. But being enterprising and resourceful, the manufacturers of hip flasks made new models suitable for women and it soon became a fashion accessory for a number of young women, who were known as Flappers for their bobbed hair and risque behavior. Hip flasks for women were worn on the hip and held in place by their garter belts which in those days meant they were safe unless they were caught in the act since social norms at that time did not allow male officers to search females and there were no female police officers. That left young women free to take their drink of choice virtually anywhere they wanted, they just had to be discrete when taking a drink.

NFL Tailgating and more

Even after Prohibition was ended in 1933, hip flasks still remained popular, but their use by men and women changed yet again. Now it was all the rage to smuggle your favorite potent potable into college football games, which remained much more popular than professional football up until at least the 1960′s. Today, it is common for fans of the NFL smuggle liquor in via a hip flask, but with more security in place, plastic flasks have been developed to get around that minor inconvenience.

And there is a reason for you to still hide that flask of liquor. In most states today, having a hip flask amounts to having an open container, which can get you a fine, as well as some jail time, plus they’ll pour your liquor out if jail itself isn’t bad enough. So if you’re tailgating be sure and take extra care not to get caught and be sure and know what the local laws are.

Hip Flasks as a Collector’s Item

Today, liquor flasks are just as, if not more popular than they have ever been. And if you own an antique silver hip flask, you may very well have a collector’s item on your hands. Some older silver flasks in mint condition have been known to sell for up to $500 or more depending on a few variables. So be careful when cleaning out an attic or pay close attention at that next estate sale, you just may stumble onto something valuable that can be had on the cheap.

Hip Flasks Today

Today, there are as many different hip flasks on the market as the imagination can dream of. There are all kinds of shapes and colors, and many of them today feature captive tops which is a small arm which is attached to the top of the flask to keep you from losing it. There are flasks that come with a pourer to make sure you don’t spill anything while you’re filling it, and some come with one or more shot glasses so you and your friends can enjoy a drink just about anywhere. You can get a hip flask with an emblem from your favorite whiskey maker such as Jim Beam or your favorite lighter maker, Zippo. There are many varieties of stainless steel hip flasks in classic silver-tone, and just about any other color under the rainbow and many of them have an option where the buyer can have them engraved to mark a special day or milestone in life.

The manufacturers of hip flaskshave also stayed up with the wants and needs of their customers who want to enjoy their favorite drinks anywhere. There are hip flasks that come shaped like a pair of binoculars, flasks that come camouflaged in a book such as the Bible, and if you have a good idea for a way to stow away a flask where it will get past the police and security personnel, chances are there is a company out there willing to pay you for that idea.

As long as there are people, there are going to be parts of the population that wants to sneak a drink in public, or just about any other place you can think of. And knowing that, the manufacturers of hip flasks are going to keep giving that part of the population ingenious ways to get the job done.

-Simon

We just posted an article on our website, the topic is: Engraving Ideas for Flasks.  In the article we detail different quotes and text to have engraved on your flask, particularly if you’re giving it as a gift.  We’d love to hear your feedback below.  Are we leaving some great engraving ideas out?  Should we remove some that we thought were great ideas but aren’t?  Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.  Thanks!

-Simon

We just published an article detailing the various legal issues you might face when carrying a hip or liquor flask. We’ve gotten this question a lot in the past so we figured that we’d try and help clear things up. Here’s the article: The Legality of Carrying Hip Flasks . If you think we missed anything or would like to add anything to the article, please let us know by commenting below. Thanks!

-Simon

When you’re engraving a flask, its usually because you’re giving it as a gift. Often, this means that the recipient is someone who you’ve shared some of the best times of your life with. Dare I say, maybe the two of you have even indulged in a nip or two of the sacrament? So why not engrave something celebrating these times?

First, a public disclaimer, of course. All alcohol consumption should be done in moderation and you should never, under any circumstance, consume alcohol and drive. That is no joke. Now, onto our engraving recommendations for your flask. We’ll list a few of our most popular requests, feel free to tweak these to make your engraved flask unique:

“To The Times We
Can’t Remember,
With The Friends
We’ll Never Forget”

“Don’t Drink
& Drive.
Don’t Even Drink
& Putt!”

As you can see, some engraving instructions we receive are humorous, some are sentimental and all are meant to let the recipient know how much they mean to you. We welcome some of your ideas on this topic as well. Please post them in the comments below. You’ll be helping out some poor groom to be with engravers blog!

-Simon

A lot of grooms are looking to do something different when purchasing presents for the men in their wedding party.  To that end, I stumbled across this post on Bride Finds listing some really unique groomsmen gift ideas: Best Groomsmen Gifts.    While the list includes such eccentric gifts as a solar powered messenger bag and a decanter with a wood stopper, I prefer the old classics.  You know what they are, a personalized pocket watch or an engraved flask.  To me, these are great gifts at a reasonable price that your friends will love.

Of course, I’m the type of guy to get down on one knee and propose the old fashioned way.  I don’t go for the new method of coming up with the most outrageous way to pop the question.  Maybe guys that ask the woman they love to marry them while skydiving are the same ones getting their groomsmen whiskey stones.  What do you think? Are you the type of groom to get your men something eccentric or do  you stick with classics?

-Simon

We found this funny article in the Village Voice Blog today about what to wear when the world ends.  It has a whole list of very funny advice that include the following:

• Do wear layers.  Who knows if it will be hot or cold after the rapture!

• A hat is always nice.

• Deodorant

• If you must wear sunglasses, make sure they’re not the colored, 80′s retro type currently favored by young hipsters.
  
  

  We’re happy to report that the author recommends carrying a hip flask, filled with your favorite beverage!

  Not much else to add but you should check out this short article, its very funny.

  -Simon

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In the Indie drama “Everything Must Go”, Will Ferrel plays an alcoholic loser on a big downward spiral.  He loses his job, his home and his family in one fell swoop.  He gets fired, only to come home and see all his worldly possessions tossed out on his front lawn by his angry wife.    He sits at a traffic light, paralyzed from doing anything but drinking out of his liquor flask.  The movie has a redemptive theme and shows how Ferrell’s character, Nick Halsey, gets his life back.  While I have no seen the movie, this review at Entertainment Weekly, really raves about Ferrell’s performance.

Public Service Announcement: Without getting to preachy, we must add a gentle reminder.  Please, please, please use your liquor flasks wisely and responsibly.  Do not drive while using one or after, EVER.  A few tugs of your flask can enhance a good time.  Too many tugs can just lead to ugliness.  There, said it, now back to our regular programming.

Back to our original programming: Anyway, this movie looks like a good one and we look forward to seeing it.  the release date is May 13th.  We’d love to hear from you if you’ve seen it.  We loved him in classics like Old School and Anchorman, what did you think of Will Ferrell’s first big dramatic role?

-Simon