Father’s Day Gifts for Dad That Don’t Suck

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Father’s Day usually sneaks up on us — summer is just beginning, and it’s not like most dads make a big deal out of the holiday. But not this year. Here at Flavorpill, we’ve already done our shopping. (In case you’re curious, staffers’ gifts include a customized bobblehead doll, tickets to the Great American Food and Music Fest, a pair of Reefs

with a secret credit card holder, and a tub of cashews.) That means we have plenty of time to help you! After the jump you’ll find a wide range of gifts for dad divided into a few simple categories: Fancy Stuff, Gadgets & Things, Boozy Items, Funny Gifts, Grilling-Related, and Music. Enjoy.

Fancy Stuff

Buy your dad one of these adorable, hand-tailored ties, and a child in East Africa will get a new school uniform.

Hand-tailored neck wear, $105, from FIGS.

A range of cufflinks inspired by shadow puppets — you know, just like the ones he used to make you.

Shadow Puppet Cufflinks, $55, from Lola & Bailey.

Because nothing says “I love you” like limited-edition gold toys.

24K Gold Limited-Edition Toy Soldier Set from Partner’s & Spade.

Gadgets & Things

If your dad has always imagined himself a Jacques Cousteau-type, he needs the world’s first swim mask that takes video.

Video Swim Mask, $100, from ThinkGeek.

No, this isn’t so dad can take your call mid-ride. This waterproof case is actually handy way to track your GPS position, speed, and distance traveled.

BioLogic iPhone Bike Mount, $54, from Dahon

Because who would want to steal a boring old book?

Hardback Leather Case for MacBook Pro, $80, from BookBook

Boozy Items

Juicy, rich Australian wine with labels from original 1950s book covers.

Wine by Some Young Punks, prices vary, available at Vine Street Imports.

A touching, classic father/daughter road trip novel. You know, where the daughter has killed a man and is traveling through France with her father learning about wine as a response to realizing that her dad’s going to die one day.

Corked: A Memoir by Kathryn Borel, $16, from Amazon

.

Soap made from his favorite beers. Your dad doesn’t have to be Homer Simpson to think that that’s cool.

Beer Soap Sampler, $28, from SoapDreams.

Funny Gifts

You don’t have to feel guilty about supporting your dad’s Star Wars habit because you’re also supporting an emerging artist.

Untitled (Sad Vader) by Alex Brown, $20, from 20×200.

Because unless your family is as big as the Brady Bunch, this is probably the only iPad you can afford.

iNotePad, £8.99, from Shed Simove.

If your dad enjoys humor writing, then he’s probably already familiar with the work of Jack Handey, Garrison Keillor, Steve Martin, and Calvin Trillin. They’re all here, but so are some of your newer favorites, like Simon Rich, George Saunders, and David Sedaris.

Humor Me: An Anthology of Funny Contemporary Writing (Plus Some Great Old Stuff Too) ed. by Ian Frazier, $17, from Amazon

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Grilling-Related

While we don’t approve of the Zoro mask that accompanies it, the BBQ sword looks like something most dads would like playing around with.

BBQ Sword, $32, from Fred Flare.

Because we all know that dad was John Wayne in a previous life.

The Grillslinger, $49, from Camerons Professional Cookware.

If you’re hoping to scare him meat-free him with the horrors of factory farming.

Meat is for Pussies, $20, from PETA.

Music

If your dad is into Sly Stone, allow us to recommend Francis and the Lights’

($12).

If your dad is into Joni Mitchell, buy him The Magnetic Fields’

($15) or Joanna Newsom’s

, ($19).

If your dad was a ladies man in the ’70s, go old-school with Sade’s

($12) or (comparatively) new-school with Erykah Badu’s

($10).

If your dad did drugs in the ’60s, Beach House’s

($14) and Surfer Blood’s

($11) might give him flashbacks.

And if all else fails, the year’s all-purpose indie-rock dad album is…