20 Father’s Day Gifts to Avoid Getting Dad the Same Old Thing This Year
Does Dad really need another clever bottle opener? We tapped experts in design, food and fashion—who are all dads themselves—for advice on getting something special this year for Father’s Day. Below, tastemakers from potter Alex Matisse to Matty Matheson from “The Bear” share their thoughts on what to wrap up, including diamond-plated sharpening stones, Taiwanese dried fruit and a gold pinky ring. Father’s Day is June 15.
Home and design
Nicholas Cope, Calico Wallpaper co-founder and president
Cope’s bespoke Calico Wallpaper’s newest line, Overture, gives the illusion of drapery, and was made with British lighting designer Lee Broom. Cope has two children.
A gift he wants to receive: The Magic Radio by Teenage Engineering
“This beautifully designed portable radio is perfect for beach days in Montauk or when we’re by the pool at home in the Hudson Valley. I love how Teenage Engineering has reimagined the humble radio and turned it into a beautifully designed object that feels like art.”
His fail-safe gift to give: Laguna B Glassware
“We love hosting pool parties and BBQs throughout the summer, and with the Fourth of July approaching, these Laguna B glassware are my favorite for cocktails. The colors always make people smile, and they instantly make any gathering feel a little more celebratory.”
Alex Matisse, East Fork co-founder and CEO
Matisse’s East Fork pottery brand, based in Asheville, N.C., recently introduced the Matisse Collection, a tribute to Alex’s great-grandfather, Henri. He has two daughters.
A gift he wants to receive: Gardenheir x Whichford Pottery English Terracotta Classic Pot
“As a potter, I have a deep and unwavering appreciation for hand-throwing big pots quickly and precisely. It’s an old-world skill that few possess, but is in abundance at Whichford Pottery, where they make a beautiful, classic line of frost-proof terracotta flower pots. I hope to see these planted up beautifully on our back stone patio.”
His fail-safe gift to give: Chen Chen and Kai Williams Spiral Pen
“This pen is heavy and beautiful. The brass cap spins off and on in an incredibly tactile and satisfying manner, and the classic Schmidt P900 cartridge is precise and smooth. It’s the most useful fidget spinner in the world.”
Gregory Buntain, Fort Standard principal and designer
Buntain’s Fort Standard creates custom furnishings, and just launched the Hardware Collection of spherical knobs and pulls. He has three children.
A gift he wants to receive: Cody Hoyt cup
“I admire everything my good friend and incredibly talented ceramicist Cody Hoyt makes, from his large sculptural works and furniture to the smaller mugs he’s recently started crafting (and that sell out immediately).”
His fail-safe gift to give: DMT 8-inch Dia-Sharp Diamond Kit
“I’ve relied on these diamond-plated sharpening stones for well over a decade for my knives and scissors. There’s a quiet satisfaction in using a properly sharpened blade, something many people haven’t experienced and don’t realize what they are missing! ”
Food and drinks
Andrew Black, Counter Service’s chief culinary officer
Black leads the culinary team at Counter Service, a chef-run sandwich shop in New York. He has a son.
A gift he wants to receive: Taiwanese dried fruit from Yun Hai
“The flavor and aroma of their lineup is incredible and could easily convert a skeptical snacker. It makes you wonder why more dried fruit doesn’t taste this good.”
His fail-safe gift to give: Loose-leaf tea and pineapple linzers from Té Company .
“Most dads I know drink way too much coffee, so this is a fun (an utterly delicious) break from the cycle. Everything Elena [Liao] and Frederico [Ribeiro] make is deceivingly simple yet so complex in flavor.”
Ignacio Mattos, Mattos Hospitality owner and chef
Mattos’s Mattos Hospitality includes the restaurants Estela, Altro Paradiso and Lodi. He has two sons.
A gift he wants to receive: Cortez bottarga
“A note from my son with a drawing. Flowers. And bottarga—from an American company. It’s such an amazing and sophisticated gift. Cortez does it really well.”
His fail-safe gift to give: La Cavalerie olive oil
“Olive oil. There are so many options and profiles. I like the kind that isn’t necessarily for cooking or salad, but to be the star itself with a piece of bread. It’s a precious, safe gift. One of my absolute favorites is La Cavalerie. And if you are looking for an exquisite vinegar: Roero Arneis Wine Vinegar . And I always go back to flowers—men should get more flowers.”
Matty Matheson, “The Bear” executive producer and actor and cookbook author
Matheson executive produces and stars on “The Bear” and is the author of “Matty Matheson: A Cookbook,” “Home Style Cookery” and “Soups, Salads, Sandwiches.” He also runs a home-goods brand, Matheson Cookware, which is working with Gozney on an upcoming pizza oven. He has three children.
A gift he wants to receive: Gozney Tread portable pizza oven
“You can have it on your apartment balcony, in your backyard, take it to your buddy’s backyard BBQ party, take it camping. Summertime is coming and who doesn’t love an outdoor pizza party?”
His fail-safe gift to give: Kramer chef’s knife
“Your go-to knife for everything in the kitchen. My Kramer chef’s knife is the one I reach for every time.”
Fashion and Beauty
David Seth Moltz, perfumer
Seth Moltz co-founded the perfume company D.S. & Durga with his wife, Kavi Ahuja Moltz. They have two children.
A gift he wants to receive: Soft Services Green Banana Buffing Bar
“The only beauty product I truly use and love outside of fragrance is bar soap. Soft Services makes one of the best—the Green Banana scent is fun, fresh and gently exfoliates.”
His fail-safe gift to give: F. Hammann shaving kit
“This is a classic don’t-know-what-to-get-dad gift. No man who shaves would not be excited to get a little kit that organizes the ritual of rubbing a razor on one’s face with such aesthetic grace.”
Jay Carroll, Entrepreneur
With his wife, Alison, Carroll owns and co-founded Wonder Valley, a line of personal care products made with olive oil. He has one child.
A gift he wants to receive: “Undesigning the Bath” by Leonard Koren.
“Koren was the guy behind the cult favorite WET Magazine, and in this book he explains how high design is at odds with the bathing experience. As a bathing enthusiast and sometimes bathhouse designer, I find the subject matter highly interesting.”
His fail-safe gift to give: Before and After Shave Cream from Santa Maria Novella
“This all-in-one before and after shave cream for men from Santa Maria Novella keeps your shaving routine simple yet sophisticated.”
Michael Williams, writer and marketer
Williams has written the fashion blog A Continuous Lean since 2007. He has two children.
A gift he wants to receive: A stay at The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana
“If we’re talking accessible, how about a long, meandering dinner at Keens with friends?
Or if we’re talking about something extravagant, then perhaps a stay at The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana , and maybe a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is floating around…”
His fail-safe gift to give: Sweater from Campbell’s of Beauly or Smythson notebook
“It would have to be this Campbell’s of Beauly Defender Wool Jumper. What man doesn’t need a sweater with one of the most iconic off-roaders on it? Perhaps Dad lives in the sunbelt or doesn’t wear sweaters. In that case, I would give him a Smythson notebook because who doesn’t want a Smythson notebook?”
Davide R. Baroncini, designer
Baroncini founded Ghiaia Cashmere in 2018. He has two children.
A gift he wants to receive: A meaningful one, like a pinky ring.
“My wife is very good at gifting. Her first Father’s Day gift to me was a gold pinky ring. I always wanted one, but I never had the chance to link it to something important in life. I wear it every day, and one day one of my kids will wear it as well.”
His fail-safe gift to give: Something timeless, like a Montblanc pen .
“A Polaroid camera, or a beautiful Montblanc pen, or a Dupont desk lighter, or a silver paper cutter, a record player, a beautiful book. I believe that, besides being meaningful, an item should be conceptually surviving to the next generation.”
Write to Kayleen Schaefer at kayleen.schaefer@wsj.com and Sarah Spellings at sarah.spellings@wsj.com
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