2024 Holiday Gift Guide
Wondering what to get that special someone in your life? Well your first instinct should be a finely crafted piece from Forest Supply Company. But if that doesn't fit what you're looking for, then we're still here to help. Below are some of our favorite things that we would recommend in a few categories.
The lists below contains affiliate links to Amazon so I will get a few pennies if you buy anything 🙏, everything is something that I have bought personally or received as a gift from family and I use frequently.
Woodworking / DIY
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Thorvald Carpenters Pencils - These pencils are great. A thick lead with a built in sharpener that unscrews from the from the back. The tip also has a removable grip that lets you get into hard to reach places better. |
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Odie's Oil Dark - This is one of my favorite finishes. It is food safe and provides a great sheen that slightly darkens the wood over time while making the wood grain standout. |
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Dewalt StealthSonic Shop Vacuum - The worst part about most shop vacuums is that they are so incredibly loud. Well Dewalt addressed that with these new shop vacuums that have great power to clean up messes or act as a dust collector attached to tools while also keeping the volume down to something that doesn't make your ears ring. |
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MicroJig FitFinder 1/2 Gauge - Sometimes the simplest things are the best. This tool helps you get an exact halfway measurement using simple geometry without any measuring. |
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Dewalt 12V Cordless Drill - The temptation of most new woodworkers is to buy the biggest and most powerful tool there is. And while big powerful tools have their place, I reach for this drill 90% of the time for woodworking or DIY tasks around the house. It's lighter weight and still have plenty of power for most tasks. |
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Dewalt 12V Cordless Screwdriver - If you can afford it, go ahead and grab the cordless screwdriver as well. Having a second tool to keep the driver bit in while the drill bit is in the other speeds up most tasks where you're doing both. Learn how to use the clutch on it to drill screws in consistently flat with the surface of the wood and it will make everything look that much nicer. |
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Amana Countersink Set - And speaking of driving screw heads flat with the surface, this countersink is a dream to use allowing for an adjustable depth to dial in the perfect flush or below the surface fit for every screw. The ball bearing depth stop keeps you from marking the surface. |
Books
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The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek - This is a book that I think all entrepreneurs and business leaders should read. It reframes the idea of success not as winning, but as getting to keep play the game. There is so much wisdom in this. |
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Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse - If you like the idea of The Infinite Game, but you're buying for someone that loves philosophy and a broader application of the idea of reframing success as continuation and not winning then this is the book for you. Written by the theologian Carse, it is much of the foundation of much of what Sinek talks about in his book but in a broader context. |
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A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander - For the person in your life that loves architecture (physical or software) or design (any kind of design), this book is full of concepts that will draw you to think differently about design. Christopher Alexander passed away this year, and there has been a resurgence in people looking at his work again. Originally written in 1977 this book explores architecture through a series of rules that when applied to a specific site and project will allow the design to organically grow. Alexander looks at this from the scope of a single room, all the way up to the design and layout of a city. |
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American Nations by Colin Woodard - This is the book I probably recommend the most to people and have read it multiple times (also Audible version is great). It is a view of American History from the lens of regional cultures and how North America is made up of 11 cultural nations and how their interactions shaped American history. |
Just Generally Useful
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Lighter Pro Headlamp - This is a game changer of a headlamp. It gives a wider field of light to where you don't feel like you're pointing a flashlight what you're looking at, but just that everything around you is lit up by ambient light. Comes with a rechargeable battery and has red mode for retaining night vision. |
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Zippo Brass Lighter - This classic lighter with a classy look is great to carry around for when you need heat when camping or just lighting a candle around the house or lighting sparklers for the kids on New Years Eve. For a bonus, get the butane torch insert to make it and easier light that burns hotter than conventional lighters igniting candles quicker. |
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Bob Smith Industries CA Glue - CA Glue is another name for what most people call Super Glue. This is better quality glue than what you'll get at the big box store. Then the kicker to all of this ... the Accelerator. This spray (which smells like fruit candy for some reason) makes any type of super glue set in mere seconds. Put the glue on one piece and then spray the other piece with the |
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Wera Tool-Check Plus Ratchet Set - This compact tool set is a just about perfect for quick odd jobs around the house. It has a plethora of screw driver bits, and small sockets to go with a screwdriver handle and a ratchet. Keep one in the junk drawer in the kitchen and you'll use it far more than you expect. If you prefer the Imperial unit version, you can get that here, but with most product made in China now almost every toy uses metric nuts/bolts now. |