Sometimes akin to receiving a root canal, holiday gift giving is not for the faint of heart. Most times, the recipient is left disappointed. Other times, the present will serve as a bone of contention. It makes matters 10 times worse if the receiver has an engineering background. You already know why.
However, we here at Tech Briefs want to remedy that toxic part of the holidays. So, we put together a list of terrific gift ideas for anyone — but especially the engineer — in your life.
1. Hex Bolt Pen
Not only does it look cool, but this pen actually works! It boasts a replaceable ink cartridge, working threaded lower body, threaded cap, and a nut. It’s just under six inches long with the cap, and, as previously mentioned, it looks very cool!
2. Engineer’s Desk Organizer with Unit Conversion Chart
You know this is top-notch because it was designed by an engineer! It holds calipers, rulers, writing utensils, tape measures, and smartphones and has a built-in unit conversion chart for length, pressure, mass, and force.
3. Engineer “I Do Hard Math” Mug
This 11oz. mug will hold your beverage as well as the tears of the recipient. Take the engineer in your life down a few pegs with this gift. It makes it even more amusing if the giver was an English major.
4. Engineer Nutrition Facts Tumbler 20oz
We kid, but we of course do love engineers here at Tech Briefs. We’d be out of a job without them! So, get this Tumbler for the not-so-humble engineer in your life. “Wrong answers: 0%” Sounds about right!
5. The Ultimate Book of Facts About Everything
This book has everything — accidental scientific oddities, evolutionary quirks, sports facts, myths about the human body, famous world records, and a lot more. Get it for the person who thinks they know everything so they can know everything.
6. 9-in-1 Multitool Pen
Yes, another pen on this list. So what? This one may not look as cool (while still very cool-looking!) as the Hex Bolt Pen, but it does so much more. As its name implies, it consists of nine functions: LED flashlight, stylus, bubble level, bottle opener/phone holder, metric rulers, flathead and Phillips head screwdriver, and ballpoint pen.
7. Flir One - Thermal Imaging Camera for Android Smartphones
This infrared camera plugs directly into the phone charging port and connects with all USB-C Android devices. The technology upscales the image to 240x180 pixels from 80x60 pixels for greater detail and clarity, and it measures temperature within ±3 °C or ±5 percent when the unit is within 15 °C – 35 °C and the scene is within 5 °C – 120 °C.
8. Customizer Engraving Pen
Make your mark (literally!) on more than 50 surfaces with this engraving pen. The cordless, ergonomic device — which boasts up to two hours of battery life and USB-C fast charging — is designed for engraving beginners as well as old hands.
9. Creality K1C 3D Printer
This printer is designed for high-speed printing with 600 mm/s print speed and 20000 mm/s² acceleration; that amounts to a 12-times-faster performance compared to standard 3D printers. It’s capable of printing at up to 300 °C, and it can adjust for consistent first-layer adhesion.
10. 3D Steampunk Bee Brass Puzzle Kit
We will end this list the same way we started it: with a cool-looking gift idea. This DIY 3D metal bee puzzle kit features more than 100 parts, and its weathered bronze finish and antique brass give it a museum-grade display.
