Father’s Day was this past weekend, and we’re curious: did the kids do all right? If you’re a dad or a proud offspring and would like to brag about your awesome Father’s Day gift, here’s your chance to do so. We always dig hearing about the sweet gifts that the family got for dear old Dad.

Of course if you got a light-up tie or the finest in last-minute shopping, that’s pretty fun to hear about as well. Just to make it more interesting, we’ll throw in a shiny new tool from the top of the Toolmonger shop pile to the lucky kid or dad who gave or received the best gift, and one to the most entertaining gift as well.

To get your chance at the ultra-fabulous grab bag prize, just comment on this post with your lucky Dad Day score and tell us a little about it. There’s no telling what the prizes will be, but I can say it will be better than a Striker Ball Light and less cool than a set of cordless tools from Paslode. So fess up and let’s hear it — you’ve got nothing to lose here.

Father’s Day is June 21st (that’s two days away for those of you not near a calendar) – are you prepared to make the old man smile? Or is it going to be one of those drug store holidays where dad will wind up with the finest gift money could buy at the local Walgreens?

Comedians like Bill Cosby and Chris Rock make light of the fact that Dads usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to props, but we’ve found that tool guys don’t fit the stereotype.  Dad taught us all kinds of cool stuff, and we often hear great stories that start out, “Me and the ole man…”   So Father’s Day winds up being pretty easy for tool guys –- get him tools.

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If you’re looking for a good weekend project, Lowe’s website offers instructions on building your own backyard putting green. Using wood, sand, paver base, astroturf, PVC, and a few basic tools — plus some elbow grease/quality time spent with the kiddo — this looks like a project you could do even without the big box. In fact, one online magazine dedicates a whole section to building your own greens that go beyond the 8′ by 8′ square.

We see a few potential concerns, though:  warped wood over time, protecting the green in winter months, and drainage issues since the flat turf and raised border can retain water.  Do you have experience building a green or ideas about how to improve drainage?  Post in comments and let us know!

Weekend Projects [Lowe's]
DIY Backyard Putting Greens [Residential Putting Green Magazine]

Father’s Day is June 21st — are you prepared to make the old man smile?  We’re not there yet either, so we figured a reminder is in order. Comedians like Bill Cosby and Chris Rock make light of the fact that Dads usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to props, but we’ve found that tool guys don’t fit the stereotype.  Dad taught us all kinds of cool stuff, and we often hear great stories that start out, “Me and the ole man…”   So Father’s Day winds up being pretty easy for tool guys –- get him tools.

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Snap-on is preparing for Father’s Day by offering a Gift Buying Guide on their website. The 8-page guide includes a wide array of hand tools, from wrenches to sockets to hammers, and it lists the promotional Father’s Day sale prices.

Don’t get me wrong, Snap-on is still pricey — but you’re paying for quality, and these tools aren’t for just your weekend warrior dad anyway.  The prices shown will last through Father’s Day both online and through your local Snap-on franchise.

Caution: The guide is a large .pdf file — if you’ve got a slow connection, click at your own risk.

Snap-on [Corporate Site]

With Father’s Day about a month away, I’m sure many of us are scrambling to find this year’s present.  We’ve already exhausted the pocket knife, cigar cutter, homemade picture frame, beer gift basket, necktie, and personal coupon books in past years, and we’re running short on ideas — but if your dad’s a sports fan and a Toolmonger, you might want to check out these sports-themed tool belts from Fantasia Memorabilia.

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The Fusion Contractor 2×4 diverges from the path of your normal multi-tool. Scramble a pencil sharpener, a level, a wire stripper, a pocket knife, storage for one nail, and a faux circ saw blade — and you get the functions a contractor will need? The website aims its spiel at the Father’s Day/birthday crowd, intimating that you might know a contractor who needs this “thematic” knife.

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Father’s Day was this past weekend, and we’re curious, did the kids do alright? If you’re a dad or a proud offspring and would like to brag about your awesome Father’s Day gift, here’s your chance to do so. We always dig hearing about the sweet gifts that folks get for dear old dad.

For instance, my dad is huge into target archery but is a bit, how shall we say, frugal. Okay, he’s a cheap-ass like his son. So we got together and gave Dad some super-high end carbon arrows this year. We knew he wouldn’t get them for himself and decided this would be perfect.  It was.

A quick side note: the folks at Addicted to Archery are super friendly and easy to deal with, even if you’re a stickler like I was about what you need.

Addicted to Archery [Website]

Comedians like Bill Cosby and Chris Rock often make light of the fact that Dads usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to props. This may be true for many folks out there, but we’ve found that tool guys don’t fit the stereotype. Dad taught us all kinds of cool stuff, and we often hear great stories that start out, “Me and the ole’ man…”  So Father’s Day winds up being pretty easy for tool guys –- get him tools.

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Strip a screw head or break a bolt, and life gets tougher. If you’re using soft screws in wood, you may need something that looks like an apple corer, but for regular steel screws, these old standby reverse-thread screw removers might just save the day. Although many will swear by these ToolMonger specials, they actually reduce swearing in most cases. So if your dad breaks screws, this might be the Father’s Day tool for him.

Street pricing runs about $15.

X-Out [Alden]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?] [What's This?]

Father’s Day is coming, and if your dad already has a chipper shredder, this Fiskars tree pruner will compliment it nicely. It slices, it dices, it even juliennes… wait… The pole tree pruner will add an extra 12′ to your reach, which makes a huge difference whether you’re on the ground or swinging from limb to limb.

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If you think belt hooks on tools are stupid — they’re usually not well-designed, and my belt is generally too tight to easily hook a tool on it — strap on a drill holster.  Black Rhino has adapted the gunslinger’s companion for the Toolmonger.

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If you’re going golfing after work, take along this little specialty tool from Dremel to keep your balls clubs clean; even if clean clubs don’t improve your game, at least they won’t make that slice any worse. Spinning at either 7,000 or 14,000 RPM, this rotary tool could drastically increase the number of golf-related eye injuries if people don’t wear protective gear! Toolmongers, of course, know better than to skip safety glasses when wielding a rotary tool — Sean says to wear a frackin’ face shield — but we have a responsibility to our fellow man.  Get out there and spread the word, or that one-eyed golfer in your life may soon have company!

Street pricing is about $20. If you think you might get one for Father’s Day, ask for goggles, too.

Golf Cleaning Kit [Dremel]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?] [What's This?]

Long time TM reader Stuey emailed us today with his analysis of Craftsman’s Father’s Day sale specials.  He’s found a few interesting discrepancies, especially when comparing the “sale” prices to standard catalog prices.  In short: many “sale” items are actually sold for similar prices every day in the catalog.  Read on past the jump for details.

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Home Depot devoted a whole website page to gifts for “tool dads,” by which they probably mean your dad, since you’re a Toolmonger.  Here’s what they recommend — and our take on their choices.

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Chip Foose created a special section on his Foose Design website chock full of items perfect for Father’s Day gifts, including numerous posters of his sweet rod drawings, some T-shirts, and the Overhaulin’ DVD pictured above.  If you’re buying for the tool guy who’s already got every tool he wants, this might fill the bill.

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Remember that guy whose tools you left out in the rain when you were five?  Yep, that’s Dad, and his special day is coming up quickly.  And just like last year, we’d like to recommend a good quality pocket knife as a perfect Father’s Day gift.  We’ve posted about a few already, but here’s another you might consider: the Case Small Congress Mammoth Ivory.  It’s unusual enough that he wouldn’t likely spring for one himself, yet it’s still a strong, usable knife.

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