NailJack pullers. Just used these all day. Dynamite for pulling wire staples out of studs. Surprised me.

Being in a military which celebrates Christmas together, manly gift ideas include watches, knives, boot cleaning/polishing kits, gloves/liners, etc.

Anything that can be used daily is far more useful than some gadget you'll never use.

Neoprene boots. Great for hanging out in the woods on a cold winter day. http://www.zappos.com/bogs-portland-toast-chocolate

Leatherman Squirt, the scissors version. It packs an awful lot of functionality in to a keyring friendly size, and I find the big scissors a lot more handy and useful than a similarly sized swiss army knife.

I'm giving gimlet sets to a few lucky in-laws this year. I've found them to be a great time saver whenever I need a hole drilled and precise placement is critical. A few twists and a lovely pilot hole is exactly where you need it.

A Handpresso portable, non-electric espresso maker. Whoo-hoo!

I'm giving some Korg mini-KP Dynamic Effect Processors (a smaller Kaoss Pad):

http://tinyurl.com/ya4auvc

configured much like the excellent Korg Kaossilator previously reviewed here:

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002692.php

Both excellent intuitive electronica.

All the adults in my family (three siblings, their spouses, and my stepmother) agreed this year that they don't want any more stuff in their lives at this point. So instead of buying them gifts, my Cool Tool for the holidays is Oxfam's Unwrapped project: I buy a gift in someone's name, they get a card, I get a tax deduction, and someone in a developing country gets a goat, some chickens, a school desk and chair, some text books, or something else they really need. While I imagine a portion of my donation goes to fund overhead at Oxfam, they are one of the more efficient charities around. Based on what I've read (and heard from acquaintances who work there) most of the money I give them is being put to direct use.

http://www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com/

Aeropress. I heard about it enough from everyone and bought one for myself.
I'll be giving one during this round of gift-giving.

Since they're showing interest in watching birds and other wildlife with me, I'm getting my nieces and nephew binoculars this year. The Eagle Optics Energy series comes in cool colors, and the compact size is great for kids.

It's important to me that they start out with binoculars that really work and have decent optics, and Eagle Optics brand binoculars are always excellent for the price.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars?query=energy

Belomo 10x triplet loupe. Relatively cheap ~$30, real glass optics, and it opens an amazing world to anyone that uses it. As a bonus it can be a portable macro lens for a your cameraphone! I got mine from these guys and had an excellent transaction: http://www.geo-tools.com/lens.htm

MSR MugMate coffee/tea filter:

http://cascadedesigns.com/MSR/Cookware/Cookware-Accessories/MugMate-Coffee/Tea-Filter/product

Bought this for my grandmother-in-law after she saw me using mine. Great for single cups. Easy to clean. Mine's in excellent condition after 6 months of regular use.

Great ideas, folks! Keep 'em coming!

For any new parents, get a Flip Mino HD ($199). Last year after our kid was born we debated one of these micro cameras versus a real "camcorder" and decided that we didn't need more than the standard 1 hour recording capability. So far, the longest clip we've ever recorded of our kid is about 90 seconds, that's about the limit for a young kid to either fall, cry, puke, or get into trouble.

Saving these clips on the PC or playing them back on TV is a breeze, but the main benefit is that you can email these videos to your family (in about 12 different states in my case). Rather than attaching the video to an email, it uploads it to a Flip server and sends out a link. Posting to Youtube, Facebook, Myspace and sending video greeting cards are also an option.

This camera may not be the best choice if you plan on recording all 5 hours of junior's t-ball game, but, for a young kid, 60 minutes of recording capability is all you need. (Note the newer models offer a 120 minute version).

You can order the camera in chrome, black, or a custom designed skin. We went with a pattern, but you'd get bonus points with the wife if you put a family pic on there probably.

http://www.theflip.com/en-us/Products/mino.aspx

Rice cookers. Yes, you can make rice in a pot on the stove. But the convenience and excellent results from a dedicated rice cooker make it a great gift. Plus, it keeps the rice warm when it is finished cooking. I make only whole-grain brown rice: two and a half cups water, or one and a half cups water and a cup of chicken stock to one cup rice. Twenty minutes later: perfect rice. I recommend the Rival because the company stands behind their products and because it works well for any type of rice or wild rice. It can also be used as a steamer and comes with a steamer insert.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/184-9299741-1679212?asin=B000ETXV94&AFID=Performics_Google%20Product%20Listing%20Ads&LNM=Primary&ref=tgt_adv_XASD0001

Leatherman Skeletool. Small enough to carry in your pocket and functional enough to use every day.

Craftsmen Dogbone wrenches. They are available in SAE and metric, and each have a rotating head on each end with 4 different size sockets ( 8 total sizes). Black and Decker has something similar. These are pretty cheap and seems like the perfect thing to grab for a quick job.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00914277000P?vName=Tools&cName=Auto&MechanicsTools&sName=Wrenches&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a

I'm giving someone a Red Ryder bb rifle. It's been on Cool Tools before, but it's a great gift (esp. for $25). What I'm asking for for Christmas is a sampler set of tea from adagio.com. I've gotten one in the past and they're fantastic.
Also, I would be remiss without mentioning a great gift, the Duvel tulip glass. It's made for craft beer, but it is hands down the best glass for any fine beverage. Mine came in a nice gift box with 4 bottles of Duvel beer inside.

A Belomo Triplet 10x Loupe. A great sub $30 gift. Super portable, great for hikes, around the house, and as a bonus it makes a fine ad-hoc macro lens for a camera phone. I bought mine from http://www.geo-tools.com/lens.htm and it was a fine experience.

This is "playful", but I'm really impressed by the idea, for inventor-types like the men in my circle: the Napkin Notebook by Archie McPhee. It's a notebook for doodling your good ideas in...and all the pages are napkins. ;)

http://www.mcphee.com/shop/product_images/k/11988__34288_thumb.jpg

Smartwool Socks. Everyone can always use more socks, and Smartwool makes the best. I got some for my brother last christmas, because he's on his feet a lot and often wears steel toe boots. He loves them and now they're all he wears. Comfortable and durable, and something you can use every day: a sure winner.

I have some no nonsense people in my group and one thing I found that they use for the winter is a small top of door fan it takes the heat from a wood stove into an adjoining room. Isn't Tiffanie's but works for them.

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/product/room-to-room-fan.do#

Fountain pen. I've enjoyed learning about "real pens" this year and thought I'd share the gift, along with some unusual ink in a bottle.

http://www.namiki.com/pdf/Knight.pdf

For the passionate knitter in our family, a yarn swift and a ball winder. Taking the place of a chair back or pair of willing (or not so willing) hands, a yarn swift holds the yarn and spins when the yarn is pulled. A ball winder creates a center pull "cake" of yarn, flat on the bottom so it doesn't roll. Both are huge time and muscle savers for anyone who uses a lot of yarn.

For the passionate chess player in the family, a proper travelling chess set with roll up board and weighted pieces to replace the cheapo metal magnetic one.

A set of Sam Adams balloon glasses. The special shape and etched bottom really do enhance the aroma and experience of great beers.

I bought a set of six swisstech keychain tools at costco for $20. These are perfect little gifts, so good in fact that I kept one for myself!

http://www.swisstechtools.com/products.aspx

My girlfriend (I bought them for her male relatives) wants one too!

For Christmas this year I gave my parents a personalized puzzle featuring a custom map of the area around their lake cabin... "From any starting point, we'll create a 400-piece puzzle of a six-by-four-mile area using U.S. Geological Survey maps. A house-shaped piece in the center represents the address you choose. Shows main roads, contour lines, water features, vegetation, and notable buildings. Arrives in a presentation box with space for a personal message." If you search for a promo code, you can save 20% and if you order before the 10th, they will ship to the US in time for Christmas.
National Geographic Hometown Puzzle-
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/kids/toys-and-games/all-games/hometown-puzzle%26%230153%3B

I'm giving my son a Kindle. Normally, I wouldn't count any of the current generation of ebook readers as cool tools. They're too expensive, the screens are too small, and the DRM restrictions are very bad news. However, my son is eleven, a voracious reader, and is currently traveling around the world with his mom. In this context, two things make the Kindle a very cool tool. The obvious one is the size. Books are bulky and heavy, while the Kindle is tiny. The real advantage, though, is the access to books. English books, especially kids books, are hard to find and very expensive in much of the world. Amazon has been very successful in getting ebook versions of kids books (more so than the other ebook stores). We'll pay the U.S. price for the ebooks, download them onto his mother's computer, then transfer them to the Kindle.

The SwissTech utili key. It is the one thing I found on Cool Tools that I use every day, and has been appreciated by everyone I have given it to so far.

http://www.swisstechtools.com/productdetail.aspx?PID=VZ75GDTdP68A

The Waterbouy is an amazing little device. Perfect for anyone who does anything on or around water (boating, fishing, etc). Little key fob that when submerged in water shoots out a balloon with a blinking LED and brings your belongings (up to 1kg/2.2lbs) back up to the surface for easy retrieval. Never lose your keys overboard again. So cool. $12.99

Details: http://www.water-buoy.com/

Dealer in US: http://www.marinemart.com/products.html?page=shop.product_details&category_id=170&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=35826&vmcchk=1

Last year I gave my son and son-in-law Surefire G2 Nitrolon flashlights. It will easily fit in a shirt or pants pocket, or glove box, puts out 65 lumens and will temporarily blind someone at close range (in case you're in a spot of trouble).
A well spent $40.

http://www.surefire.com/G2-Nitrolon

USB rechargeable batteries - http://www.usbcell.com/

Lee Valley is a Canadian company that has consistently been one of the leaders of the recent renaissance of woodworking hand tools. Their engineers constantly take old designs and keep what worked, and improve what they could. It's not innovation for the sake of being new, but instead to make the tools work even better than the old ones.

One of my favorites I'm recommending to my friends who wood work are their dovetail and cross-cut saws.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=64007&cat=1,42884

Lee Valley has re-thought the traditional back saw and make an amazingly effective and well-made saw using traditional design, modern materials and a great attention to detail, for a reasonable price. You can't get better for less than twice the price.

I'm giving the previously reviewed Pelican Tool Chest:

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/003821.php
http://www.pelicanonline-ralphs.com/Pelican-0450-Tool-Chest-With-Drawers.htm

My husband has been talking about this tool chest for months. He's Gonna Love It!

My daughter loves pickles and has expressed some interest in making her own, so I'm thinking of getting her the Leener's Pickling Kit, which can be used to make either dill pickles or sauerkraut, and includes a 1-gallon lead-free ceramic crock made in the US. ($34.95)

http://www.leeners.com/condiments-pickling.html

1. Custom canvases, wallpaper, blinds or flooring, using your own or stock images. This one's a repeat of an earlier review, but as the wallpaper I bought was a present for someone, it's worth repeating here: http://www.printedspace.com

2. Roku. I've had one of these fabulous devices for 2 years. A friend of mine just bought one for his parents, because he wanted to upgrade their Netflix experience. The Roku box costs around $70 for SD and $99 for HD, allows you to stream Netflix 'watch now' content directly to your TV via HDMI. http://www.roku.com

3. It's called Logitech Squeezebox Duet Wi-Fi Internet Radio, but I use it for streaming my 80,000 songs (500gb) of music around my house. http://tinyurl.com/ykumzqd. At $349, it's way cheaper than Sonos or Bose, neither of which is relevant if like me, you're going to play the music through your hi-fi, or whatever amp + speakers you have in each room.

Worlds smallest Harmonica! The Hohner Little Lady is made in Europe from brass and pear wood. It will play a full scale. $9-15

http://www.hohnerusa.com/index.php?118

Learn 13 songs here:
http://www.harmonicanecklace.com/

I'm giving my 2 sons the Swiss Army Bantam knife as one of their presents. Kind of a stocking stuffer at $11.95, it is a minimalist SAK. One large blade, one bottle opener/screwdriver, toothpick, tweezers, not much else. Very slim, doesn't take up a lot of pocket space. Enough knife to open a beer and cut up the salami, or whatever. http://www.swissknifeshop.com/Swiss_Army_Bantam_p/sa53941.htm

My Solar Christmas Gift List is at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/9/810961/-Solar-Christmas-Gift-List and includes bees and trees from Heifer International, solar ovens for Darfur refugees from Jewish World Watch, more efficient ovens from Darfur Stoves Project, the Bogolight solar flashlight and battery charger (a previously covered cool tool), and the Freeplay Companion solar/dynamo radio, flashlight, and cell phone charger which can be modified easily to charge standard size rechargeable batteries too.

Eneloop batteries

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop-Pre-Charged-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B000LNI5VC

Okay, you go to the local big box office store, buy a stack of business card sized magnets, and some of the smaller size legal pads. Take the pads to the business center, have them cut them in half vertcally down the middle, slap a couple of the magnets on the back and you have perfectly sized grocery list pads that stick to the fridge. If you're feeling crafty, you can glue some nice fabric or japanese washi paper over the top to make them look nice. You can buy nifty magnetic pencil holders in sets of three from Lee Valley Tools, stick a pencil through it, and tie it on to a stack of these with a ribbon. It's cheap and handy, and people will actually USE them.

Personally, I asked for The Ashley Book of Knots. From Wikipedia: "The Ashley Book of Knots is an encyclopedia of knots first published in 1944 by Clifford Ashley. The culmination of over 11 years of work, it contains some 7000 illustrations and more than 3854 entries covering over 2000 different knots. The entries include instructions, uses, and for some knots, histories, and are categorized by type or usage. It remains one of the most important books on knots, as it is one of the most extensive, covering both good knots and bad, and noting which is which."

Available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Book-Knots-Clifford/dp/0385040253

The Bagalong is the best holiday gift for any city dweller!
http://www.thebagalong.com

Bought my husband a fantastic, high-quality leather bag from Saddleback Leather. They're a bit pricey, but it comes with a 100 year warranty!

http://www.saddlebackleather.com/categories/79-Briefcases/products/1646-Leather-Briefcase-Dark-Coffee-Brown

What caught my eye was the best AA flashlight, checkout the Fenix line of flashlights

I bought my Dad a Finishing Turntable for Christmas this year. He is a big woodcrafter and always complains that he has to wait overnight for coats to dry just so he can finish staining his pieces. Now he doesn't have to wait and I don't have to listen to him complain! www.finishingturntable.com

What about a cool tool called Command pictures. It is used to hang pictures on the walls.
Thx.