Best New Tools for 2011-2012

Efficient, Sharp, and lightweight the Fiskars Super Splitting Axe is ideal for splitting a pile of wood quickly without all of the back pain. The design is ergonomic and lightweight so it works with your strength to put more power into the head of the axe and is easier to control making it safer as well.

Don't let the lightweight design fool you this is a hardy axe with a hardened forged steel blade designed to last longer. It's been advertised as virtually unbreakable. The blade also has a coating that allows it to gently glide away from the coat so that it doesn't get stuck as easily.

Leatherman is known for their handy interchangeable tools. Maybe he has one and maybe he doesn't. The Leatherman Skeletool is a great replacement for a pocket knife. It's super lightweight at only 5 ounces and the blades are outside accessible like a standard pocket knife.

Overall, the Skeletool comes with 9 highly utilized tools but lacks tools that you'd find in an outdoor Leatherman. If you or your guy is an outdoors-man, then you'll want to look at the Leatherman Charge TTi.

This isn't like the old compact drills you've seen, the Ll3100 has 40% more power in a smaller size than previous Black & Decker models and the battery is Lituium-Ion so it'll last him a long time.

Sometimes people try to over think things and they get a little bit expensive and unpractical. The Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener is probably the best sharpener around. It's super easy to use and compact so you can take it with you on any trip you'll need it. The Pre-set carbides sharpen very dull edges quickly. For blade types it has a specially shaped ceramic slot for serrated blades and a tapered diamond rod for standard edges. At Under $10 this is a great Christmas gift for your Dad if you're on a budget.

I own this flashlight and love it. While you may think I hold some personal bias this product has nearly perfect ratings for over 400 reviews on Amazon. LED flashlights are the future. They are more energy efficient, can have more settings, and are brighter than incandescent lights. The Nebo Redline features 3 different levels of brightness for the right amount of light in the right situation. Switch from 220 Lumens for 150 yards, 110 for 65 yards, and 22 Lumens for 30 yards. It also is a great tool for use in emergencies. An emergency flashing strobe mode can be activated by clicking the rear button 5 times. In addition you can turn the bezel clockwise for short range flood lighting.