For the next week on Shelter Blog, we're posting new Holiday Gift Idea entries and republishing entries from last year. Keep an eye on our site for great gift ideas.Everyone likes cash, but it lacks personality. Chocolates are gone in a day. A bottle of 21-year-old-Honduran rum is apt not to fit in the stocking. So what can you find at Shelter that's the perfect stocking stuffer?

Folding Japanese Hand Saws:

A folding saw! Yes, they do exist, and it's not only practical for the stocking, it's enormously handy for home, out in a field, or in the shop. The Gomboy 300 pictured here is 13 inches long (when folded). Maybe not pocket size, but certainly the right size for a toolbox. The blade is coarse, suitable for pruning green limbs perhaps. However, the blade can be replaced with a finer blade that might be used for carpentry. Or you might want a smaller folding saw. I keep a Silky Gomboy in my tool belt. It's a little over eight inches when folded and is classified by Silky Tools as "interior" or "civil" engineering grade, suitable for interior trim work because of its finer tooth configuration. We carry many more folding saws and other Japanese hand saws. Call us, or view our online store for more details.

Hammers and Mallets:

One of our favorite tools in the store is the Wood Is Good mallet. (Hint to my wife: the 20 oz. mallet would fit perfectly in my stocking. I promise it won't be too hard to wrap.) We also carry a 30 oz. Wood Is Good mallet. They fit comfortably in your hand. The urethane head is a wonderful shock absorber and is easy on a chisel handle. Our favorite hammer is the 21-ounce Yamaguchi, available with a smooth or waffle face. (Umm waffles.) It is very durable and capable tool.

Clamps:

I think I heard a joke once that God could have created the world in fewer than seven days, but he didn't have enough clamps. Everybody could use more clamps. Since this is a religious holiday season, perhaps they're apt as well. Feel free to reuse the joke on the card.

Pocket and Kitchen Knives:

Everyone can use a pocket knife, and we carry a wide selection of Leatherman tools in our store. Online, we offer our favorite, the Leatherman Squirt S4. It offers ten functions, and it fits easily in your pocket. (Just make sure you don't leave it in your carry-on bag at the airport. I've seen sad travelers relinquish their favorite Leatherman, and it's not a happy moment.)We used to have a very dull knife for chopping vegetables in the kitchen. I hated using it. That was my excuse for not helping with dinner prep. Now I have no excuse, because we have a full set of really sharp knives that we received as a Christmas gift. Does Shelter carry kitchen knives? You bet we do! And they're really sharp. Which one should you start with? You can't go wrong with a seven-inch chopping knife. It's tempered and sharpened to a razor edge. It will cut through a melon like it's a tomato.Last Minute Gift IdeaIf you need something at the last minute, a gift certificate always works. A Shelter gift certificate can be used for classes, tools, building supplies, toys, and more. Contact us, and we'll get one out to you as soon as possible.If the person you're shopping for has all of the above, contact us at info@shelterinstitute.com, and we'll help you find the perfect gift your Holiday needs.