You know the person. Their birthday is coming up, and when you ask what they'd like, they say "nothing, I've got everything." Worse, they mean it. The shed is full, the wardrobe is full, and the last three gifts you gave them are still in the cupboard with the tags on.
We spend a lot of time thinking about this person, because they're who most of our customers are buying for. Here's what we've learned about finding a gift for someone who needs nothing.
The rule: they don't need more things. They need better ones.
People who have everything usually have everything in a good enough version. The knife block from a wedding in 1998. The corkscrew from the servo. The pocket knife that came free with a tyre deal. They'll never replace these themselves, because they work, sort of.
The best gift for them is the one they'd never buy for themselves: a better version of something they use all the time, with a story attached. Here's how that looks in practice.
1. Something with a story that's about them
A gift lands when it says "I thought about you", not "I went to the shops." So start with them: where they grew up, what they love, what they do on weekends.
- The river they grew up on. Every knife in our Iconic River Collection is named after an Australian river: the Murray, the Yarra, the Daintree, the Margaret River, the Murrumbidgee and more. Riverland kid? Grew up in Melbourne? There's probably a knife with their river on it.
- Their favourite bird. Our Aviary pocket knives are each built around an Australian native bird, from Bella the Blue Wren to Ian the Ibis. The magpie that swoops them every spring can become a pocket knife they carry every day.
- The animal that suits them. Our BBQ knives are named after Australian animals with personalities to match. If your dad is basically a wombat (solid, unhurried, surprisingly strong), Will the Wombat is his knife.
2. Something they'll use every day
A gift that gets used is a gift that gets remembered. A good chef's knife is picked up almost every night. It's also the thing most people keep putting off upgrading.
If they cook, give them one great knife rather than a gadget: the Murray ($295) for the kitchen, or Kevin the Big Red Kangaroo ($325) if they spend as much time at the barbecue as the stove.
3. Something that makes a moment
Some gifts are about the one time they get used. A champagne sabre ($325) turns opening a bottle into the story everyone tells after the party. There's an Adelaide Hills edition too, for anyone with a soft spot for SA wine country. (Practise outdoors. We say this from experience.)
4. Something they can collect
For the person who has everything, a collection solves next year's problem as well. The Aviary has more than 20 birds and keeps growing, so the first one starts a tradition. Birthday one: the kookaburra. Christmas: the lorikeet. You'll never have to ask what they want again.
5. Something only they have
Engraving is the easiest way to make a gift unrepeatable. Most of our single knives can be engraved with up to eight characters: initials, a nickname, or a year. "EST 1976" fits exactly, which is handy for a 50th. An engraved knife stops being a thing they own and becomes the thing their kids will argue over.
6. Something they'll learn
If they truly have everything, give them a skill. Our knife sharpening classes ($125) teach people to keep any knife sharp for life, including the old ones in the drawer. It's also a morning out, which people who have everything tend to appreciate more than another box.
A few more ideas
- For the host: four Australian steak knives in a timber box ($375), or the Local Platter Picker ($85) for the grazing-board perfectionist.
- For the wine person: the Original Lyrebird waiter's friend ($195).
- For the forager or bushwalker: the Fossicker mushroom knife ($195).
- For the fisho: the Snapper fillet knife ($265).
- When you truly can't decide: a Koi gift card, so they can choose their own bird, river or animal.
Frequently asked questions
What do you buy a man who has everything?
An upgraded version of something he uses daily, with a personal story: an engraved chef's knife, a pocket knife based on his favourite bird, or a knife named after the river he grew up on. Skip gadgets; they end up in the drawer.
What do you buy a woman who has everything?
The same principle applies. Think about what she uses and loves: a beautiful knife if she cooks, cheese knives if she hosts, a bird pocket knife if she's in the garden or out walking. A personal detail, like engraving, matters more than the price.
Is a knife a good gift for someone who doesn't cook?
Yes, just not a kitchen knife. A pocket knife, a champagne sabre or a corkscrew all get used by people who wouldn't know a santoku from a Samsung.
Isn't giving a knife bad luck?
Only if you skip the coin. Tape a coin to the box and have them give it back to you, so they've technically bought it. The friendship survives, and so does the tradition.
Browse our gift ideas, or drop into the shop at 330 Goodwood Road, Clarence Park and tell us about the person you're buying for. Helping people solve "they have everything" is most of our job.
