The engineer in your life is one of the toughest people to get gifts for. Sure, they would love that new 3D printer, a kit of stainless steel tools, or a pair of safety glasses with side shields and extra scratch protection... but these items are such obvious gifts and just won't cut it. You're going to need to think outside the box if you want to impress them with a great gift.
Most gift guide blogs offer lame gift ideas that will end up collecting dust in their office - complicated puzzles or games, another coffee mug, a dense book about raspberry pi, or even a circuit board tie they'll never wear. Put down that overpriced pad of computation paper at the office supplies store and back away! Your engineering friend deserves better than that.
This gift list will help you choose a creative and meaningful gift for the engineers or scientists in your life. Whether you're looking for gift ideas for Christmas, Valentine's Day, birthday gifts, or want to celebrate their engineering work anniversary, we have some great suggestions to help you find the perfect item.
What is a good gift for an engineer?
Gifts for engineers should be both functional and aesthetic, the two key elements of good design. Functional, durable, and stylish items are the best options for a mechanical engineer, civil engineer, chemical engineer, electrical engineer, computer engineer, or even an engineering student.
Practically speaking, a gift doesn't get more functional than a belt! Every engineer already owns a leather belt to wear to the office. If we're being honest with each other, it's probably a pretty boring normal one. Get their creative juices flowing with a unique belt buckle design that works in a totally new way.
Belt buckles with serious engineering cred.
The problem with traditional belts
There is nothing engineers love more than finding a product to solve a problem. We have all experienced buying a cheap department store belt only to have it start falling apart after a few months. The leather cracks, the belt holes stretch out, and the strap gets all distorted. What a waste!
If you think about it, these kinds of mass-produced belts are designed to break down quickly. Every time you undo your belt it bends the belt strap in half. No matter how good the leather claims to be, eventually, it will break down and look bad. Not to mention after the leather softens, you have to deal with the extra strap flopping over right where your pocket is, getting in the way every time you reach into your front pocket.
We invented a whole new belt technology
The first problem we set out to solve was sizing. If your weight fluctuates a lot, you know the amount of stress daily wear can put on your belt, especially at the weakest point of the strap - the belt hole. We developed a special sizing piece that screws into the leather strap. It's easy to change your belt size - simply unscrew and move the piece to whichever hole you need to use!
This special screw reinforces the belt hole and puts the stress of day-to-day wear onto the much stronger metal instead of the leather. The benefits are twofold - the belt holes won't stretch out and create a weak point. The leather strap lays flat against your body, so you're not bending it in half every time you take your belt on and off. Our patented system will keep your leather belt looking great for years!
What about that floppy leather tail on my regular belt?
You don't have to worry about that anymore! The extra leather tail on your belt lays flat and tucks inside, so you won't have anything flopping around looking sloppy. These belts will make any engineer look put together and ready to solve the world's problems!
How does an Obscure Belt buckle work?
This is the part where the engineer in your life will go absolutely gaga over their new belt. Each buckle is like a little lock and a real conversation starter. Turn, push, or pull a piece to release the inner mechanism using a rare earth magnet. Voila, it's open! Each buckle design works differently, and the fun is in figuring out the trick.
The Dial buckle is one of our best sellers. It's easy to open by turning the fins on the center part to unlock it with a satisfying snap. A piece of steel pivots between two magnets, moving the buckle hook that slots into the sizing stud.
Your engineering friend is bound to ask...
I am an aerospace engineer. Is the buckle lightweight?
Yes! We're always tinkering to make our belts the best version possible. Our newest edition of the Dial buckle is 30% lighter and 100% more awesome. We were able to get this weight reduction without compromising the strength of the buckle. If these kinds of design details interest you, check out our blog detailing the process to develop the Series 7 Dial.
I am a computer engineer and sit in an office all day - will this be comfortable?
Yes! Most belt buckles are square or rectangular and about the size of a credit card case. The 90-degree edges dig into your waist when you're sitting at work. Our buckles curve on the top and bottom, so they are comfortable to wear while you work on a computer or drawing a schematic on your beloved pad of computation paper.
Gift them the perfect fitting belt!
We make all our belts in standard and custom sizes, so you can make sure to gift the perfect size belt. We're sure your engineer will love the precision and attention to detail. If you can't find your size in our size charts or are just looking for a super perfect fit, give us your measurement to the nearest quarter inch. The more precise you are in your measurements, the better the fit for your custom-sized belt. We can make belts for any size waist up to 50 and even smaller than size 30.
What a great engineering gift!
Finding the perfect gift for an engineer can be difficult, but not anymore! Our belts make great gifts for engineering enthusiasts or even that one hard-to-please family member. These handmade belts are something they will use every day for many years. If you think you know someone who would like our belts but don't know which one to get them, we also sell gift cards so they can pick out their favorite.
