12 American-made Christmas gift ideas



Though you’re probably still recovering from a tryptophan-induced slumber, it’s officially that time of the year again. Christmas is nearly upon us, which means it’s a great time to start thinking about gift ideas for your loved ones.

And why not support proud American businesses while enjoying the Christmas season with your family? Whether you’re looking for handmade jackets and boots or artisan tools and gadgets, we found some of the best American companies and their offerings. Give them a gift that will last a lifetime from companies that embody the American spirit.

From heirlooms to stocking stuffers at a variety of price points, here are 12 of our top picks of made-in-the-USA products that will never fail to impress.

1. Billykirk

Billykirk

Based in Jersey City, New Jersey, Billykirk was founded in 1999 by the brothers Chris and Kirk Bray. Self-proclaimed pioneers of the Made in America movement, the Bray brothers have been longtime giants in the revitalization and support of the American leather industry. Focused on producing leather products that blend traditional craftsmanship with modern functionality, Billykirk has always been committed to the intersection of art and utility. The No. 155 Card Case is one of the company's original designs, tracing back to the beginning of the company and showcasing the brothers’ artful expertise for enriching everyday products. MSRP: $95.00

Visit Billykirk’s website for more gift ideas.

2. Bullhide Belts

Bullhide Belts

Bullhide Belts, a proud U.S. manufacturer based in Ohio, shows meticulous attention to detail and lives up to its commitment to quality. With a promise of “buckle to tip excellence,” Bullhide Belts’ craftsmen have been at work since 2010, delivering a superior belt with full-grain leather that many people have come to love. The Admiral Belt, available in widths of 1.25” and 1.5” and in black, brown, and medium brown, is a timeless accessory designed to effortlessly transition from the boardroom to weekend casual. The company also crafts a variety of other leather goods, including wallets, cellphone holsters, rifle slings, and much more. MSRP: $69.99

Visit Bullhide Belts’ website for more gift ideas.

3. Sullivan Glove Company

Sullivan Glove Company

Sullivan Glove Company is one of only three glove companies left that still makes everything in the USA with American materials. Sullivan prides itself on ensuring that its customers are not supporting the many unsavory practices common in the textile industry. The company sources and handcrafts its leather from American deer, elk, buffalo, and goat, all from its headquarters in Bend, Oregon. Pictured is the golden Elk Roper, which is tough enough for most types of work but also versatile enough for everyday use. MSRP: $95.00

Visit Sullivan Glove Company’s website for more gift ideas.

4. All American Clothing

All American Clothing

All American Clothing’s story speaks volumes in the wide and terrible seas of outsourcing and globalization. The company's founder, Lawson Nickol, initially worked as a sales manager at another denim manufacturing company; however, one day, he found out at a store that his old company was outsourcing labor to Mexico. The discovery filled him with sadness for the American job loss. Acting immediately on principle, he quit his comfortable job and launched All American Clothing. His new company is committed to sourcing and manufacturing its products 100% in the USA. The high-quality All American Dark Stonewash Boot Cut Jean is but one of the fine fruits of Lawson Nickol’s dedication to his dream. MSRP: $79.95

Visit All American Clothing’s website for more gift ideas.

5. New Balance

New Balance

Independent since 1906, New Balance has always been committed to producing excellent products. New Balance continues to adhere to its mission to stay “fearlessly independent” while delivering the best shoes without compromise. The company's Made in the USA collection boasts the highest-quality shoes it has to offer. This collection is the product of over 75 years of collective expertise and knowledge of the craft. New Balance is also on the cutting edge of cool, as the “dad sneaker” has returned to vogue among hipsters and Zoomers. This collection, dropped in August 2024, explores many subtle color schemes on shoes of the highest-quality material, all — you guessed it — made in the USA. MSRP: $200.00

Visit New Balance’s website for more gift ideas.

6. Quoddy

Quoddy

Quoddy gets its name from the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, originally built in 1808, which in turn derives its name from an Indian word for the area. With over 200 years of history behind its name, Quoddy commits itself to providing the highest-quality, built-to-last boat shoes, moccasins, and other footwear without cutting corners. Quoddy's made-to-order footwear is handcrafted in Maine under the shadow of its namesake. The Quoddy Head Boat Shoe is a perfect example of this company’s adherence to the time-tested wisdom of the craft. Starting from the comfortable and supportive design of the “foot cradle,” Quoddy’s craftsmen then add custom features to make this footwear stylish and durable. MSRP: $249.00.

Visit Quoddy’s website for more gift ideas.

7. Russell Moccasin

Russell Moccasin

Founded in 1898, Russell Moccasin Co. has made a name for itself as the quintessential boot for all types of outdoorsmen. Russell has shod trailblazers, hunters, trappers, hikers, and those at the heights of power and influence, including four U.S. presidents. Named after its founder, William Russell, this company has handcrafted its footwear across three centuries, all from Berlin, Wisconsin. The Backcountry, Russell Moccasin’s flagship boot, promises to accompany any traveler from the sea to the mountaintops with its lightweight yet rugged design. Buying a pair of Backcountry boots is like buying a piece of history for yourself. MSRP: $750.00

Visit Russell Moccasin Company’s website for more gift ideas.

8. Middleton Made Knives

Middleton Made Knives

Founded in 2010 by Quintin Middleton, Middleton Made Knives was built "on faith and a dream.” The realization of a childhood passion for bladesmithing, the company crafts custom, high-carbon steel blades in the small town of Saint Stephen, South Carolina. Quintin is known as the South’s premier bladesmith, even making custom blades by hand for some of America’s top chefs. Middleton Made Knives’ Classic and Signature Collections include a wide variety of culinary blades with bright bursts of color, making the company a perfect example of American artisanry. MSRP: $500.00

Visit Middleton Made Knives’ website for more gift ideas.

9. Silver Stag

Silver Stag

Born from a garage-based hobby more than 20 years ago, Silver Stag has built a nationally respected brand by taking a “step back in time.” Committed to a hands-on approach whereby all knives are fashioned from the ground up in the company's Blaine, Washington, facility, no two blades will be the same. With handles sourced from North American shed antler and hardwoods and blades from high-quality steels, each blade is specialty-made by the small team of skilled workers at the nine-person company. Offering a wide array of knife styles, Silver Stag will have your back when it comes to addressing all your needs — both in hunting and in the kitchen. MSRP: $170.00

Visit Silver Stag’s website for more gift ideas.

10. WeatherWool

WeatherWool

Family-owned and operated since 2009, WeatherWool was founded as a passion project to make luxury wool garments entirely in the USA. Tired of being told that this was impossible, Ralph and Debby DiMeo set out to create their own “hardcore luxury” brand. Sixteen years later, WeatherWool has stayed true to its vision without cutting any corners. So sure are they of the quality of their products that you can find blog videos on their website of Ralph himself battle-testing their jackets in extreme weather. The All-Around Jacket, sourced and manufactured “100%” in the USA, is made from “100% WeatherWool Certified Fine Wool,” a material the company said is 100% worth the premium price tag. MSRP: $985.00

Visit WeatherWool’s website for more gift ideas.

11. Wintergreen Northern Wear

Wintergreen Northern Wear

Wintergreen Northern Wear’s story is just about as American as it gets. The company's flagship fleece and shell anoraks are the products of decades of dedication to developing a high-quality winter jacket for extreme conditions. Field-tested at the North Pole and inspired by local clothing from Inuit and Scandinavian cultures, the anorak was worn by many adventurers on unaided expeditions to the North Pole, unsummited peaks, and in many other extreme environments. With an emphasis on breathable, quality materials, Wintergreen Northern Wear manufactures all its adventure products in the small town of Ely, Minnesota, to this day. MSRP: $339.00

Visit Wintergreen Northern Wear's website for more gift ideas.

12. Red Rooster Camano Coffee Mill & Small Batch Fire Roasted Coffee

This plastic-free, made-in-America hand grinder features several settings for consistent and plentiful grind options, from super fine Turkish to coarse French press. And it’s handsome enough to admire even when at rest, replete (but not too replete) with timeless old-world charm. MSRP: $225.00 (coffee mill) / $20.00 (small-batch, fire-roasted coffee)

Visit Red Rooster’s website for more gift ideas.

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How to beat Ryan Gosling at pull-ups



My 9-year-old went as Ken for Halloween this year. The original plan was to go with the movie's Sly Stallone-inspired look, but instead of a white fur coat, the Goodwill gods delivered up a perfectly sized acid-washed jean jacket. So the (sleeveless) Canadian tuxedo it was. Add to that his blond hair and the Himes six-pack (nature's compensation for shortchanging us on height) and the kid was a mini Ryan Gosling.

"All the Kens in that movie had a pull-up content and Gosling won," I told him. That piqued his interest. He's very competitive and runs with a particularly sporty crowd of fourth-grade boys; everyone knows exactly where they rank according to various athletic metrics.

"How many?"

I didn't know, so I guessed. "Fifty-two." He nodded just enough to convey respect without admitting that he was impressed. "I'll install a pull-up bar," I said.

Thing is, my son could beat Gosling in a pull-up contest, if he set his mind to it. I could beat him, and I recently earned a free AARP prescription and a some intimate photos of the inside of my colon. And I bet you could beat him too. Of course, you shouldn't take any exercise advice from me that you wouldn't take from a qualified medical professional, but my point still stands. Pull-ups are wonderfully egalitarian that way.

Just ask David Goggins. Back in May he did what he thought was a new world record of 7,801 pull-ups in 24 hours. As he was submitting the evidence to Guinness, he found out another guy had just done 8,008. That record stood for a whole five months, until an Australian policeman named Gary Lloyd hit 8,600. Quoth Goggins, "There is always some motherf**ker out there working harder than you hunting your ass."

Get your form in order first. None of that CrossFit kipping like Mark Wahlberg did when he said he could do more pull-ups than Dwayne Johnson. You want explosive on the way up and slow and controlled on the way down. Don't use momentum; use your back muscles. Keep your core engaged the whole time. Use an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder width, knuckles up so your wrists and not your fingers do the work. Hit the bar with your sternum to encourage proper form, and use your full range of motion. More detailed information on form here and here.

You don't need an in-house pull-up bar, but I spend much of the work day hunched over my computer about 15 steps from my bed, so I like the idea of banging out a set every couple of paragraphs. The bar I bought is a Rogue Jammer pull-up bar in red knurled Cerakote. Pricey, but Rogue is arguably best in class when it comes to made-in-the-USA fitness products, and we're talking about potentially tens of thousands of future reps here. Besides, those cheap ones you wedge in the doorframe never seem to fit my doors. Titan Fitness and Fringe Sport also offer American-made wall-mounted bars that come highly recommended, while FitBar makes the best doorway pull-up bar I've seen.

Women should pay heed as well. Forget leaning in — what about pulling up? Yes, your relatively weak upper body strength can make it seem impossible, but you haven't met Angela Gargano yet. If you can hang, she can get you to your first pull-up and beyond.

Why every home needs a guitar



The book of Acts recounts a particularly tumultuous mission trip Paul and Silas took to the Roman colony Philippi. Arrested for disturbing the peace, they were severely beaten, shackled, and thrown in prison. At midnight, as they sang hymns, an earthquake opened the jail and loosened their bonds. Instead of escaping, Paul and Silas converted their jailer.

Some 18 centuries later, an itinerant preacher named Washington Phillips recorded his song “Paul and Silas in Prison" for a Columbia Records field agent in a makeshift Dallas studio. While it caused no earthquake, his haunting and delicate performance seems to reverberate like an aftershock in those who hear it.

What makes Phillips' recording so powerful is his conviction. Like Paul and Silas, he sang to praise God, obeying a command that appears almost 50 times in the Bible. It's a potent reminder that music is more than just a commodity, today made cheap and plentiful by technology. It's our birthright as men and one of the most intimate expressions of the human soul. As such, it is far too vital a part of who we are to cede it entirely to the professionals.

You don't need to languish in prison to experience the benefits of a making your own music. Knowing a few songs by heart can enliven any number of tedious situations, such as waiting at the DMV or hauling a sail on a Merchant Marine clipper ship. And anyone can learn to sing, despite what you may have heard. Add a guitar and you've got yourself a party. We've seen modestly skilled players turn a room of sedate wine-sipping moms into a raucous Guns N' Roses tribute act.

Guitars are just nice to have around, and America still manufactures some good ones. Family-owned and -operated for six generations, C.F. Martin and Co. have been making their exquisitely crafted instruments in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, since 1833. A Martin guitar doesn't come cheap, but its sound is inimitable and it will last several lifetimes.

Gibson is another storied guitar-maker that has kept production in the USA. After an ill-fated expansion into consumer electronics drove it into bankruptcy in 2018, Gibson returned to its roots. It makes electric guitars, including the iconic Les Paul, in Nashville, and acoustics in Bozeman, Montana.

Those looking for something more affordable than the offerings of these two American legends might investigate CMG guitars of Statesboro, Georgia, founded by accomplished local musician Chris Mitchell. What started as a small guitar teaching studio in 1999 has evolved into a 7,500-square-foot factory making both guitars and amplifiers.

While American guitar manufacturing isn’t as robust as it used to be, affordable acoustics from once popular brands like Stella, Kay, and Harmony abound on the vintage market. Some have survived the years more or less intact, passed from player to player; others are found in garages and barns and restored by enterprising craftsmen like Vermont-based Steve Chipman. His online shop, VintageParlorGuitars.com, offers an array of handsome, highly playable instruments for under $1,000.

The preferred course of study for the aspiring axman remains an apprenticeship plunking out pentatonic scales for an aging metalhead in the musty back room of the local music shop. That said, we would be remiss if we didn't mention the educational opportunities available online. For example, JustinGuitar is an exhaustive and extremely well-organized site and offers much of its content for free (although donations are encouraged).

The internet can also improve your understanding of music. Rick Beato is a veteran multi-instrumentalist, session musician, producer, engineer, and educator who started a YouTube channel on a whim in 2017. Now his videos on ear training, music theory, audio engineering, and other topics get millions of views. Particularly popular is his series “What Makes This Song Great?” in which he breaks down the appeal of pop hits like 1978 Cars classic “Just What I Needed.”

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