great gifts for men

This is a classic sweater in the button up cardigan style, made in Ireland by Carraig Donn, a highly regarded maker of Aran sweaters and other wool garments. It's highly versatile: It can be worn with a dress shirt and tie in all but formal business environments, yet it looks equally good with a black T-shirt and jeans. The sweater is 100% wool. As such, it has the best properties of wool, such as warmth and moisture-wicking. I find it ideal for use in the 35-55 degree Farenheit range, with no jacket on top of the sweater. (For lower temperatures, a jacket over it would work fine). Note that it does not have any man-made fibers such as acrylic or nylon; some makers make their sweaters with 10-20% of these fibers to lower costs, but they also can have the advantage of adding strength or helping a sweater keep its form. Bottom line: Very high quality, made with nothing but pure new wool -- but you do have to treat it nicely (dry cleaning is best, as is keeping it folded and away from moths!) The only (minor) negatives about this item are: Because it's 100% new wool, it is a bit itchy against exposed skin - but not a problem at all so long as you wear long sleeves underneath. Also, the buttoms are resin. Hardwood would make it a real classic, but also much more expensive and the resin buttons are almost indistinguishable from hardwood unless you examine them closely. All in all, a very nice item that you won't easily find unless you travel to Ireland. It's worth the price, as it will probably last 10 or 15 years if you take care of it.

This purchase is a gift for our granddaughter's husband. The quality and comfort are outstanding. Thank you for quality hand made items.

I have been intrigued by the crying Buddha for years. I sometimes struggle with depression and the crying Buddha makes me feel less alone. I bought both the small and larger carving because I didn't know how they would "feel". I want to offer comfort to the Buddha and I didn't know what that would look like. Would I want to hold it in my hand or would I want to stroke his back? Turns out, I want to do both. I brought the smaller carving to work and I have the larger statue on my grandmother's desk. I rub the larger statue's back every time I walk into my living room. I offer the Buddha my comfort and he offers me his. I hold the smaller carving in my hand when I'm at work. The smooth contours of the carving beg to be touched. I'm so happy with both of them. They are beautiful.