Not for my guy, but one year for one of my best-friend's husband (he's also a very good friend) I got him a really nice how-to book on carpentry ... a hobby that he dearly loves, but hasn't had much training, etc. in ... she told me later that he said it was his favorite present that year, and one of his all time favorite presents he'd ever gotten ... I think mainly because it was something he loved to do and he knew he'd be looking at it for years to come.