Are you the family member, friend, or significant other of a denim-obsessed madman? Or an Amekaji nerd yourself who is trying to figure out what to ask for Christmas (or your birthday? Or other holiday?) realizing that your odds of getting a new pair of $1,950 Clinch Boots is rather slim?

To solve this problem, I have come up with a helpful and handy list of (relatively) affordable gifts for the denim and leather nerd. I have tried to emphasize single-brand makers and things made by small, cool companies, and have tried to keep specific recommendations to one per brand. It should go without saying, but I am not getting paid or anything like that! These suggestions are all my own.

Hollows Leather keychain – $145

For a decade now, Hollows Leather has been making some great belts, wallets, and other accessories, all made in the US. Any of these would be a good gift choice, but I’d like to emphasize the Wayward Sister keychain, for its intuitive and ingenious design.

There are a lot of cool denimhead keychains out there, but I have the same fundamental issue with most of them – concern over accidentally having it come loose from the wearer’s belt loop. The clever design of this keychain avoids this problem, and also is easy to handle one-handed, which is not the case with others that use a conventional trigger hook that swivels around.

There are a lot of great keychain options out there which deserve consideration – the Good Art Belt Buddy being another I like – but this one is my personal favorite. I’d suggest you get it in the gorgeous but under-appreciated Black Cherry English bridle leather option.

Viberg Baseball Cap – $55

Ignore the haters – baseball caps rule, and Viberg makes a really good one. Viberg’s boots are well-loved and iconic, but definitely on the pricey side. These terrific caps are a great way to get in on the action – they’re made in Canada from some quality cotton twill fabric, and the strap is Horween shell cordovan leather, generally considered by nerds to be the best type of leather.

This cap is available in several colors, but I put the Olive version on my own gift list – it’s a great color that pairs well with denim and lots of other stuff in your average denim nerd wardrobe.

If you’d like a second opinion, 3Sixteen also makes some nice-looking caps, in herringbone and waxed canvas options.

3Sixteen Coffee Mug – $45

I have noticed that there is a massive overlap between denim nerds and coffee nerds. You could make an impressive Venn Diagram about this, I’m sure. So while 3Sixteen has a lot of great giftable options, I’m going to go with this coffee mug. It’s an interesting color scheme and design that ought to offer something new for your coffee-drinking experience.

You can also drink tea in this earthenware vessel, so it’s like getting a whole extra mug for your money. You can’t beat that deal. Also, it’s made in the US.

Two Ears Bandanna – $55

I have never been so enthusiastic about an item I’m not entirely sure how I should use as my Two Ears bandannas. They’re terrific-looking bandannas, made in Japan, with a great print and fabric colors – and pretty unique in that they feature selvedge on two ends rather than just one. I generally keep one folded in my back pocket or in a jacket to use as a handkerchief, but you could wear it around your neck, too, so there are lots of possibilities, especially for the stylistically bold.

I think I prefer the blue version a bit, but the red is also really nice. They also have a new pattern that just shipped, so keep an eye out for that.

Chup socks – $35

Chup Socks have become very popular in the last few years, as a way to add some flavor to your footwear (especially boots.) If you want to wear Chup every day of the week it’ll get expensive fast, but the good news is, one pair isn’t outrageously expensive, and it makes a great gift – especially if you’re on a budget. They’re terrific quality socks with nice patterns and comfortable materials, and they’re made in Japan. They have quite a few retailers at this point, but I chose Withered Fig for their nice selection and photography.

Topo Designs Dopp Kit – $34

For years I went on trips without a good solution for toiletries: I just threw them in a big plastic Ziplock bag and usually lived to regret it when everything inside inexplicably exploded five minutes into the journey.

The Topo Designs Dopp Kit is the perfect solution: it’s somewhat structured, fits all of your essentials inside, is easy to carry and store, and maybe best of all, easy to clean – it’s canvas, so you can just wash it out if your toothpaste tube ruptures inside. This leads me to suggest Topo’s bag over other, more expensive options that are often made of leather.

There are plenty of great, eye-catching colors available on Topo’s stuff, but I like their Red/Navy combo at the moment. I’ve been using this same Dopp Kit and one of their backpacks for a few years now and can attest to the high quality of Topo’s materials and construction. And it’s all made in the US, so that’s also a plus.

Indigo Proof Gift Certificate

Indigo Proof does the best denim repairs in the world, and if you wear your jeans for many months you’ll eventually need to get repairs. On top of that, they have other services like hemming and tapering. Usually I try to stay away from recommending gift cards or certificates, but Indigo Proof is such a great service and do such excellent work that I think this makes a wonderful gift for the denimhead in your life. The fact that you can set the value of the certificate is also nice for those gift buyers who need to be monetarily flexible.

Monk Made Goods Bernard Wallet – $105

We live in a golden age of high-quality, hand-crafted small leather goods, and West Virginia’s Monk Made Goods is offering some of the best. In lieu of the (relatively) more mass-produced Tanner Goods bifold wallet that tends to get recommended, I’m going with MM’s Bernard bifold.

It’s made from fantastic Italian Buttero leather that will age beautifully over time, and is hand-sewn – not machine stitched like Tanner! – with high-quality thread by the hands of Jason. They also offer plenty of other wallet styles and materials, such as Horween Shell Cordovan. Depending on the wallet and materials it can get quite expensive, but there are great budget options like the Bernard wallet available as well.

Flat Head Bracelet – $90

You didn’t think I’d get through this list without mentioning my favorite brand, did you? Flat Head makes terrific leather crafts, and today I’m recommending their indigo-dyed bracelet. This is a great change of pace from the typical natural veg-tan bracelet, as it’s been dyed a rich, beautiful indigo shade (but with the underlying quality and grain of Flat Head’s veg-tanned leather.) Topping it off is a lovely S-hook that is hand-carved and engraved with Flat Head’s initials.

Pigeon Tree Crafting Quick Release Belt – $125

Here’s something you won’t find at the mall anytime soon. Pigeon Tree Crafting, developed this clever belt buckle, and it’s an awesome value at a reasonable price for a one-man operation belt made in the US. Upgrade to the copper buckle for extra cool points.

Pigeon Tree has plenty of great leather options to choose from, but I picked a classic undyed veg tan option, which will turn a nice golden brown shade over time.

Saphir Shoe Buffing Brush – $35

Every denim nerd with decent leather footwear should have two brushes – one to clean, and one to buff/polish, though in a pinch you can use a single brush for both tasks (I am guilty of this.)

Sid Mashburn offers a nice option from Saphir, which will keep your shoes clean and/or looking sharp. Check their other shoe accessories as well – like Saphir Renovateur shoe cream, and smaller brushes from application of leather care products.

3Sixteen Enamel Pins – $12

Alright, alright, I cheated – here’s a second recommendation from 3Sixteen. 3Sixteen makes some cool enamel pins that are a great way to add some flair to your jacket, backpack, whatever. My favorite is this depiction of the iconic Union Special 43200G sewing machine, responsible for the roping effect at the hem of vintage-style jeans, and a certified totem of denim nerdery. They also have enamel pins of a pair of jeans and a jacket, if that’s more your thing, but trust me: if you want to surprise your denim nerd friend with something delightful, this will do an admirable job – for cheap!

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