Ress Kutschen toboggan

If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones you used to know, then once you’ve got your beady butchers ’round this, you’ll be learning how to do ancient Native American snow dances to bring the white stuff down this Yuletide.

This super fast and super sophisticated toboggan is made from steam-bent beechwood by Bavarian coach builders Ress Kutschen. The exclusive design folds into a 9cm-wide carry case, making it easy to take on skiing holidays. The skis swivel around, making the toboggan easy to transport up the slope. And I bet it’s faster than shit off a shovel. Trounce your kids down the slopes for £159. BUY IT

Blue-sky umbrella

Why is it that men’s umbrellas are usually sober affairs? Women get all kinds of weird designs (some quite tasteful) whereas us blokes end up with something black, or worse still, a golf brolly. Well, designer Tibor Kalman has come up with a novel way of putting the design into gent’s umbrellas.

Inside this brolly is a lovely blue sky to cheer you up on the most miserable day. If that doesn’t tickle your pickle, then maybe it will appeal to the surrealist in you? The black nylon exterior will keep you dry, and the wooden shaft and handle will confirm you have something that’s a bit more classier than your bog standard brolly. It’s also pretty cheap for a reasonable $48. BUY IT

The Xmas List, No.3: Leatherman Squirt

Most blokes love multitools. They’re so damn functional and they give off the impression that you’re a hands-on, DIY-lovin’ kind of chap (even if you can’t change a plug). American company Leatherman make the best multitools and they proudly sell all their products with a 25-year guarantee. When you buy a Leatherman, you buy it for life – just don’t lose it. The squirt is one of their most portable tools. It’s small enough to attach to a keyring, but strong and versatile enough to cope with a range of manly jobs, thanks to its spring-action pliers, three screwdrivers, wire cutters, bottle opener, saw and blade. What more could you want for Xmas? LEATHERMAN SITE

Stussy utility mini brief bag

Man bags are a tricky thing to get right. These days we seem to have so much portable gear (mobile phone, iPod, PSP, digital camera, wallet etc.) that a small ‘day bag’ is an essential item. If you find that the pockets on your Levi 501s aren’t big enough, then we highly recommend Stussy’s mini utility bag as a perfect alternative. It’s black, it’s durable, it’s urban, it’s the perfect size to tote around a few essentials (see above) and it’s on our Xmas list. BUY IT

Oki-Ni Freitag messenger bag

You don’t have to be a messenger to get the most out of this limited edition Oki-Ni Freitag messenger bag. It’s got enough secret pockets to hide most of your worldly possessions – illegal drugs, your iPod, little black book etc. and it looks rather good too. It’s cut by hand in Zurich (by Swiss Oompa Loompas?), hence the £115 pricetag. BUY IT

Five hip holdalls

The bag you carry says as much about you as the clothes you wear. Don’t buy a duffer, pick up one of these five holdalls and you’ll really look the part at the gym or when you’re staying over for a weekend.


1. Eddie Mulder Tribute bag

Eddie Mulder was a 60s dirt track rider, the first man to wear brightly coloured leathers and amazingly, Evel Knievel’s stunt double. This is a copy of his kit bag by Bill Amberg, made of bike leather, with chunky biker zips and heavy treads. A real looker, but not cheap at £645.

Bill Amberg website


2. Paul Smith Vintage Mini bag

if you’re feeling nostalgic for the old Mini, check out this Paul Smith bag with ‘Mini at Chatsworth Print’, along with two internal pockets, an extendable strap, purple lining, embossed logo and antique brass hardware. It’s available now to buy online, priced at £135.

Paul Smith website

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The Magpie Cafe, Whitby

There are few places outside of London that are featured on ‘must eat at’ restaraunts. One name that always crops up is the legendary Magpie Cafe in Whitby, a small fishing town in Yorkshire.

The Magpie has been in business since 1939, and is less focused on style, and wholeheartedly into making great food. The cafe overlooks the stunning harbour, where the fish is caught the same day as you eat it. Anyone who enjoys fish and chips needs to visit the Magpie before they die. Rick Stein described it as the best place in the country to eat fish and chips, and the queue’s that await you confirm the popularity of the place.

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Wallet 2.0

It was inevitable really: following the boom in Web 2.0 hype, canny product manufacturers are applying the 2.0 magic to, well, any object that’s a bit more advanced than its predecessors. As you would. Take the Wallet 2.0, so named because it uses refill sheets inside, like a Filofax. It comes with five of them, to hold notes, coins, ID and credit cards, with "more on the way" (i.e. to keep hatstands, small dogs, origami buzzards…). Whether it’ll appeal to men more than a classy, old-fashioned Wallet 1.0 remains to be seen. Hey, mine’s got a fancy clasp on the outside. Does that make it Wallet 1.3?