In short: A good personal gift feels made for him, not printed for anyone with his name. Keep the personal part small, like a name, a number, a date or a handwritten line, and choose a gift that is nice even without it. Engraving and hand-lettering take extra days, so order early for Christmas.
What makes a personal gift good
The best ones are small: a name, a number, a date, a handwritten line. Nothing loud, nothing that looks like an online printing form.
The gift must stand on its own
If it is only nice because of the name, it is a mug. If it is nice without the name, and the name is a bonus, it is a gift.
Choose something he will use
He will wear a good sweater, a leather piece or a watch strap. A mug goes on the shelf.
Plan for the extra days
Engraving and hand-lettering take time. For Christmas, order early.
More ideas: The Gift Nobody Else Will Give Him.
A note on transparency: we make a cashmere sweater ourselves, limited to 25 numbered pieces, with the name written by hand on the box. The ideas above work for any brand. Our sweater is one of many you can compare.