In this edition of The Gift, a gifting expert explains why she doesn’t really give presents for Father’s Day — and what she does instead. Plus, a few gift ideas for the dad in your life, a very “dad-coded” briefcase for your batteries, and some handsome style upgrades for him.I suppose I shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve never gotten my dad something for Father’s Day — not once, not ever, and I probably never will.It’s not that he is undeserving. Quite the opposite, in fact. As a baby, I’d often be smudged in clay handprints by the time my mother got home from the office. “Bill, my daughter looks like your pottery phone,” she’d say, admonishing him for the dusty evidence that he’d picked me up with clay-covered hands when I fussed. Since his studio was in our house, he did school carpools and dinners, and drove me to about two trillion soccer practices.Decades later, my dad and I have an unspoken buy-when-inspired gifting code. Among the handful of presents he’s ever gotten me was a full-sized poster of high-school me leaping for a header in a state soccer championship. (He made it from a photo he special-ordered from The Boston Globe.) I only get him something when the vibe is right or I stumble across something I know is right up his alley, regardless of whether a holiday is imminent: handwoven napkins from Oaxaca (like these), little citrus trees, papier-mâché figurines from Tokyo (similar to the ones here), or nice tequilas.Maybe you have a don’t-want-anything dad, too — the kind who brightens up for a visit or call, but regards obligatory gifts with resolute indifference. If so, we have wide-ranging ideas for him for June 15 … or for whenever the mood strikes.When writer Maria Adelmann was growing up, her Formula 1-loving dad worked late, so they would spend time together building model cars in the morning before school. She’s eyeing this spendy Lego McClaren model for him, but a softer-on-the-wallet Aston Martin may also do the trick.For football dads, the Abercrombie NFL collection, like this crewneck sweatshirt or this vintage-style tee, is, in my view, much better-looking than the garb from the league’s official store.Sure, grilling gear for a dad may be a cliché. But writer Evan Dent swears that the Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling book is the best gift he’s ever given his father, who keeps it by his bedside for nighttime reading, presumably dozing off to visions of juicy brisket. What luck that the author just released a sequel.These beachy full-grain leather sandals are comfortable, arch-supporting, and as handsome as flip-flops go, so it’s extra sly that they hide a bottle opener in the bottom of one of the super-grippy rubber soles. Writer Samantha Schoech’s husband (a surfer dad to twins) appreciates how easily he can slip them on and off at the beach.Editor Hannah Morrill’s partner got this car-detailing boar’s hair brush for himself. Neatnik dads will appreciate how easily it brushes out nooks and crannies, be it dust off of monstera plant leaves or Cheerio remnants from kiddie cup holders.If your dad is truly stuff-adverse, try writing him an annual note of appreciation. We like Crane stationery — the same Massachusetts paper mill that has supplied banknotes for US currency since 1879 (that’s a fun fact for dads!). And perhaps you need a very special pen for the occasion?While I never got my own dad a Father’s Day gift, last year, I bought one for my boyfriend’s 9-year-old daughter to give to him: a cooking apron with a Bob’s Burgers pin. It remains hidden in a closet while he splatters oil on his white T-shirt; his daughter and I shake our heads together.What is on display, however, tucked in his bedroom mirror, is a small note with ragged perforated edges and drawings of a heart and a cloud, scrawled in pink pen: You are the best daddy. It reminds me of the pottery studio walls filled with elementary-school scribblings and faded construction-paper projects made by my two younger brothers and me.When it comes to dad gifts, we may never top the macaroni portrait ornaments and misspelled missives from our childhood. But once in a while, we can try.The best Father’s Day gifts under $50→