Wood, The 5 Year Anniversary Gift…Not just popular in the morning!

Historically, the 5th anniversary gift has been wood…don’t ask me why… Apparently, Hallmark, the Diamond cartel and the Gold lobby were all asleep the day they decided and left it to the working man. It’s fortuitous for our little business…I feel like I’m on jeopardy ready to shout out the answer because it’s sooooo obvious. WE MAKE WOOD STUFFFFFF… lots of it. Something for everyone. And the Koa wood we use is amazingly beautiful, deeply meaningful and lends a story to an otherwise dry gift. So here goes my pitch…hold my beer.

As far as I can tell, you really only have 2 options.. you can go with the traditional bow tie on a 2x4…always a crowd pleaser OR you can go with a one of a kind, thoughtfully designed, small batch production by a small shop in Honolulu keepsake that will remind them how immensely thoughtful you are. You don’t have to be from Hawaii to draw meaning from Koa. Koa has come to symbolize strength, resilience and the warrior spirit.. I don't know if I’d blast the last one over the megaphone while gifting it but at 5 years in..you know your in the army now.

Since we all like to overanalyze everything, I’ve put together a chart that shows the traditional vs. modern anniversary gifts to give you some options… if you stare at it hard enough, your mind melts, cc automatically swipes and the anxiety of getting the wrong gift fades away.

Why go with the traditional gift?…

private school ain't goin to pay for itself…I’ve got 3 kids and we haven't even glimpsed at college yet… uhh…I mean… it’s traditional, meaningful, built to last and is absolutely beautiful.

Why Wood — and why Koa?

If I step back to think about it, wood marks five years because it’s strong rooted and a symbol of growth — a fitting metaphor of a marriage that’s put down roots. We might be slightly biased but Koa is the most meaningful wood you can give as it literally means courage and steadfastness.. not to mention it’s story weaves through all the traditional Hawaiian themes we love.. it made the first Surfboards, outrigger canoes that sailed the Pacific, bowls, the palace walls and staircase, warriors weapons…it’s all there. Here’s the full Hawaiian Koa story.

For the Women’s gift.. What’s the most popular women’s wood anniversary gift? The Eternity Koa Cuff

For years, this has been the most popular gift. The Eternity Koa Cuff is an easy gift to love..it has wonderful meaning with its eternity symbol design - an easy way to say “our love is eternal” without finding the words. Our design represents the land and water w/ the Koa and Abalone inlays and is an easy fit as it’s pretty forgiving on the sizing with only 2 real options for the ladies. Gift boxed, life proof, and backed by a free size exchange, we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible. Check out our expanded gift guide for her.

For the Men’s gift.. What’s the most popular men’s wood anniversary gift? The Surfrider Koa Watch or the Minimalist Koa Wallet.

It turns out, men love mechanical things they can actually use…something about reduced amygdala sizing and neanderthal roots…I kid…although we do love shiny things that do cool stuff. The Surfrider Koa wood watch scratches the itch. With details gathered from the imagery of the great Hawaiian sport of Kings…it’s sure to be cherished. It’s life proof and ready for any adventure. Another option is the minimalist Koa wallet..this little beauty has all the mechanical goodness we love with the efficiency we crave. This wallet does a great job of fitting in the front pocket, attaching to a mag safe phone case and keeping your goods tidy and accessible. The flip out lever launches the cards neatly into a tiered stack so you can grab the one with that hasn’t been maxed out. Check out our expanded gift guide for him.

Couple’s Gifts.. What’s the most popular 5th anniversary gift for Couples? The Rings..

The Koa wood rings are the most popular option for a matching couples gift. Maybe you’d like rings that don’t make your heart race at the thought of loosing them because they’re ridiculously expensive or maybe someone has briefly misplaced their ring deep in the Pacific while surfing (don’t judge me) and needs a replacement. All our rings use the same log of super curly Koa wood so there’s a shared connection in the shared origin of the ridiculously beautiful curly Koa wood. Check out our expanded gift guide for couples.

Don’t take my word… What couples say

“My husband gave this to me for our 5th year anniversary and I am so in love with it. I've worn it every day — the details are gorgeous and it's comfortable and lightweight.” — Verified buyer, Emerald Isle

“My wife loved it! Being married in Oahu I thought this would be perfect — she said it made her think of our wedding day all over again.” — Sha-Ron W., Milwaukee

“This was my fifth-year wedding anniversary and I chose your product to show my love to my wife — she loved it.” — Lamar P., Arlington Heights

Waited till the last minute? We've got you.

Life happens. We keep a stash of inventory on the mainland (NC) that ships fast, cutting a few days off the trip from Honolulu. Pick expedited shipping at checkout and we'll do our best.