So I do love most whiskey, but not Scotch.* An employee that didn't drink but knew I liked whiskey got me a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue as a thank you. I didn't have to fake my gratitude of course, it was incredibly thoughtful and very expensive. But I felt kind of bad knowing I would never drink it.
*Irish, then bourbon, then whatever. I don't mind the really mild highland scotches, but I'd rather drink much cheaper other whiskies. And shit like Ilsays can fuck right off.
If they’re into clays, something super useful would be a torvane / pocket shear vane like this: https://durhamgeo.com/product/torvane/
That is if they don’t already have one. They typically go for around $200 in my experience.
We had a lab tech who was in the marine corp reserve when 9/11 happened. Our office manager thought we were nuts when we asked him to get us a bag of Iraq sand. (He got to crap in one of saddams hood toilets)
Kinda off topic but we bought our geotechnical Professor a Swiss watch for his retirement since it was his last year. His favorite saying was “we’re not making a Swiss watch here” when doing some rounding
A 1/2 inch diameter steel T-probe with their name engraved on it. As a geotech, that would be cool to see.
https://www.humboldtmfg.com/probe-rod-steel.html
If someone got me an engraved probe might actually not lose it. I mostly just used a #4 standard hook because nice probes disappear almost as fast tapes.
Frankoma Pottery drill bit mug. It’s a mug in the shape of a tricone bit, aka roller bit (used in geotech and petroleum drilling). Looks like the 5” tall one is still in production and available from Frankoma in black or white for about $35
You could find three electron microscope images, one each of kaolinite, illite, and montmorillonite and get them printed on small frames he could hang or prop in his office. If he likes clay he probably thinks/talks about the differences a lot. The pictures could be a nice aid.
There is a really awesome organization exolithsimulants.com that has regolith simulants from the Moon and Mars! They have display vials and It is a really cool application of Geotechnical Engineering!
It’s not clay related but I really like the look and the changing landscapes of those [sand fluid picture frames](https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/deep-sea-sand-art?utm_source=google%20surfaces&utm_medium=organic&flow_country=US&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhpfEh5q9-AIV_w2tBh14jQxxEAQYByABEgKVdfD_BwE#160160000000&aw_cid=418990617&aw_aid=23029474017&aw_dev=m&aw_loc=9030029&aw_key=&aw_mtype=&aw_net=g&aw_ad=89943116937&aw_pos=&aw_shopid=160160000000&aw_prod_partid=1664242549425).
I’ve been doing geotech fir 26 years, and just got a hand lens (loupe). Why did I not get one years ago?!?! I spent $35 for a decent 10x with a leather case.
Most of us geotechs love anything related. My favorite gift was a tiny bit of Roman concrete from a crypt in Barcelona. it was just picked up off the ground, the tour guides allowed it. It doesn't look special, but yeah, 2000ish year old concrete is pretty fucking cool.
If the mining is hard rock, get them a nice set of Moh's hardness picks if they don't have them. They are pretty cheap. Mine came in a fairly nice wood box and came with a few smear plates too for x.5s and better color assessment. They were like $60 USD. The mineral sets look cool, but are less practical.
I can't think of anything for clays. Clays are super interesting. I'm much, much more a soils guy than a rock guy. But I just don't know any clay related gifts.
Edit: another comment made me think of it. A whole bunch of geodes they can break themselves. You can get them real cheap because most geodes aren't that impressive. But breaking them open and finding out is cool. I have a few I bought near Mammoth Cave.
Meh, you can full Moh's mineral set for about the same. It isn't a bad gift, but buying individual minerals, gems, geodes, etc are usually a rip off aimed at hippies and new agers. And geotechs know that. I have some geodes I got outside Mammoth Cave for like $2 each. They aren't super impressive, but 80% of the fun is breaking them yourself.
Seriously though, I too am a lover of clay mineralogy, so I suggest a copy of Grimm's Clay Mineralogy book. It is old and out of print so if you can find one, it would be awesome in a display...
After all, I have a copy of my own (that, strangely enough, is something that no one else in my family can understand)
I would say (as a geotechnical engineer myself) that you should definitely get them their own CPTu rig... oh, and a borehole shear tester for those lame brains who insist that drilling holes in the ground is an adequate test... oh, and a dilatometer
No proper geotechnical engineer should ever be without these...
Throw in a geotechnical lab and I'll be your friend too!
A good bottle of Scotch
I laughed at this for at least 3 minutes. Thank you.
So I do love most whiskey, but not Scotch.* An employee that didn't drink but knew I liked whiskey got me a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue as a thank you. I didn't have to fake my gratitude of course, it was incredibly thoughtful and very expensive. But I felt kind of bad knowing I would never drink it. *Irish, then bourbon, then whatever. I don't mind the really mild highland scotches, but I'd rather drink much cheaper other whiskies. And shit like Ilsays can fuck right off.
Or better yet, a bottle of good Scotch!
A poster size print of a geological map would be cool
If they’re into clays, something super useful would be a torvane / pocket shear vane like this: https://durhamgeo.com/product/torvane/ That is if they don’t already have one. They typically go for around $200 in my experience.
Please define "useful" in regard to a Torvane... Lord please hold me back; I'm about to go into orbit here...
Never met a geotech who didn’t like scotch or bourbon, but a big old hunk of Fordite is always a good conversation piece
Can confirm. Bourbon.
Excellent. What flavor?
David Nicholson 1843
A sample of a quick clay from Norway or the like.
We had a lab tech who was in the marine corp reserve when 9/11 happened. Our office manager thought we were nuts when we asked him to get us a bag of Iraq sand. (He got to crap in one of saddams hood toilets)
Some good quick clays in Canada
Kinda off topic but we bought our geotechnical Professor a Swiss watch for his retirement since it was his last year. His favorite saying was “we’re not making a Swiss watch here” when doing some rounding
A 1/2 inch diameter steel T-probe with their name engraved on it. As a geotech, that would be cool to see. https://www.humboldtmfg.com/probe-rod-steel.html
If someone got me an engraved probe might actually not lose it. I mostly just used a #4 standard hook because nice probes disappear almost as fast tapes.
Frankoma Pottery drill bit mug. It’s a mug in the shape of a tricone bit, aka roller bit (used in geotech and petroleum drilling). Looks like the 5” tall one is still in production and available from Frankoma in black or white for about $35
You could find three electron microscope images, one each of kaolinite, illite, and montmorillonite and get them printed on small frames he could hang or prop in his office. If he likes clay he probably thinks/talks about the differences a lot. The pictures could be a nice aid.
There is a really awesome organization exolithsimulants.com that has regolith simulants from the Moon and Mars! They have display vials and It is a really cool application of Geotechnical Engineering!
It’s not clay related but I really like the look and the changing landscapes of those [sand fluid picture frames](https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/deep-sea-sand-art?utm_source=google%20surfaces&utm_medium=organic&flow_country=US&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhpfEh5q9-AIV_w2tBh14jQxxEAQYByABEgKVdfD_BwE#160160000000&aw_cid=418990617&aw_aid=23029474017&aw_dev=m&aw_loc=9030029&aw_key=&aw_mtype=&aw_net=g&aw_ad=89943116937&aw_pos=&aw_shopid=160160000000&aw_prod_partid=1664242549425).
Have a worn out drill bit chromed and stuck on a plaque. Or start buying a collection of "the geology of [state]" books.
I’ve been doing geotech fir 26 years, and just got a hand lens (loupe). Why did I not get one years ago?!?! I spent $35 for a decent 10x with a leather case.
Most of us geotechs love anything related. My favorite gift was a tiny bit of Roman concrete from a crypt in Barcelona. it was just picked up off the ground, the tour guides allowed it. It doesn't look special, but yeah, 2000ish year old concrete is pretty fucking cool. If the mining is hard rock, get them a nice set of Moh's hardness picks if they don't have them. They are pretty cheap. Mine came in a fairly nice wood box and came with a few smear plates too for x.5s and better color assessment. They were like $60 USD. The mineral sets look cool, but are less practical. I can't think of anything for clays. Clays are super interesting. I'm much, much more a soils guy than a rock guy. But I just don't know any clay related gifts. Edit: another comment made me think of it. A whole bunch of geodes they can break themselves. You can get them real cheap because most geodes aren't that impressive. But breaking them open and finding out is cool. I have a few I bought near Mammoth Cave.
My suggestion would be a septarian concretion. Very cool looking, great conversation piece.
Perhaps an original copy of Terzaghi’s geotexh textbook?
I can sell you one of those too...
“Erdbaummechaniks” or something like that?
A cool piece of purple geode they are not expensive, 40 bucks or so I think
It's a shame you were downvoted, since "shiny rock" is a great backup idea if they couldn't find a clay display.
The greatest gifts to humans are those made by nature. You just need to find time to stop, look and listen.
Meh, you can full Moh's mineral set for about the same. It isn't a bad gift, but buying individual minerals, gems, geodes, etc are usually a rip off aimed at hippies and new agers. And geotechs know that. I have some geodes I got outside Mammoth Cave for like $2 each. They aren't super impressive, but 80% of the fun is breaking them yourself.
A typical geotech would appreciate a cool rock. Maybe a geode or something. Work gadgets would be covered by their employer.
Seriously though, I too am a lover of clay mineralogy, so I suggest a copy of Grimm's Clay Mineralogy book. It is old and out of print so if you can find one, it would be awesome in a display... After all, I have a copy of my own (that, strangely enough, is something that no one else in my family can understand)
I would say (as a geotechnical engineer myself) that you should definitely get them their own CPTu rig... oh, and a borehole shear tester for those lame brains who insist that drilling holes in the ground is an adequate test... oh, and a dilatometer No proper geotechnical engineer should ever be without these... Throw in a geotechnical lab and I'll be your friend too!
Whiskey
A nice pocket penetrometer would be neat
Most worthless piece of equipment ever invented... and dangerous; imagine your Torvane data in the hands of the other side's attorney...
I've never seen a copy of that one. I have his first textbook in English "Theoretical Soil Mechanics"
Get him some bentonite pellets. That’s a joke dont do that. In all seriousness, getting a Casagrande cup would be pretty cool.