As the holiday season approaches, we thought you might appreciate some gift suggestions with a twist, appropriate for those on your list who aren't satisfied with the same old, same old.

I admit to an abiding fascination with automata, mechanical devices, usually hand-cranked, that perform often-elaborate movements (think cuckoo clocks on steroids). If you have someone like me on your holiday gift list, and an unlimited budget, check out the offerings of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre.

Among my favorites:

• Anubis operating a jackhammer
• Wankel's Self-turning Sausages
• Honeymoon Bed (yes, it bounces)
• The Queen's Royal Wave
• Miniature jousting knights that fit in your palm
• Guillotine fun
• Spaghetti eater sitting in bathtub

Lest you think these are toys, note the prices: $500 to $2,000. The Cabaret Mechanical Theatre also tours a collection of much more elaborate automata.

As the holiday season approaches, we thought you might appreciate some gift suggestions with a twist, appropriate for those on your list who aren't satisfied with the same old, same old.

Today's suggestion: The Flat-packed Hammer from Vert Design. The hammer comes in a flat sheet cut into pieces, resembling the snap-apart sections of an old-style model car or plane. The person you give this gift to snaps the component pieces apart and, by carefully assembling them, ends up with a handsome wooden mallet. The tool is perfect for bopping home a loose peg in a bookcase, a cat lunging for the cheese log, or a younger brother unaware of the power of armaments.

Vert Design is an Australian company. The hammer will set you back $45, Australian, or about US $40.

(thanks to Boing Boing)