In the days of old, leisure time was not thought of as a chance to “veg out,” but as an opportunity to pursue one’s passions and interests — an outlet for the sides of a man that were not stimulated in his professional vocation. Hobbies were deemed important for the way in which they can strengthen every part of a man’s life. They can bring you joy, increase your eye for detail, keep your mind sharp, expand your creativity, help you meet friends, and teach you valuable skills. In short, hobbies add interest to your life and help you become a more well-rounded man.
Unfortunately, we now often spend our leisure time camped out in front of the TV or computer. We feel that modern life has become so busy and stressful (even though it hasn’t) that when we have free time, laying on the couch is all we can manage.
Yet if you’ve been feeling depressed, restless, anxious, and in need of real refreshment, the problem may be a lack of activity, rather than too much of it.
As Winston Churchill, a vigorous hobbyist, put it:
“It is no use saying to the tired ‘mental muscles’… ‘I will give you a good rest,’ ‘I will go for a long walk,’ or ‘I will lie down and think of nothing.’ The mind keeps busy just the same. If it has been weighing and measuring, it goes on weighing and measuring. If it has been worrying, it goes on worrying…It is useless to argue with the mind in this condition…A gifted American psychologist has said, ‘worry is a spasm of the emotion; the mind catches hold to something and will not let it go.’ One can only gently insinuate something else into its convulsive grasp. And if this something else is rightly chosen, if it is really attended by the illumination of another field of interest, gradually, and often quite swiftly, the old undue grip relaxes and the process of recuperation and repair begins.”
For those of you who want to have an engaging hobby, but aren’t sure what pastime to pursue, we’ve created a couple guides to hobbies over the years. Yet even after the second was published, we continued to come up with more ideas. So we decided to compile all the old ideas along with the new into one ultimate list of hobbies for men. This still isn’t an exhaustive list, but there is surely something that will catch your eye, or will spur you to think of one yet unmentioned.
Our hope is that every man is able to find a hobby that can turn into an enjoyable pastime during the current season of his life, and maybe even become an enduring passion that lasts a lifetime.
Reading
There couldn’t be a manlier hobby than reading. Theodore Roosevelt was a voracious reader, and so were most of the great men of history. Reading allows you to connect with the great thinkers and writers of history and exposes you to new ideas, consequently making you a more intelligent and well-rounded man. If you have access to a library card, reading can actually be a completely free hobby. If you need some ideas on what to read, look no further than our many reading lists. You should also bone up on how to read a book. (Of course it seems straightforward, but it’s not always so!)
Ham Radio
Looking to be a part of a tight-knit community with a focus on radio and communication? Look no further than ham radio. While the internet has taken radio’s place as the dominant form of communication, a vibrant community of amateur radio enthusiasts still exists. Radio hobbyists enjoy communicating directly with people from all over the world while expanding their knowledge of radio theory. In addition, most ham radio operators provide a public service to their communities by acting as relays in the event of emergencies or natural disasters. Radio operation is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, so you’ll have to be licensed to use a radio. Licensing isn’t difficult at all — you just have to take a multiple choice test that covers basic regulations, operating practices, and electronics theory. And of course you’ll need the equipment. Buying new will set you back a pretty penny, but you can find good deals on used radio equipment on eBay. For more info about getting started with ham radio check out the National Association of Amateur Radio.
Playing the Guitar
Knowing how to play the guitar is a skill that will provide you and those around you with years of enjoyment. Oh, and chicks like a guy that can play guitar. Personally, I’ve used my guitar skills to serenade Kate and get myself out of the doghouse. And later in life you can gather the family around your backyard fire pit for some awesome sing-alongs. Learning to play any instrument is manly, of course, but guitars have the advantage of being relatively cheap, and having an easier learning curve for beginners. There are tons of resources online that provide free guitar lessons (I’ve had good success with www.justinguitar.com), including an AoM article on the 3 guitar chords every man should know.
Ballroom Dancing
Your grandpa knew how to dance, so why not harness your inner Fred Astaire by taking up ballroom dancing too? Ballroom dancing can help increase your self-confidence, poise, and posture. It’s also a fun way to get some cardiovascular exercise in. And of course, ladies dig a gent who knows how to lead them on the dance floor. Most cities have ballroom dancing studios — just do a quick Google search to find the ones near you and then go talk to the instructors to get a feel for their style as well as check on their credentials. Private classes go for around $50 a pop. If you’re married or have a girlfriend, ballroom dancing is a great date night activity. If you’re a bachelor, it’s a great way to meet new women.
Parkour
Parkour: that sport where you jump from buildings and vault over walls. Or more accurately, parkour is a physical art — the art of moving through your environment in the most natural and efficient way possible. It’s captivating to see someone able to traverse a landscape in ways not previously conceived of, and inspiring to witness the human body pushing the very limits of its capabilities. While we think of parkour today as simply an interesting form of recreation, it was actually developed as a tactical skill and way to build the fitness of soldiers. The benefits of this hobby are numerous: it’s fun, it’s a great workout, it pushes the bounds of your creativity, it’s a mental and physical challenge, and it could in fact save your life should you ever need the capability to run and jump over objects. And, it’s completely free. All you need is your arms and legs and some urban terrain. Read our primer on parkour, and get started today!
Woodworking
I’ve always admired men who could take pieces of plain ol’ wood and shape them into something useful and beautiful. They’re the men who make their own Christmas presents instead of buying them and can proudly point to furniture in their house and say, “I made that.” You can be that man by taking up the wonderful hobby of woodworking. In addition to giving you a useful skill, many woodworking hobbyists report lower stress levels and increased patience. When you’re taking a chisel to a piece of wood, it’s easy to enter into a zen-like state. Many technical schools offer woodshop classes; Woodcraft stores also offer classes on woodworking basics for about $50 each. Our own archives have a bunch of woodworking projects you can tackle.
Gardening
Perhaps one of the most powerful manly images in America is that of the yeoman farmer — he’s the self-reliant man who cultivates his own land to provide for his and his family’s needs. You don’t need a homesteading plot to start getting in touch with the land; a small square in your backyard will suffice. If you have a job that keeps you cooped up in an office all day with artificial light and stale recycled air, gardening is a great hobby to pursue in order to get some exercise, sunlight, and fresh air. As you watch your garden grow from seeds to plants, you’ll find yourself becoming more in tune with the seasons. When you harvest your small crop, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment that beats any high score on a video game. And when you make your first meal with vegetables grown in your very own garden, you’ll feel a surge of manly pride. If you need more convincing, check out our article on why you should be a gentleman gardener.
Canoeing/Kayaking
Paddling lazily across the water is one of man’s great joys. Whether with your gal on a date, or just enjoying nature on a solo outing, there are few better recreational activities. While paddling might seem as natural as riding a bike, it takes a certain level of skill to deftly captain a canoe or kayak, and luckily for you, we’ve covered the topic. You can start by renting at a local rec shop, and if you enjoy it, buy yourself a vessel. When you get really into it, you can move beyond the casual paddle around the lake, and take multi-day trips on great American waterways.
Lock Picking
Not only is lock picking incredibly useful in emergency situations, it’s also just dang fun knowing you can out-maneuver a mechanism which most people just assume is resistant to all but brute force. Rather, with some finesse and know-how, the lock picker can keep his doors in a single piece and save the hassle and cost of calling a locksmith. Read our primer on picking common pin tumbler locks, and start practicing on the front door. Then move on to mastering other kinds of locks until you’re a veritable Houdini.
Classic Car Restoration
In days gone by, men would stay in their garages for hours at a time tinkering with their cars. As cars have become more sophisticated and reliant on computers, home mechanical work is going the way of the dodo bird. However, if you have an itch to become a grease monkey, you can always take up classic car restoration as a hobby. You’ll learn a bit of engineering, improve your problem solving skills, and experience the sweet feeling of success when the engine you rebuilt purrs like a kitten. Car restoration is an expensive hobby to get into. Not only do you have to buy the car to restore, but you’ll need the tools, space, and custom parts to finish the job. However, the time and money can pay off — fully restored classic cars sell for a pretty penny (even though you probably won’t be willing to part with your baby). For more information about classic car restoration check out Second Chance Garage, and start getting to know how your car engine actually works.
Barbecuing
While cooking is also on this list, BBQing is unique enough to be its own hobby. Whether with a smoker or charcoal grill, firing up a hearty piece of meat and serving a finished creation is satisfying both to the mind and to the stomach. The barrier to entry is low: you just need some type of grill and a cut of meat. As you get acquainted with the tools and the grub, you can experiment with different cooking methods and meats (or even fruits and veggies!), making your own spice blends, and of course, creating gourmet meals for friends and family alike to enjoy. Be sure to check out our YouTube playlist on the art of grilling.
Metalworking
Metalworking has all the benefits of woodworking, except instead of the sweet smell of sawdust, you surround yourself with the delightfully noxious smell of burning metal. My brother-in-law picked up metalworking in high school, he crafts some amazing creations: cast iron headboards for that room your wife wants to decorate shabby chic, hanging pot plant holders, and garden archways are just a few of the things he can whip up. AoM contributor Darren Smith has written an article for us on getting started with blacksmithing. Your local vo-tech should offer classes on metalworking. Metalworking.com is another great place to find more info; they have a list of local clubs dedicated to metalworking.
Marksmanship
Learn to enjoy the pleasure of shooting a gun by taking up a shooting sport and becoming an expert marksman. Marksmanship requires pure concentration and a steady hand. Shooting clubs exist all over the country that emphasize different gun sports. Take your pick among clay pigeon shooting, hand gun and rifle shooting, and even Frontier and Cowboy shooting. The hobby can get expensive; guns don’t come cheap and the cost of ammo has gone up dramatically due to increased demand. You’ll also need to find a place to fire your weapon safely, so if you don’t have property to do it on, you’ll have to rent some time at a gun range.
Collecting
Collecting things is something a lot of men love and most women just don’t get. Females are multi-taskers, while the male brain likes to single-mindedly zero in on something. We tend to get obsessed with things. Take this tendency and couple it with man’s primordial desire for the hunt, and there you have a man’s love for collecting. A man can spend a lifetime looking for that final item to complete his collection. It becomes his obsession, his White Whale. Of course, completing a collection is usually anti-climatic. In collecting, the thrill is in the chase. Pick your poison: duck stamps, baseball cards, antique typewriters, whatever. Just don’t get too carried away with it. For more info, check out our primer on getting started with collecting.
Singing
If you’re the kind of guy who sings in the shower, or belts along with the radio on your way to work, perhaps you need to more seriously pursue singing as a hobby. You may think that either you’re a professional rockstar, or there’s no way to use your voice in a fun and productive way. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Community and church choirs abound, as do karaoke bars (which often have competitions on weekends), and if you get really serious, you can do some crooning on the side or start a barbershop quartet. Be sure to always hone your craft, too, by continuing to get lessons (many school/community choir directors offer one-on-one lessons) and by digging into music theory and even presentation skills.
Camping/Backpacking
Modern man is restless and unhappy because he’s lost touch with the great outdoors. Every man should seek to regularly connect with nature for the sake of both his physical and mental well-being. He needs to break away now and again and sleep out under the stars. Leave your cubicle behind and spend a few days breathing fresh air and sitting around a campfire. Another obvious benefit is that camping is one of the most economical ways to “get away from it all.” It’s a great way to hone your outdoorsman skills, reconnect with your buddies, and get some alone time with your significant other. We’ve done articles on camping tips and backpacking tips, so get reading and get exploring the backwoods!
Ship in a Bottle
It’s the classic old man hobby: putting intricate model ships in a glass bottle. Amaze kids with your ship in a bottle displays! They’ll spend the rest of their childhood trying to figure out exactly how you did it. Placing a ship in a bottle (or impossible bottle) is a task that takes dedicated focus, patience, and a steady hand. You usually build the model ship on the outside of the bottle with the mast down. After you insert the ship into the bottle, you raise the mast with a pair of long forceps. In addition to placing ships into bottles, you can create impossible bottles with other objects like a deck of cards or tennis balls. Find out more about impossible bottles here.
Chandlery (Candle Making)
Chandlery — the trade of making candles — was at one time a lucrative and extremely important career. While electricity has killed its necessity as a profession, candles still find a way into many homes as creators of ambiance and pleasing aromas. Who doesn’t love seeing a flickering flame on a chilly evening, or smelling an oaky aroma to start your morning as the sun comes up? While store-bought candles can be rather expensive, the homemade variety is inexpensive, and pretty darn easy to learn. You just need wax, wicks, and some jars (or old mugs). We’ve covered how to make DIY candles, so read up and get started!
Weightlifting/Working Out
For some men, their morning lifting session not only primes their body for the day, but their mind as well. If you’re just starting to work out, it’s probably a slog at times to get yourself motivated to hit the weights or the pavement for a run. Once you start getting in shape though, you’ll think about how you can structure your day to get an hour of working out in. Rather than heading to the garage for a woodworking session, you’re trying for a new max deadlift. Being strong is not just practical either — you’ll look a lot better (hello, ladies!), and it’s freakin’ awesome to know you can lift 400+ lbs off the ground. We have a ton of fitness articles to get you started, and of course your local gym/trainer is a great place to head to as well.
Hunting
For millennia, a man’s role in his family was to provide. For most of human history this was done through tracking down and killing wild animals. The hunt was a way that many cultures and tribes initiated boys into manhood and provided men with an opportunity to bond and connect in a completely male setting. Fast forward to today. The way most men get their meat is wrapped in a piece of paper that says “Big Mac” or packaged in plastic at the grocery store. And usually the meat is injected with hormones and antibiotics. There’s a huge disconnect between man, his food, and nature.
If you’d like to reconnect with the “Circle of Life,” it’s high time you go on a hunt. The benefits of hunting are innumerable, but here’s just a few: First, it gives you a chance to give you and your family a source of quality, lean meat free from the antibiotics and hormones (and even ammonia!) that lurk in most factory farmed meat. Second, it gives you a chance to get back in touch with nature. Third, you’ll be supporting wildlife conservation, as your dollars spent on hunting licenses and equipment goes to fund state wildlife agencies. And fourth, even if you don’t kill anything, hunting provides an opportunity for male bonding and friendships, which is an important part of your overall happiness. We have a deer hunting primer, as well as getting started with bow hunting. Also check out our article on getting started hunting with dogs.
Whittling
What if you want to start working with wood, but don’t have the money to get into real woodworking quite yet? Try whittling. All you need is a knife, a piece of soft wood, a rocking chair, a corn cob pipe, and most importantly, plenty of time. Whittling is one of those activities that can really help you relax and settle your mind after a hard day’s work. Stop by the library and pick up a book on whittling. You’ll find plenty of ideas and plans to help get you started. Or you can just take a look at our primer on whittling.
Geocaching
Never grew out of your love for the game of hide and seek? Always wanted to go on a treasure hunt? Then the hobby of geocaching may be for you. People around the world hide objects or containers in all sorts of places and post the coordinates for the location online. People then go out with their GPS devices, seeking these well-hidden “treasures.” It’s a great way to get out of the house and explore parts of your town and area that you’ve never been to. For more info on geocaching and to find a list of geocaches in your area, go to geocaching.com.
Model Building
Model building — creating replicas of cars, planes, and ships — might have been something you enjoyed as a boy. But there’s no reason not to take up the hobby again as a grown man. Model building helps you hone your eye for detail and will inspire you to learn more about the history of the things that you’re working on. Plus, you’ll end up with something cool to put in your office or man cave. It’s pretty darn easy to get into — simply head to Amazon.com or your local hobby shop and buy a kit, which almost always comes with all the supplies and instructions needed.
Gold Prospecting
While striking out for gold isn’t likely to make you a millionaire, it can be a fun endeavor that pays for itself, and possibly provides some extra fun money in your life. Rather than primarily being a commercial pursuit as it used to be, gold panning in the modern world is most often simply an outdoor recreational activity that the whole family can enjoy, usually on a small creek. One can start small with a simple gold pan and/or shovel, and if you get really into it, a larger sluice and suction dredge may be in order. While it’s fun to just while about on any old stream, the true prospector knows that much of his craft lies in the research phase: knowing where gold has been found before, where it’s likely to travel and congregate, and how the precious metal “behaves” in nature. Only then do you actually hit the wilds, knowing that your chances of success are now far greater. You’ll become both outdoorsman and amateur geologist. Click here for more info on getting started.
Leatherworking
The smell of leather always brings out the frontiersman in a man; the part of him who loved the stories of Davy Crockett as a boy. Leatherworking is a great way to get in touch with your inner-cowboy and learn an uber-manly craft. A skilled leatherworker can make a variety of goods: wallets, leather pouches, belts, gun holsters, and saddles to name a few. The downside? This can be a pretty expensive hobby. You’ll need all sorts of special tools to really make a go of it. AoM has a couple beginner articles: How to Make a Leather Sheath as well as How to Make a Leather Wallet. To get started, try buying a starter kit from the Tandy Leather Factory. They include everything you need to make small stuff like a wallet and key fob. That way you can gauge your interest before plunking down big time cash to get into bigger projects.
Bowling
Fred Flintstone, Homer Simpson, Ralph Kramden, and the Dude. What do these iconic TV and movie men have in common? They bowled. During the 1950s, men flocked to bowling alleys to join league teams. It was a way for men to spend some time with other men, drink some beer, and smoke a cigar. The bowling alley became a refuge of masculinity in homes that were feminized by the constant presence of the stay-at-home mom. What’s great about bowling is that it’s a hobby you can share with your buds. Plus, it gives you an excuse to wear a kick ass, manly bowling shirt. So call up your buddies and put a team together.
Archery
While guns have almost completely supplanted the bow and arrow in both hunting and self-protection, sometimes going back to the old ways can bring great satisfaction. A gun is to a sledge hammer as a bow and arrow is to a paintbrush. Archery allows you to connect with one of the most primitive of weapons; it works entirely on manpower. It’s the kind of quiet, repetitive, focused activity that can truly settle your mind. While the bow and arrow is rarely used for hunting anymore (although that’s certainly an option), great satisfaction can be found in target shooting — in training your skills to the point where you can hit an apple off someone’s head (metaphorically speaking, of course). Simple, beginner bows can be had for relatively cheap, so it’s a hobby you can start trying right away in your backyard (makes sure it’s a safe area!). There are also archery parks, where 3D targets that look like animals are scattered in the woods. Cool.
Survival Prepping & Skills
While “preppers” sometimes get a bad rap in pop culture and mocked in reality TV shows, it can be a fun and useful endeavor for the man who wants to ensure his protection and survival when SHTF (sh*t hits the fan). Prepping not only means acquiring supplies for emergencies (though that’s part of it; see: bug-out bags, bug-in bags, emergency water), but also learning skills (we have a whole section for those) and acquiring new knowledge about survival strategy and methodology (see: the survival library). This can be an expensive hobby, but it certainly doesn’t have to be — especially if you focus on the essentials for supplies, then go about learning the skills (many of which can be practiced in the backyard).
Letter Writing
We’ve discussed plenty the benefits of rediscovering the lost art of letter writing before, so suffice it to say that writing letters in your spare time can be a very satisfying hobby. You can get into the cool tools of letter writing like fine stationery and fountain pens. Fire off a bunch of letters to friends and family. At least one will write you back and you can begin a lifetime correspondence with them. Or make your letter writing really count by using a program like Pen Pals for Soldiers. Soldiers love to receive mail, so take the time to write these brave men an encouraging note. Also take a look at something like the Bridge of Hope Nursing Home Pen Pal Program. Give a lonely senior citizen something to look forward to in their mail slot. Also be sure that in your lifetime you write at least one of these seven letters.
Martial Arts
There are myriad benefits to learning a martial art: gaining self-defense skills, building your discipline and focus, increasing your health, connecting with a manly tradition, and giving the warrior side of yourself an outlet. There are a ton of different martial arts out there — choosing one will come down to what you are personally looking for. Do a lot of research and shopping around to find the discipline and instructor that’s right for you. You may wish to go the MMA route and learn how to incorporate a variety of techniques into your fighting repertoire. And of course, boxing comes highly recommended. We also have primers on BJJ and Krav Maga.
Knife/Tomahawk Throwing
Knives are awesome, and hatchets are awesome. Duh. So of course, throwing them for sport and hobby is also awesome. Men are drawn to throwing things: baseballs and footballs, rocks, snowballs, etc. Why not take it up a notch and add a blade to your tossing repertoire. You can have contests with friends and family members, compete against yourself for length or accuracy of toss, and of course, you’re preparing for the possibility of a zombie apocalypse. This is a hobby that’s fairly cheap, and has a relatively low learning curve. Grab some throwing knives/hatchets, and check out our primers on throwing both knives and tomahawks.
Hiking
Nothing beats a long hike to relax, get some fresh air, and rejuvenate your man spirit. What’s great about hiking is that in most cases it’s completely free. All you need is a pair of sturdy shoes or boots and a place to walk, be it some fields behind your house or a trail in a state park. Check out trails.com to find a hiking trail near you. There are always trails where you live, even in the flattest states. You might just have to drive a little to get there. Don’t forget about your hiking etiquette!
Tobacco Connoisseur
Most men have a vice — some pleasure in life that isn’t necessarily safe or healthy, but can be partaken of in moderation. For many gentlemen that’s tobacco, usually in the form of a cigar or pipe. Sure, you can walk into the tobacco shop and grab whatever you recognize or is cheapest. Or you can become a bonafide connoisseur, understanding why one tobacco variety differs from another, where each comes from, and those you truly like. Go down to the local tobacco shop and have the tobacconist show you the ropes. And of course you need hands-on study! Smoke (and sip — tobacco always pairs well with whiskey) until you find the gems that leave you relaxed and smiling at the end of the day. Also read our primers on both smoking a cigar and getting started with pipe smoking.
Bicycling
The feeling of riding a bicycle for the first time without training wheels is a euphoria that few men ever forget. The sensation of the wind on your face, your pedaling legs pushing you along, and of course the hard scrape of the pavement when you take your first digger. When we’re kids, we live on our bikes. But then we get a driver’s license, and our bikes sit in the garage, lonely and mostly unused.
Why give up this youthful activity though? Bicycling has seen a huge resurgence, both with urban hipsters and amateur athletes alike. While everyone seems to have run in a 5k, participating in bike races is unique enough to make you interesting. If not racing, even just cruising around town by the power of your own two legs is a satisfying endeavor. Mountain biking is another option, and offers the bonus of time spent in the woods. You might even consider traveling longer distances by bike — seeing the country on two wheels can be a grand adventure.
Coffee Roasting
Today’s high-tech and high-volume coffee roasteries crank out thousands of pounds of beans at a time that all look and taste the same. While mass-produced stuff often tastes fine and is far easier (just buy and plop it in the coffee maker!), roasting coffee on your own will make the best cup of joe you’ll ever have. It’s also cheaper than store-bought stuff, averaging $5-$8 per pound. You can buy a coffee roasting machine, or do it in a popcorn popper on your grill like I do. To really make it a hobby, you can roast coffee for friends and family or even start a side hustle and sell beans to your neighborhood. Double this hobby with hunting for antique coffee contraptions (like hand-crank grinders) or with discovering as many brewing methods as you can, and you’ll be a connoisseur in no time.
Fishkeeping
The hobby of fishkeeping has been around for at least 1,500 years — far longer than many of the other hobbies listed here. In the 1800s, fishkeeping was primarily a hobby of the wealthy, as the tanks need to be heated with gas, or later, electricity. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the hobby really became accessible to the everyman. Today, it’s become rather popular with home aquarists and dentist offices alike.
This is a great hobby because it’s easy to scale. You can start with a classic goldfish bowl and a castle to see if you like it. If you do, you work your way on up with bigger and bigger aquariums, more exotic fish, and fancier tank decorations. When you have a 90-gallon tank (as a roommate of mine once did), it keeps you plenty busy beyond just feeding the fish every day. Visit Marineland for some tips on getting started.
Pick-up/Intramural/Rec League Sports
Every man, whether nerd or meathead, should have some sort of team sport in his life. Physical activity boosts your testosterone level (which men today really need since our T levels have been slowly dropping), keeps you healthy and in shape, staves off depression, and soothes your stress. Sports where a man’s competitive spirit can find outlet are particularly beneficial to one’s manliness. Take part in pick-up games of football, basketball, or soccer with your friends or join an intramural or rec league team. It doesn’t matter the sport as long as it gets the blood pumping and heart racing.
Online Classes
Being a lifelong learner should be a goal of every man. While reading is itself a great hobby that often goes toward this end, taking online classes provides a variety of learning methods (video, reading, discussion) and also keeps you accountable to what you’re learning through quizzes and assignments. You also have the benefit of expert professors to answer questions and help you along if something confuses you.
What’s great about this hobby is its cost, which in most cases is nothing. With websites like Coursera and EdX, you can start classes today ranging from programming basics, to critical thinking, to classical music and not pay a dime. In my experience, the hardest part is simply following through on the classwork when you’re not paying anything, so consider doing this with another person, or even as a group to keep yourself accountable.
Motorcycling
Whether riding cross-country or tinkering in the garage, plenty of men enjoy being a motorcyclist. This hobby is sure to reward its practitioner in more than just gas mileage and technical knowledge, though — books like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Shop Class as Soulcraft argue for the many mental and philosophical benefits of motorcycling as well:
“In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
–Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Get started by buying and learning how to ride your first bike.
Picking/Antiquing
The rise of shows like Pawn Stars and American Pickers has spurred a return of antiquing or “picking” to the national spotlight. Antiquing, as a hobby, simply refers to the buying and collecting of antiques from stores, malls, garage sales, etc. In many cases it also means re-selling them at a profit, sometimes after first refinishing or restoring. Picking is antiquing’s middle man; instead of buying from stores, pickers will buy directly from collectors, amateur historians, even hoarders, then sell to antique stores.
The best way to go about antiquing is to pick a niche of products to look for. This will make your job much easier, and gives you the thrill of the hunt of looking for something specific rather than just wandering around looking for good deals. For many AoM men, it’s antique shaving supplies. (We even have an article on how to restore them.) Pocket knives are another great option, and are easily restored. Whatever you enjoy, you can find cool old stuff related to it. Learn more with this extensive guide.
Scrapping/Metal Detecting
While antiquing or picking relies on items with actual material value in their current form, scrapping is literally turning other people’s junk into cash. What was once simply discarded is recycled and transformed into green in your hands. All you really need to get started is a small magnet and basic knowledge of the various types of metals and their values. Once you have that, you can get started collecting and bring your found pieces to a scrapyard.
Metal detecting is similar, but your standard finds are old rings, coins, and other jewelry. Detecting is a walking hobby too, meaning it’ll give you a little physical activity to boot.
Both of these