There are some outstanding knives available in the market today. As many people mentioned it is a matter of personal preference which one fits you. I mean we had here on ETS countless posts about which knife to carry and why not. Probably the best suggestion I read so far was to buy a gift certificate and let him choose. Still I will give you my 2 cents on some of the blades I carried over the years.

Sebenza Large: Great solid knife with excellent steel, smooth operation, solid lock and clean design.

Microtech Tarzuola: Good knife with fancy mechanics for the opening but a nice all around blade.

Buck Strider combo folder: probably the best bang for the buck. Simple solid even if little rough around the endges. This would be my choice as a gift.

Never got into Spydercos and CRKT but they also have some good quality knives.

I stopped carrying more expensive knives with me because I don't want to loose them. I'm absent minded sometimes and I run a lot and to loose a $300 knife would be a pity. I also don't like serrated edges because I have no idea how to sharpen them and I'm little impatient to send it back to the manufacturer.

Good luck. If you decide to get a knife save the recipt. If the big guy doesnt like the blade and wants to exchange it don't worry. Sometimes it is really hard to please a knife nut. After all it is a thought that counts. Think of it as us guys buying you clothes. We kind of know what you want but we will get color and size always wrong (even if you write it down for us).