While you were entertaining yourself with the latest DOGE findings, Father’s Day 2025 snuck right up on you. That’s right, Father’s Day is already here. Rest assured, once again, I have your back. I’ve done the hard work for you by testing and using the products in this Gift Guide below. Read on, and get dad something for Father’s Day 2025 besides 100 shares of Tesla stock.
Getting Edgy
Stopping by the Benchmade booth at the 2025 SHOT Show was satisfying to say the least – talking to good people who make excellent knives right here in the USA makes for a great day! Benchmade knives have been made in Oregon City, Oregon, for over 30 years. Benchmade has several new cutting instruments this year as well as tweaks and updates to very popular models.
Dagger Dad
First up is the Benchmade Special Operations Combatives Program (SOCP) Dagger, designed by none other than Greg Thompson. Thompson is a legend in the combatives community. He earned one of the first jiu jitsu black belts awarded by UFC legend Royce Gracie, and he created the SOCP. This training program is exactly what it sounds like – a comprehensive program in hand-to-hand and knife fighting for Special Operations personnel. Greg was at the Benchmade booth at SHOT, and I got to spend some time hearing about the SOCP Dagger directly from this OG combatives instructor. Greg went through the “whats and whys” behind his dagger design. Minutes later, I wanted this knife.
The SOCP Dagger is extremely concealable inside the beltline on either side. Only the ring on the end of the dagger is exposed above the belt. The concept is brilliant, allowing quick, one-finger deployment and adding an edged weapon to natural jiu jitsu defensive techniques such as shrimping, overhooking, etc. If a Special Operations Dagger doesn’t make dad’s day, not much else will.
The black DLC-coated 440C stainless steel SOCP Dagger is $130. For an extra $50, you can get a trainer that has no sharp edges. Hardware is great, but training is what matters. Get both. Finally, for an extra $10 you can get a leather backplate, which you will absolutely need. This little leather patch makes carrying the SOCP Dagger much more comfortable if you have any kind of belly. And let’s face it, dad bods are a thing (as the kids say). You can watch retired Special Operations Sergeant Major and Delta Force veteran John “Shrek” McPhee talk about his favorite EDC knife, the SOCP Dagger here.
Get Dad Chopping
Next up is the Benchmade Station. This is a wide-body clip-point slicer that is at home in the kitchen, at the barbecue, or on an overlanding trip. Surprisingly lightweight, the Station fits naturally in the hand for chores like making steak bites, sashimi, or onion slivers. Overall length is just under 11 inches, and the blade is right at six inches. The Maple Valley Richlite handle with G10 bolster accents the CPM-154 stainless blade. $340.
Tacticool Dad
If your dad is like me, he spends time under a helmet looking through NODS as he hunts predators at night. If he isn’t like me, then skip to the next section. The Princeton Tec Charge X IR Max helmet-mounted light has one infrared, two red, and two white LEDs, providing practical lighting options for any nighttime situation. Princeton Tec includes a wide variety of attachment options, including picatinny, MOLLE, MLOK, and several others.
This little 55g light puts out 420mWr of infrared light at 862nm for 30 hours on low or 10 hours on high. It also puts out 10 lumens of either white or red light out to eight meters for 10 hours of run time. The IR Max is IP68 water resistant and runs off one CR123 lithium, one AA lithium, or one AA alkaline battery. This dual fuel power system is greatly appreciated, as is the option for low or high power IR illumination. I’ve been running the Princeton Tec Charge X for a few years and love it. The new Charge X IR Max provides some great enhancements while maintaining the original low-profile form factor and Princeton Tec quality. Made in USA for $159 in black, olive drab, or tan.
Dad Fixes Things
Fixit Sticks are great, compact tools suitable for any dad out there. Having a proper torque wrench for scope mounts and other items is a must, and the Fixit Sticks All-In-One Torque Driver is just the ticket for dad. I picked these up just after the start of the year and I’ve used them several times. The original Fixit Sticks torque limiter had one torque setting per socket, e.g., 15 inch pounds, and they would click at the designated torque. That meant you had to have several sockets for the different torque specs out there.
The new Fixit Sticks All-In-One Torque Driver has several settings per socket. Simply turn the wrench until the desired torque setting hits the index mark and stop. These are accurate to +/-10%. I have the 6-25 inch pound limiter ($58) and the 15-65 inch pound version ($64) which pretty much covers everything. Dad can use these with any ¼ inch driver.
Go Dark Or Stay Home
If your dad kayaks, like I do, or if he does any water sports, then he needs a dry bag. If dad is also a prepper type, like I am, he also needs a faraday bag. Why not get him both with the GoDark Faraday Dry Bag? This is a traditional dry bag that folds over several times and clips shut, but it is also lined with fabric that blocks electronic signals such as 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. Want to go off grid? This bag will take you there. Want to keep your cell phone, satellite phone, or radio safe from the water? This bag will do it. I tested the 10L size while kayaking, and it performed just fine.
To test the faraday aspect, I put my phone inside the sealed bag and tried in vain to call it. Likewise, a Baofeng radio was unable to penetrate the bag. Finally, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth were unable to get through the bag. The test was interesting, because even just a little gap in the top of the bag would let the Bluetooth out, but any type of sealing or folding the top of the bag killed the signal. The GoDark Faraday bag has a soft fleece lining and some nylon D-rings for attachment. Currently $100 for the 10L or $90 for the 5L. GoDark makes a broad array of faraday bags, from phone size to small generator size.
Protect the Protector
Dad’s Hands
Mechanix gloves have been used all over the globe for one purpose or another. One of their reps snagged me at SHOT Show and offered to send some of their newer designs for a test run. What showed up were the TAA Precision Pro, the Specialty 0.5mm, and the Tactical Vent. Each pair of gloves were high quality and comfortable, as is the case with other Mechanix gloves I’ve used. While I would say each type of glove was versatile, each was tuned to fit a particular purpose.
The TAA Precision Pro, for example, is a lightweight glove with a very grippy rubber like matrix (called Padlock) on the palm and fingers – except the thumb and tip of the index finger are smooth, not grippy. This is a great glove for 3 Gun competitions or something similar where you need some protection, an excellent grip, low profile, great dexterity, and a smooth trigger finger. You can use a touchscreen with the Precision Pro. Available in black or tan. The Specialty 0.5mm is a similar thin glove, but without the grippy stuff. The palm is not slippery, but it’s not sticky either. It has a wavy grid texture. This is a hot weather glove.
For pistol handling it is much slicker than even a suede type of fabric. Finally, the Tactical Vent is clearly the most hot-weather-friendly of the three. Though they are all low profile, light weight gloves with tons of ventilation, the Tactical Vent takes it one step farther with tiny pores throughout. The grippiness of the palm and fingers is in between the TAA Precision Pro and the Specialty 0.5mm. $35.99 for each model.
Eye’s Too!
Mechanix also sent over some eye protection, which any dad can use. The Type-X Black Frame ($19) are a wrap around design with clear lenses. The soft nose pads and curvature of the frame and stems made them very comfortable. These are good, inexpensive, general purpose eye pro.
Give Dad the Boot
Good footwear is always appreciated, so if you are going to spend a bit more on dad for Father’s Day you might consider the A/T Elite Gore-Tex 8 Inch boot by 5.11 Tactical. I picked these up at SHOT Show to test and evaluate. In fact, I wore them to the SHOT Show Range Day and loved them right away. Subsequently I read some reviews indicating discomfort during the break in period, but I didn’t have any problems.
Once back home I tested the Goretex waterproofing by standing in some puddles at the range. No leaks. The Vibram sole is a welcome new addition. It is stiff, has a very aggressive tread, and is slip and oil resistant. The A.T.L.A.S. footbed is just like my other 5.11 Tactical boots, meaning it’s super comfortable and provides superior support for all day hard use.
There’s a locking eyelet at the instep, which on some days I like and some days I hate. It adds an option for customizing the fit, but when you have hiked all day and just want to get your boots off it slows you down. If dad is a whiner don’t get him these boots. If, however, dad is a stud who likes to hunt or run shooting competitions all day rain or shine, then get him these boots. $235 in black or coyote, sizes 5-15, half sizes 7-12, and EE width available (thankfully).
Cool Dad
Another option from 5.11 Tactical is the Allhaula 30 Can Cooler. Just like it sounds, this soft sided cooler packs 30 cans, or just a case of 24 if you want to put a bunch of ice in there. We just got back from a long weekend trip using this cooler and it was great. The waterproof zipper is strong and held up to a four day weekend of loading, emptying, and reloading the cooler with no signs of wear. Insulation is very sufficient for a cooler of its size. There’s laser cut MOLLE loops on three sides, and hook/loop on the front for morale patches. Either sling it with the shoulder strap or use the handles. 840D nylon exterior and 420 nylon interior. $175
READ MORE HERE: Stone Glacier Chilkoot 0° Sleeping Bag Review
Get Rid of Dad’s Belt
If your dad raised you right, you are familiar with his belt. Or maybe that just means you are old? In any case, dad will appreciate the Kore Essentials Gun Belt. This is another SHOT Show item (see the pattern here?). While looking at the Kore belts in their SHOT Show booth, one of their reps offered me a Kore Essential Gun Belt if I would take off my belt and give it to him in exchange. My belt was old and showing wear, so I thought, “Why not?”
I am so glad I traded belts! The Kore Essentials Gun Belt is a click design, meaning there are no holes to buckle through. It has a stiff core to support a holstered gun, and the clicking buckle is very robust. You cut it to length, and you can change the buckles if you wish. Kore offers belts in a wide variety of colors and materials for around $70, or you can get a bundle of two belts and two buckles for $113 right now. Since January, I’ve been wearing mine and carrying every day, and it is going strong. Highly recommended.
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