As this year draws to a close in just a few short days, now is the time to pour ourselves a drink and spend a wintry evening by the fire reminiscing on what we’ve done. All while using the opportunity to crank out a low effort clipshow style post retreading ground we’ve already covered.

Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Herewith, then, is a listicle containing an arbitrary number of the Dork’s most favored knives of 2025. I declare that this number shall be three, and these are chosen for highly subjective and probably deeply spurious reasons. These are not the top three best knives of 2025, or even knives that came out in 2025, nor is this buying advice of any stripe.

Many other knives are brilliant. But I like these.

#3: The HOKC Finka-C

I must admit, I wasn’t completely kind to the Finka-C in my initial assessment of it, and in retrospect I was probably a little unfair to the poor little… er, big thing. But despite its various warts there’s something about the Finka keeps drawing me back to it, and I’ve been finding myself carrying it more and more as time goes on. Yes, the dinky toggling secondary lock is silly and the clip leaves a little bit to be desired, and there I go damning it with faint praise again.

But you can’t deny that the Finka is put together way better than it has any right to be and being such a big ol’ honking slab of D2 brings a grin to my face every time I pick it up. On more than one occasion this year it’s been more than enough to make itself the only folder I bothered to bring as a camp knife, which is saying a lot from somebody who usually veritably clanks as they walk in the woods.

The highly effective pocket hook opening mechanism built in absolutely completes it, and just how much I love all of my Kershaw/Emerson CQCs probably goes a long way towards explaining why I like the Finka so much, too. It’s the same effect but even moreso, and the Finka is so confident in your hand it makes you feel like you ought to be able to use it to fight off a moose.

#2: The QSP Penguin Glyde Lock

Let’s face it, there’s no way a knife named after my spirit bird wasn’t going to make it onto this list. Add in the fact that it’s an Axis locker with ceramic ball bearing pivots, a deep carry clip with an offside filler, and comes in the correct colorway, the Penguin is a shoo-in.

The Penguin is the perfect form factor for a true everyday carry knife and comes with an inoffensive and nonthreatening blade shape that is nevertheless highly functional, and made out of decent steel to boot. Honestly, it’s everything the perennially recommended Benchmade Bugout ought to be but isn’t, since it authoritatively trumps the Benchy on rigidity and pivot feel while managing to slide in at a mere quarter of the cost.

#1: The Böker Tactical Balisong 06EX229

Come on. You knew this was coming.

The Böker 06EX229 still probably represents the best value for money in the current arena of butterfly knives. It’s very close to being my favorite of all time, in fact, and when that’s coming from our platform’s Premier Balisong Nerd, that’s saying a lot. The 06EX229 is built like a nuclear fallout shelter and it’s got a list of premium features as long as your arm, and much unlike the big name options from the big boys these days, it does it all for you without driving you to into bankruptcy.

If there is any such thing as the perfect EDC balisong knife, the 06EX229 is probably it. And if it isn’t, its smaller sibling the 06EX227 certainly is, and the only reason the latter isn’t here as well is because it’s disqualified due to my writeup on it appearing last year.

Mine is seen here wearing its fancy new 3D printed duds, which you can nab for yourself here. In stock trim, it only comes in black. Really, that’s the only knock against it I can think of.

The Inevitable Conclusion

And you will rarely read me write these words, but that’s all I have to say on the matter.

For the year, in fact. I’ll see all you dorks on the flip side.

Those were my favorites from the last 52 weeks. What were yours?