Benchmade - Bugout 535 EDC Knife with Crater Blue Grivory Handle (535FE-05)

Super sharp out of the box. I lost my last one of this model, but it’s so good for edc because it’s thin and doesn’t get in the way even though it’s a decent sized pocket knife. I can’t imagine I’ll find something else that I’d enjoy more carrying every day. Well done benchmade

Light compact sits low in pocket. Shipping was fast and arrived in great condition.

Sharp and durable knife delivered quickly! This will be my new EDC since it’s super lightweight and has a great edge.

No knife compares to Benchmade!

Good

This is an amazing knife. It’s very lite weight, extremely durable and very sharp. Recommend this knife to anyone looking for a great knife for hunting, camping and hiking. Would also makes a great gift for that new EDC knife person. Such as a young man getting his first knife for the Boy Scouts or just hunting and fishing.

Well, amazon’s color portrayal is way oversaturated and the contrast is way too high. This orange is more of a burnt sienna or rust color than a brighter navel/mandarin orange that is shown. A little disappointing that the color is not portrayed accurately. The knife is very lightweight, and it is supposed to be.. but it feels a little cheap. The plastic (glass-filled some % ?) can be bent when compressing the two outer halves together. The FDE blade finish is nice, and the anodized aluminum pieces are well finished. I am not sure if it’s worthy of the $200 price though. Hope this helps other buyers out. There were some fingerprints left by the release mechanism on the blade, and the pocket clip has some marring and residue on its surface. Not sure if I will keep it or return it yet and go with a full aluminum body knife instead.

I have had pocket knives my entire life and had to use them as a part of my job for many years. They are a very personal tool that you rely on and develop a pretty personal relationship with.I have had cheap knives and expensive knives and everything in between. Over time you realize that a cheap knife is not only not as nice but in many cases can be dangerous. So I tend to buy middle range to slightly expensive now and keep it longer. I only buy American made now not because China is evil or any other country is good or bad but because I like buying something from a smaller and more local company that pays attention to details. You get what you pay for is really true.This is my first Benchmade, before this I have had Kershaw US made and Zero Tolerance as my main EDC knives. I have found US made Kershaw knives to be a great value and Zero Tolerance to be just great. So this Benchmade was a shock when I first got it. For $130 I was expecting full stainless steel tangs along the grivory handles and that is not what I got. So I was going to return this knife because even though it is not clearly stated that this knife has a nice stainless steel blade attached to a plastic handle that has metal tang that attaches to the the blade about less than half way. When you grab the plastic handle it will flex under pressure which gives a bad impression. It seems like you could just break the handle yourself if enough pressure is applied which gives a very weak impression of durability and long term strength. I know this is an entry level knife from Benchmade offering superior blade steel and the reason the knife does not cost more and is very light is because of the construction as I mentioned earlier.I decided to keep the knife because I really like the light weight and the blue grivory handle is actually very pleasant to grab. I also like the blue anodized bolts that keep the knife together and the thumbstuds that are also light blue anodized aluminum. Once I made that decision I thought to myself this will just not be my heavy duty knife. Since I have had it the blade is really impressive for the price. I don't think there is another American made knife using this blade steel at this price.If Benchmade did not offer a good warranty then I would have returned the knife but since they cover it for life under normal conditions I figure that the grivory handle despite not having full metal tangs is still strong enough to get the job done and if I have a problem I am sure Benchmade will take care of me.Why this knife is a keeper in any collection? It is really light which makes carrying it for long periods of time in various conditions very pleasant. The grivory handle is very tactile and grippy and you can choose your color so that is great! The blade and how everything is put together is why I buy American higher quality and cost knifes. Yes it is over $100 and has a plastic handle but it is perfectly assembled and build quality is excellent for this price. If you want a more serious configuration and don't mind spending more then I would highly recommend getting a custom built model from Benchmade. They have full metal tang models with grivory handle and you can choose accessories and colors. If you want to save money then Amazon is going to be your best deal.All I can say is give it a try if you are doubtful. This is a great knife!!