Benchmade’s New Bugouts May Be the Most Refined EDC Knives the Brand Has Ever Dropped

Standard and Mini, these stunning, tech-forward blades prove that the Oregon outfit still has a lot of ground to cover with its flagship folders.

By Sean Tirman

Published April 11, 2025

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The Benchmade Bugout EDC knife’s impact on the larger knifemaking industry cannot be understated. Like the Griptilian before it, it’s widely considered one of the knives by which all others are judged.

Part of that is because of its extremely balanced silhouette, as well as its tried-and-true features and mechanisms. But some of the credit is also due to the wide array of available configurations.

The brand has just added to that array with a pair of new drops, the Benchmade Bugout 535SL-13 and the Benchmade Mini Bugout 533SL-10. Although they have eye-watering price tags, they could go down as two of the most refined knives the brand has ever released.

Smitten by the bug

Like many of their siblings, these knives don’t stray too far off the beaten path, at least as far as sizing and silhouettes go. The standard-sized one is the same 7.46 inches (with a 3.24-inch blade) it has always been, and the same goes for the 6.49-inch Mini (with its 2.82-inch blade).

What makes these knives special isn’t entirely apparent to the naked eye or clarified by reading the specs. Better understand those upgrades, and you’ll likely appreciate that their appearance doesn’t betray their hidden strengths.

They also both retain the brand’s signature AXIS lock (Benchmade owned the patent for the first-ever crossbar lock), classic thumb stud deployment and the lanyard hole at the base of the handle.

Maintaining many of these features is crucial to the knives’ success. Venture too far away from what makes a Bugout a Bugout, and you’ll lose sight of all there is to love about them. However, they also need to stand apart.

Unfortunately, some of the early consensus around these launches is somewhat negative. Folks are wondering how these admittedly somewhat ordinary-looking knives could cost so much.

Perhaps this is because what makes these knives special isn’t entirely apparent to the naked eye or clarified by reading the specs. Better understand those upgrades, and you’ll likely appreciate that their appearance doesn’t betray their hidden strengths.

Benchmade Bugout Mini — See the almost milky whiteness of the S90V blade? It’s these knives’ hidden superpower.

Upgrades hidden in plain sight

Although their color palettes differ from those of other Bugouts and one another, this pair’s blade and handle materials set them apart. It’s also in how they’re executed.

This starts with the handles. These knives have anodized aluminum in place of the typical Grivory. While that itself isn’t novel — the Bugout 535BK-4 has a gorgeous machined aluminum handle — the subtle faceted surface is exclusive to these new Bugouts.

Benchmade Bugout — Lovers of the original Bugout silhouettes will be happy to know these ones are still sized the same.

However, the real special sauce is in the blades. They’re made from CPM-S90V. While that might not seem super special — it’s an upgrade from the S30V that comes standard but is not completely atypical — the blade coating is extraordinary.

The blades are coated with Cerakote H-Series Crushed Silver. It’s a ceramic-based coating that imparts flexibility, wear resistance, durability, corrosion resistance, hardness and resistance to most chemicals and solvents. This grants the blades performance well beyond the steel’s natural properties.

It’s this unique combination of elements that makes these knives so exceptional. But you’ll have to decide for yourself if that makes them worth the price.

Pricing and availability

The Benchmade Bugout 535SL-13 and Benchmade Mini Bugout 533SL-10 launch on the brand’s website on Tuesday, April 15 for $320 and $310, respectively. There’s a waitlist you can join, should you be interested.

However, you can also preorder them for the same prices on Blade HQ right now.