Benchmade’s New and Upcoming Knives Boast Superior Steel and Stunning Variety (Exclusive)

Here’s a sneak peek at an eye-popping array of future releases from the beloved brand. (Spoiler alert: Lots of MagnaCut.)

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published 12 hours ago

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Over the past year or so, I’ve written about a hundred knives for Gear Patrol, if not more.

As much as I appreciate the category, it can be easy to get jaded and start to think you have seen it all.

Then Benchmade comes along and offers to send you a bunch of knives ahead of their release dates. So you open the boxes and fall in love all over again.

That’s what happened to me recently, anyway, as the brand provided me with an exclusive look at what’s coming the rest of the summer and into the fall (plus a few knives you can buy right now).

Super steel and so much more

As the title of this story indicates, the brand has embraced the hottest knife steel around, MagnaCut, renowned for its unbeatable blend of edge retention, corrosion resistance and toughness.

Beyond that hugely active ingredient, however, what jumps out to me is the vast variety of styles and functions.

benchmade bailout (537SBK-07) detail — Partially serrated, tanto-shaped 3.38-inch Bailout blade made of MagnaCut? Yes please!

It kind of says something about the brand’s current scope that they can send Gear Patrol a big box of more than a dozen new knives and not one of them is a Bugout.

Don’t worry, the brand still offers that top-notch EDC stalwart in a variety of finishes. But they also make a whole lot of other compelling blades, as you’ll see below …

Bailout (537BK-07 and 537SBK-07)

The Bailout is one of Benchmade’s most popular knives and my own personal favorite.

Adopting a Burnt Copper Aluminum styling that first appeared in the Osborne, this new edition boasts a 3.38-inch blade made of, you guessed it, MagnaCut.

A huge hit at SHOT Show, it is available in two variants: a standard tanto blade shape and a partially serrated one.

Price: $350

Available now

Crooked River and Crooked River Mini (15080BK-04 and 15085BK-04)

Redefining the gentleman’s folder, this new Crooked River boasts a 4-inch drop-point blade made of MagnaCut, emerges from black canvas micarta handle scales with a burnt copper bolster.

Resembling dark denim, the scales have a built-in patina that nicely mirrors the DLC Battlewash finish on the blade.

benchmade crooked river 15080BK-04 detail

Benchmade is also producing a Mini version of the knife that’s very similar but a bit more pocket-friendly, courtesy of a 3.4 inch blade and closed length of five inches.

Curiosity suitably piqued? You can read much more about this instant heirloom here.

Price: $320 to $340

Available now

Dacian (203BK-02, 203BT-03 and 203-04)

These upgraded Dacians are a pointed reminder that Benchmade produces potent fixed blade knives as well.

Building on the success of last year’s original 203, these three new editions differ in their colorways but share canvas micarta handles and 3.54-inch MagnaCut blades.

Perhaps only Benchmade could position a folding knife as a survival blade (see the PSK below) and a fixed blade as an EDC knife.

Helping to state the latter case, Benchmade has also introduced this gorgeous sheath for the Dacian. It costs $50 and comes in both brown leather (shown above) and black.

Price: $300

Available now

SEVEN | TEN (710-25)

With a 4-inch recurve drop-point blade made of satin-finished M390 stainless steel and a 6061-T6 anodized aluminum handle, this stylish knife is sure to turn heads.

In addition to good looks, it packs plenty of history, as the original 710 introduced the revolutionary AXIS Lock way back in 1999.

This game changer was designed by Bill McHenry and Jason Williams, whose names grace the offside of the blade.

Price: $450

Launches: August 5

Osborne (940-04)

A staple of the Benchmade stable designed by the legendary Warren Osborne, this knife is a big favorite among the working and ranching crowd thanks to its reliable blade and rugged construction.

This new edition is the most robust yet thanks to the classic 3.4-inch reverse tanto blade being rendered for the first time in MagnaCut steel.

The blue denim micarta handle only adds to its good looks. Like many of Benchmade’s most popular offerings, this new Osborne will also be available in a Mini version.

Price: $280 to $290

Launches: August 12

Lowden (491)

This charming little knife represents a bit of a departure for Benchmade, in that it puts “fun” on equal footing with function.

A rep for the brand calls it “our first true flipper,” a claim supported by the generously sized flipper tab.

As fidget-friendly as it is, this knife can do a job too, thanks to its 2.79-inch spearpoint blade made of M390 stainless steel.

The handle, meanwhile, is made of anodized aluminum and will be offered in two colors: Phoenix Red and Crater Blue.

Price: $325

Launches: August 26

PSK (593GY-02)

The PSK made waves (and eventually the GP100) by raising a controversial question: does a survival knife’s blade need to be fixed?

After many tried and failed to destroy it, the answer was clear: Nope!

Naturally, Benchmade is following it up with an even beastlier new version, complete with a Grivory handle and a 3.44-inch drop-point blade made of Elmax stainless powder steel.

Price: $325

Launches: September 18

Taggedout (15536GN-01 and 15536TN-01)

Like the Bailout, the Taggedout is another popular offshoot of the Bugout, with a size, shape and weight particularly appealing to hunters.

Weighing just 2.1 ounces, these two new treatments sport 3.5-inch clip-point blades made of Elmax stainless powder steel and treated with Cerakote to boost their resistance to abrasion, wear, corrosion and chemicals.

Where they differ, then, is in the shade of Cerakote and in the hue of their handles: Tan Grivory (top) and Deep Olive Grivory (bottom).

Price: $210

Launches: September 23

Bailout (537-10)

Considering this roundup started with a Bailout, it is perhaps fitting that it ends with one as well.

This particular treatment sees the workhorse knife don the equivalent of a tux: the 3.38-inch tanto blade is made of S90V with a black cerakote finish.

Meanwhile, the handle is rendered in light, strong, diamond-textured carbon fiber, complemented by dark copper hardware.

A similar Bailout with a satin-finished blade and Crater Blue PVD accents will be available the same day for $390.

Price: $400

Launches: October 7

Editor’s Note: As the hits just keep on coming, stay tuned for one more knife, the Successor, in mid-October. Boasting a 2.56-inch drop-point blade made of MagnaCut Steel, aluminum handle scales and a rare (for Benchmade) slipjoint mechanism, it will cost $250.

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.