Benchmade Bugout AXIS Lock Knife Ranger Green (3.24" Gray) 535GRY-1

Been looking for a while. When I saw the Bugout in Ranger Green, I had to have it. I like a light thin knife that disappears in my pocket. When I received the Bugout it seemed perfect out of the box.

After a very short time the axis lock mech developed a very gritty feel and even jammed a few times. Opening and closing the knife became difficult and felt terrible. At times take two hands to operate the axis mech.

I was very disappointed and ready to send it back, reluctantly. I really wanted to like this knife. As a last resort I removed the blade and blew it out with an air compressor. Reassembled and oiled and now it’s smooth as butter. No jamming, no gritty feel. The axis lock pulls back smoothly and the blade drops freely. Visually I didn’t see anything in the axis lock mech that caused the issue but blowing it out with 60psi of air got rid of whatever was in there. Glad I don’t have to send it back.

This knife is unbelievably light and surprisingly thin. The reported flex in the scales is a bit exaggerated IMO. I’m not hammering this knife into trees. My only complaint right now is the chromium oxide coating on the clip has a lot of drag. It doesn’t slide back in my pocket as easily as I’d like. Hopefully that’ll improve as it wears in.

It's just a great knife... Operates smoothly, feels good in hand, steel has good weight and sharp right out of the box. Great knife for a great price that was built to last. If you are looking at this review, stop thinking and just buy it.

I bought this because I came across it during an episode of KnifeBanter and fell in love with the blade and handle profiles. The classic look of a drop point, the light weight, and solid lock up was the selling point for me. I carried this knife pretty much everyday after receiving it until I got my Sebenza. Just recently a spring snapped, but I'm sending it to BM to get it serviced.

People say S30V is harder to sharpen than S35VN, but from my experience, S30V was easier to sharpen and re-profile vs the S35VN on my Sebenza.

Only downside was the break-in period for the Axis lock as the DLC coating on the lock bar had to wear off before it smoothly interfaced with the tang of the blade. Ironically, the DLC wore off faster than the coating on the blade tang.

I highly recommend this blade for EDC, and I can't wait for the new BladeHQ exclusive black-out Bugout.

This knife is so easy to carry. By far the toughest knife for its weight.

I’ve carried it every day since I got it and even though it’s not my favorite, it is quickly moving up the list. Now the only real issue I have is with the company Benchmade itself. Why a company would exclude half if not more of it potential customers buy taking a political stance is beyond me. Probably the only reason this is and will be the only Benchmade knife I ever own.

I have owned the knife for a few months. The omega spring has broken twice already. BM will not send replacement springs. Have to mail the knife in on your own dime.

I am a knife collector but I like carrying them as well as admiring them. I was really surprised at how light this knife was. It seems pretty sturdy, I do see a little give in the Grivory handle when squeezed at the middle but do not see this being an issue with its stability. The Ranger Green and smoked gray, chromium nitride coated blade are a really good combination. It's balance point means I can fidget with it fairly easily. I am very happy to add this to my high end knife collection.

i like bigger knives because i have big hands, and so i was on the fence about this one. but i wanted a benchmade for my first and so i ordered it and hen it came man it was worth it. i played with it for days just because how it feels in my hand and the axis lock is so nice. of course it is sharp too.

I've had this blade for about 2 weeks now, and I have absolutely no complaints. The blades retained it's edge as promised, even against zip ties, rope, and cardboard. At first I wasn't too fond on its light-weight feel, but after a day of carrying, I barely noticed it was there. Definitely would recommend this blade as a EDC/first big purchase.

I’ve owned this knife for about 6 moths now and I can honestly say it’s what is in my pocket the most. I’m not super hard use guy but I work in a warehouse and cut a lot of carboard and open a lot of packages. It’s cazy light and a super slicer.

I was hopeing for a lot more with this knife at the price. If I had known it was as flimsy as it is I would have passed on it at the price. The axis lock is very cool and the factory edge is sharp but it's what I would consider a thin blade. Next to my WE co. Streak 818, or my ZT this benchmade feels like a childs toy. The blade stock is uncomfortably thin. The coating on the bugout takes fingerprints like they are tattoos and only come off with cleaners. As others have said the inserts do not go along the length of the whole scale, in fact not even half way. Since the scales are unsuported AND milled out they are super flimsy. You can push the scales together with just two fingers. That said it is lite and melts into your pocket while carrying after you break in the clip a little. The axis lock makes the blade fun to flip and it is a good looking knife. Other than that, overall it feels like a childs first knife and I would not trust it in any kind of real use. If that is your thing than this is the knife for you. I will be keeping this knife for my collection but I am already trying to find a reason to carry or use it at all. One knife does not them all make and I'll remain hopefull. Maybe Benchmade can earn my buisness back if I find somone with a different model to check out but I will not be purchasing more after this toothpick. Owell, live and learn. Thank you for your time.

I love this knife. I go camping and like to have a backup knife that just disappears into my pack! For that purpose, this knife is the best! The blade steel is great, the mini deep carry clip is an awesome touch, and the weight is unbelievable. This knife is wonderful.

OMG it comes in OD green with a tactical black blade, let's charge about 20% more for it! Nice money grab Benchmade, made for the Pokemon generation "gotta collect them all!" Want to see a better example of this, check out the Gold Class Bugout!
Other than that, it's a nice knife.

I love the blade shape of this knife, cuts awesome out of the box. Its lightweight and almost a little too lightweight. I've almost put it through the wash twice, thankfully my wife isn't as scatter brained as I am.
The only problem I have with this knife is the axis lock buttons are grivory, which coming from a 940 is just weird feeling on the fingers. Other than that its a great knife and for the price its definitely worth a look.

No knife meets every need perfectly. But when it comes to EDC and everyday cutting tasks, the Bugout checks every box for me. Extremely lightweight. Deep carry mini pocket clip is discreet. Perfect blade shape and length. Feels like quality in your hand. Not flimsy or cheap at all. S30V blade. Axis lock for easy one hand open and close. Comes very sharp from the factory. All around excellent EDC knife.

I absolutely love this knife. I hardly ever notice it in my pocket and with the axis lock it is quick to open and close it. This knife can take a beating and still work on tough tasks.

I got this knife as my first Benchmade and first Knife over $50, and I absolutely love it!. Its light weight sharp. I food prep with it and I open letters and cut boxes open all the time with this and it has never failed me. Its super light weight too!

I like the blue one better because the price is more fair. The price of the green and black is ridiculous, however I haven’t found another knife that does what a bugout does. So it is what it is. Benchmade’s quality control and price vs what you get is a complicated thing. So, whatever. I bought it and I’m keeping it.

Perfect edc! Nice and sharp out of box, super light weight, feels great in hand, and disappears in your pocket. I was worried about the polymer handle but it’s built extremely well and tactile feel.

I went on a spree of buying knives this year, this one finds its way to my pocket or at least in my hands every single day. It’s so lightweight, it feels good, the blade just falls shut and it’s beyond smooth. I believe this knife could do anything you wanted it to do. **Ladies** get this for your man and they’ll marry you (100% scientifically tested).

Thin blade that’s great for slicing and comes in at under 2 oz. it’s the perfect edc knife that disappears in the pocket. I had to loosen the pivot on mine considerably to get things moving smoothly. Do yourself the favor and just get one to see what the hype is all about.

Regardless of all the crap Benchmade has gotten recently this knife is still a gem the coating is nice the scales are a nice color the size is perfect the grind is the edge is amazing the blade steel is top notch and it's an absolute pleasure to carry!!

Such a great knife in and out of the pocket. It truly disappears when in there. And it looks dope!!!

I’ve had my bugout for around 4 months now and I love it. It’s practically weightless, ultra thin, and sharp right out of the box. The bugout is a great choice for a EDC especially with its mini deep carry pocket clip and s30v blade it’s an all around amazing EDC.

The bugout is one sweet knife that lived up to its reputation. The knife coming in at 1.8 oz does literally disappear in your pocket. It is light weight but still provides you with a full sized cutting blade.

I would recommend this as a edc knife if you want to cut down on bulk and still have full sized functionality. Also I like it as a jogging knife because it does not bang around in shorts or sweat pockets.

You may hear people talking about the handle being able to bend. However I find that you need to be using a considerable amount of force to achieve that. I will say if you want a knife for camping or very hard use then the bugout is not the best option.

Over all it is definitely one to have to carry or for a collection. The light weight and full sized blade with good ergonomics makes this a EDC choice for sure.

Not too hot not too cold jussssst right. Just enough belly, perfect steel, ultra light but not weak. Texture is just enough, beautiful accents, great colorations didn’t even waste time with a black handle. Opens silky smooth of course, and carry’s like a ghost, Doesn’t feel like it’s there till u reach for it

Great knife from a company I'm disappoint in. Turns out Benchmade has a long record of donating to anti-gun politicians over the years. Can't say I will continue to purchase from a company that supports restricting the rights of Americans.

Pros:
-Super lightweight & thin
-Deep pocket clip & great ergonomics
-Razor-sharp out of the box & blade centering was dead on

Cons:
-Not a 'hard use' knife (no handle liners so there will be flex/give in certain situations)

If your looking for a basic EDC lightweight knife that will make you forgot that it's in your pocket, this is it. A knife in hand beats the Kukri left at home. You'll never think twice about putting this in your pocket because it takes up too much space or weighs too much.

I suggest any of the 940 Osborne models (will be +~1 ounce heavier) if you like the size of this knife but are looking for something that feels stouter.

This knife has gotten a lot of negative feedback but zero complaints from this guy

Great S30V Blade, slightly off-center but overall great lightweight EDC knife!

I have only two tiny complaints, and one is just a personal annoyance, really. First, the blade on my particular knife is a little off center. No adjustment or combination of possible adjustments will fix it. It's not off by much, though. Second is the annoying sound my hands/fingers make on the grivory handle material (LOL). It just bugs the hell out of me! I'm getting over it, though. Neither of these is really any big deal. Just the absolute only things I can complain about. All in all, I love this knife. The weight, the steel, the blade, the action, the lock-up, the looks, the clip - all excellent. If you're thinking about buying this knife, do it!

Sir,

If the knife was as you say loose or too tight it is warrantied by one of the best knife making companies in the World! Yes, in this case I have to say Benchmade is up there in not only their knife making skills but also their warranty of their product as in if it ever gets dull and you don't want to sharped it or for some reason can't do it right they will do it for the life of the knife. I am retired military and part of my job was to teach, equip, and maintain survival equipment in the USCG. We constantly had to sell our supervisors on the importance of providing excellent gear to our Aircrew and Pilots in case of an aircraft ditching either at sea or on land far away from the civilized population. I enjoyed giving out gear to our guys and gals that I knew would work well and hold up under the most extreme weather environments. So, if that knife somehow slipped past the proper QA of Benchmade I know they are the kind of company that backs their products and would most certainly take care of you so you could give your son a most excellent gift. At last count I own several Benchmades myself so I am speaking with a great deal of product experience and some of the knives I have are over 20 years of age and still perform like a new knife. Better than most knives you can find on the market today. I just keep them lubricated and cleaned up after using in the bush. Contact Benchmade and see if I am right.
Good luck,

Happy Camper

I bought this knife right when it came out and I torture tested it quite a bit. Gotta say the knife has good fit but horrible finish. I bought my first one had it for 2 days before I noticed rust (yes on the coating) thought I just had one that was old or whatever the case was. Returned it and got a new one that was perfectly mint. Same thing. 2 days after owning it it had developed rust. Decided I would just deal with it as the knife isn't that expensive and see how it goes just to be a bit of a guinea pig. I've had quite a few benchmades and spydercos. I'm beyond flabbergasted that this knife has such good reviews. I'ts ok at best but for my money a mini grip is a much smarter buy

Congrats to whomever made this knife better. This knife is perfect gold.

Has substantially less presence in pocket compared to a mini grip and is much lighter. The proportions are great and the action/feel is perfect. If you're thinking about purchasing, go for it.

Have no complaints about fit/finish, love the overall ergonomics. This is my first Benchmade and I am impressed with this knife. Blade was wicked sharp out of box and was addicting to play with due to its light weight and ease of deployment. I do love the short deep carry clip, wish I had this on every pocket knife I owned. However, I am very hesitant to rely on this knife as my sole everyday knife. I understand there is no liners in the handle to save weight but I am afraid to even use it to open a pop top lol! I honestly carry my ESEE Zancudo for backup when I inevitably run into a task I don’t think the Bugout will be able to handle. That’s a big miss on Benchmade’s part but for what it is I really love this knife.

This was my first Benchmade. I was nervous about paying this much for what looks like just another knife. I felt like I was just going to be paying for a name. Wow, was I ever wrong!

I love Love LOVE this knife!!! When I first picked it up I was amazed at how light it was. It’s crazy light! The action is also crazy smooth. I have several knives, but this action is awesome! It flicks open super easy. Both by the thumb stud or by use of the Axis lock. I find myself just flicking and playing with this knife all the time.

A guy at work that I showed it to bought one the next day because of how awesome it was when he handled it. The big problem is that now I have this overwhelming urge to buy another Benchmade. It’s bad, really bad. You may be better off not getting it actually.

stayed sharp for 3 months even though I used it every day, really tough finish on blade, and is so light I try to go and find it when it's in my pocket. If your thinking about getting it just go for it

I am amazed by this knife. It looks great, disappears in my pocket, has superb steel, and is comfortable to work with. A stellar EDC blade.

This model gets an extra star compared to the blue handled model.

I didn't give the original 535 a five star rating mainly because it's not really what the name suggests- a bugout knife.

However, this has to be one of my favorite EDC knifes simply because of its lightweight and thin profile. The included deep carry clip is also a nice touch.

Also, Benchmade's S30V isn't as impossible to put a good edge on as some others I have.

I prefer this Ranger Green version mainly due to color and that anti-reflective chromium nitride coating. A great looking combination.

Benchmade knives are a bit on the pricey side, but you get good quality from them. And, from personal experience, they have a great customer service department and have gone well beyond what I can expect in terms of assisting customers.department and have gone well beyond what I can expect in terms of assisting customers.

Hat is off to Benchmade for their advertising skills. Had me sold on a bullet proof, tough as nails knife. Nah. Knife doesn't want to flip open, certainly doesn't drop shut. Sorry a knife at this price doesn't need a "break in". I can pinch the scales until they touch when the blade is out. Feels rather flimsy. It is a gift, it's for my son. I'm sure he will love it. I would return it, but I had the blade engraved. Bummer. This was my first, and probably my last Benchmade. Be a neat knife at the $40 price point..... I suppose I'm just used to my big robust knives that can be used as a pry bar as well.

Works well, nice looking. It is so light that I can not feel it when I am carrying it.

Maybe it is too light for its size suppose to be, but it is still a qualified nice knife. When I get use to its weight, it is something I really like to carry everyday. I can put it in my every pocket and no one would notice it.

Well done, benchmade.

I would not want to have this as my only knife if I had to bug out or when disaster strikes. It is very flimsy and more suited for opening bags, mail, packing tape on boxes or cutting twine. Hell even if I was going for a short hike with only a folding knife I'd prefer at least a victorinox farmer or great eastern cutlery bullnose. If I was putting together a car emergency kit this wouldn't go in it either. It feels better in hand than a mini griptilian due to longer scales, but that's the only plus this knife gets. I already sold the one I purchased when it first came out.

How can a super lightweight knife impress someone who has owned the real deal Grayman dua, Chaves, griptilians, pm2s etc...so much that it leaves me speechless. To pull off a quality fell being so light is remarkable. A true testament to Benchmade. Get one, you owe it to yourself. A+++

I'll have to say, this was better than I thought it would be. I love how light it is, and how thin it it. It's definitely not a harder use knife but that's ok, I like it non the less. This is my first Benchmade and I'm very pleased with it!

Just got mine today and as soon as I had it in hand I knew it was something special. Light yet durable, sleek yet rugged. The blade coating is a thing of beauty and the bronze thumb stud and barrel spacers set it off. Only quarrel, and maybe it's in my head, but coulda shoulda been g10 scales. The frn doesn't feel cheap or weak but for the price should of gotten a little extra. Awesome all around and can't wait to carry it tomorrow

I purchased this specifically for the blade metal and how little this knife weights. I almost returned it because it was stiff and gritty on opening. Blew 65 psi air through the action and open and closed for 30 minutes and it opens smooth a butter. Nice blade, very lightweight, but I am mostly a ZT guy. This is the 2nd Benchmade I have purchased and it's quite nice. Would recommend. This is my new EDC knife for work. This is not a survival knife - this is a knife for opening boxes, cutting zip ties, rubber wire protectors and orange plastic fiber optic cable protectors.

I've been carrying knives for years and this one takes the cake. love the axis lock and it's been keeping it's edge nicely.

Been carrying this blade on and off for 3 months now. It's definitely feather light! The knife lock up is solid and the handle scales are comfortable and grippy. I only have two compaints. The blade doesn't fly open very quickly and there are no liners inside the handles. Aside from that it slices like a champ and looks amazing. Ps more colors please!

Now for start, i will admit that i didn't buy this knife from this website. I bought mine from amazon in which came from DLT Trading. That being said, I have been carrying this knife for about a couple of weeks now and i can honestly say that from the moment i first got it out of the packaging and into my pocket, I instantly fell in love with this knife. From the look of it, to the razor sharp edge, it has everything going for it that i could ever want for a edc knife. This is my ideal knife for every basic edc tasks that i throw at it. Like i said in the title, you absolutely will not regret this purchase. It is a excellent knife and I can barley keep myself from admiring it constantly and wanting to use it constantly. Definitely worth every penny!

I recieved my bugout in ranger green a few days ago, I've carried it and used it everyday since, my first impressions of this knive would be"wow thing thing is light, it looks awesome, it's super thin, a bit on the small side for my liking, i would of liked a little more beef over all, the blade finish/coating soaks up oils and shows fingerprints more than any other knife i have, i love it but it has flaws".

Should have been called Benchmade Backpacker or something along those lines. Very light for the oz. counters, classic lines, very thin, disappears in the pocket. I’ve heen carrying it every day for a month now and I’m digging it. Taken it backpacking once and will take it on another 5 day trip at the end of the summer. It did everything I needed it to do on the trail. This is a winner, and I think great competition for some of spyderco’s lighter frn offerings.

I’ve been meaning the pick the bugout up since it’s release, when I heard the weight 1.85 oz I had to see it for myself. Benchmade accomplishes this by losing the liners in the handles. And I have to say I absolutely love it. I’ve been looking for a good edc for basketball shorts or running and this fits the bill perfectly. Wearing basketball short the knife disappears with its light weight and deep carry clip. Like other reviews say the handles do bow if squeezed hard due to no liners. I dont foresee this being a problem unless your Andre the giant. If your thinking about this knife stop and get it you won’t be sorry

Received the green scaled Bug out 3 days ago. The blade and lock are top quality. The handle scales are a bit flimsy. DO NOT put any pressure on them. They flex easily. They are made the same way the Griptillian scales are made but way thinner, thus less sturdy.

I was recently just in the market for a new EDC knife and I was torn between a few different brands and models. I have several other knives that I had carried in the past but I never had a Benchmade up until this point. I was definitely wanting to finally get a Benchmade so I was looking into the mini-griprilan, the full size griptilian, as well as a few others. I stumbled upon this exact knife with no prior knowledge of its existence and fell in love with it immediately. I purchased this knife and let me just say that it was the best decision for purchasing a new EDC ever. It is so lightweight that you forget the knife is there in pocket until you need it. The mini-deep-carry pocket clip put the knife down in your pocket where it remains discreet. The color combo on this knife is also my favorite of any Benchmade on the market right now. Overall, you can’t beat this knife for the price for all that you get out of it.

If you're on this page, you probably have done your research and possibly even seen the reviews on YouTube or elsewhere (if not, look it up). This knife is good for both the collectors and the guy who just needs/wants a good EDC blade – it's light, thin, strong and just impressive to look at. S30V steel is sharp as a tack out of the box and perfectly centered between the scales. In addition to the quality of the knife, i'd like to commend the quality of service BladeHQ supplies. They're always competitive in pricing, offer free shipping as well as other various things to sweeten the deal; I got a free bottle of BladeHQ hot sauce with my order which is just plain cool.

Thanks, dudes (and dudettes).

I never leave reviews, but this knife deserves the exception. I pre-ordered this knife, and it was shipped to me within 2 weeks of placing the order (hats off to Benchmade for not teasing customers for long periods, and to BladeHQ for quick shipping).

I work at an retail store where opening boxes, cutting zip-ties and other general knife tasks are a common occurrence. After roughly a month of carrying this knife as an EDC, I can say it's the best small knife I've had. The lockup is solid, as should be expected with the Axis lock; and even without any metal liners, this thing is more rigid than it really has any right to be considering how light it is. The S30V blade comes out of the box razor sharp. The deep carry clip is a nice touch, wish more knives came with them from the factory.

Overall, I have no complaints about this knife. It's very aesthetically pleasing, the colors go together very well- pictures of this knife do it no justice.