Benchmade Bugout AXIS Lock Knife Black CF-Elite (3.24" Black) 535BK-2

Disappears in your pocket perfect edc love the sleak/minimal design. Thanks blade HQ for all of the knife reviews.

Benchmade Bugout CF Elite. Taking the knife world by storm, the Bugout was the knife to have, as of 2018 and 2019. The Bugout quickly found its way onto nearly every single "Best of Knives" list on this site, as the good boys at BHQ fell head over heels with this thing. I took my sweet time purchasing one, letting the hype train slow down a bit (more like transfer to the Elementum), and by the time I pulled the trigger...I had very high expectations.

Let's start with the disappointments. You pick up the knife for the first time and immediately think that this a plastic replica of the real Bugout. It is quite small, and the Bugout answers the age-old question of, "Is there such a thing as too lightweight?". Yes. Because it feels like a toy (sorry fanboys). Without a doubt in my mind, I could break this knife in half. The blade is so thin and light, it took me a couple of weeks to learn how to close it (you hold back the axis lock just a bit longer than you would on a Freek or Griptilian). And finally, the blade finish shows marks and discoloration quite easily. It takes effort to keep the Bugout looking clean. I will admit the initial impression of the Bugout was a bit disappointing, however, everyone loves this knife, so I decided to give it an extra-long trial period to find out why.

And here it is: first and foremost, the Bugout is slim and lightweight (that is an understatement). I know it is a cliche, but it disappears in your pocket. The blade is slim, slicey, and sharp. The action is very smooth, easy to operate, and secure (bless the AXIS lock). The mini deep carry pocket clip is super neat. It does its job dutifully and does not cause any hot spots. The handle has a good amount of gimping and grip, although I handed the Bugout to a mate and he promptly dropped it, so take that as you will. Despite the ultra-thin handle, the Bugout feels... alright in the hand, and it certainly looks great. The black on black is so clean, and I love it.

To conclude, the Bugout is a great knife. It is now a staple of the EDC community and has amassed a good-sized cult following. But it isn't quite deserving of the hype, and it probably isn't worth 150 bucks either. It has flaws. It is small as heck! I would never discourage someone from buying it, but I would probably have them look at the Griptilian or para 3 first...just off of the price tag alone. I carry the knives I review, for the entire duration of writing the review itself. And I was carrying the bugout for a whole 4 weeks straight (gaaahh, that is ridiculous) because I couldn't figure out how I felt about it. Definitely torn between being realistic about this knife and the hate I would probably get for it. To be perfectly clear, this is not a bad knife. I like it. You should buy it. But it isn't perfect. 81/100

I love the BladeHQ's youtube videos. If you would have one EDC knife (I don't know anyone would), which knife would it be. This is it.
I can't say about the durability yet. But the initial quality is superb.
-perfectly centered blade
-smooth opening
-great ergo in hand and in pocket
-hair shaving sharp S30V blade
-light weight with great grip
-black on black

This knife is awesome! It is way lighter than any other knife I've had before and it looks great being all black. Love the size, not too big, not too small. Definitely gonna be an EDC for me

This is great, lightweight knife for edc. I've been used to carrying a PM2 or barrage, but ordered this hoping for a more compact carry option. So far I love it, great steel, great lock, and good looking knife.

I wasn't expecting to like this knife as much as I do. In fact, I had plans on customizing it once it arrived. As soon as I had it in my hands I decided that it was perfect as is. It is unbelievably light and compact. It disappears in your pocket, but there is no compromise on utility. An excellent cutter, great action and just plain fun to look at. I imagine this will be part of my daily carry for quite some time.

Exactly what I was looking for! Lightweight, smooth opening and closing mechanism. I know this is a cliche but it does disappear in my pocket. Feels good in my hand and a very sharp blade.

Man this knife is awesome, it disappears in the pocket and weighs next to nothing. Came very sharp and i'm very happy with my purchase!

Everything about this knife is amazing. I love the locking mechanism, it weights almost nothing and yet has a great blade and a strong feel in my hand. Highly recommended.

This is great everyday carry knife. This was my first Benchmade knife and I am now a big fan. It is surprisingly lightweight without feeling cheap.The blade is very sharp and the AXIS locking mechanism is great for keeping your fingers from being cut when closing the knife.
I would recommend this knife to anyone wanting a solid EDC.

This knife is super light weight and just slips right into your pocket with its deep carry clip. After spending time with the knife I definitely understand the praise it gets.

This is my first Benchmade purchase and now I am left to wonder... Is there anything better? I typically like knives in the 2.6'- 3.4" range for EDC. Check! This knife is the perfect size. I used to prefer a little bit of weight in my pocket, not any longer. The Bugout has the perfect weight to size ratio as well. The s30v steel blade looks great and is a pure slicer, not the fanciest steel, but lets face it, ideal. The CF Elite scales feel great in hand and very rigid. The Axis Lock may be the best folding knife system ever invented. I will probably never buy another assisted opener again. The Bugout is the closest thing in my collection to a "Perfect EDC" knife.

Super light weight and disappears in the pocket. Blade is sharp and deploys quickly.

Lightweight, Axis Lock, classic blade shape, murdered out black what's not to love. Classic EDC knife for newbies or collectors.

you all know this knife. You've all seen this knife be excessively gushed over. nobody thinks about buying this knife, you either do now, or will later, but I think this knife is a little too perfect. I like when things have little mistakes because it makes me feel as if it was designed by a person, this knife feels like it was made by an AI to create the most practical knife possible, for better and worse.

I was really surprised at how light weight this knife is. I’ve been using it for a few weeks and it holds up to my daily tasks of box cutting, occasional food slicing. No surprise here. This knife has been out for long time and it’s popularity holds reason. My only complaint is that I would like it to be smoother.

The Benchmade Bugout CF-Elite is a very nice knife. It has a great blade and is extremly lightweight; about as light as they come. I had to adjust the tension at the pivot to allow it to drop shut, but, that tends to be normal upon arrival. Five stars. It's a great EDC. You won't be disappointed.

Love the CF Elite! Came super sharp, had to tune it a bit to make the pivot smooth but otherwise it’s perfect. Disappears in my pocket and it fun fidget with.

What can I say, this thing is light, sharp and cool. Can't ask too much more for an EDC knife. Shipping was quick and painless, thanks Blade HQ. Very happy with this and it will be in my pocket for quite a while I'm thinking.

First of all I would like to thank BladeHQ for the great service despite everything that is going on. Shipping was fast and my new Bugout arrived to be able to "drop shut" just as I had requested. Well, I don't know if they made any adjustments to the knife, but I am totally happy with it. I have a Protech SBR that I also love but this thing is amazing. I've also used and have carried Kershaw and Gerber knives, but this knife is just awesome! I was afraid that it would be to light, but it feels just right to carry. I've been carrying it in basketball shorts and it works perfectly. I have not carried using the deep carry clip, but I am sure it would be great. Beautiful knife, now I hope I don't lose it.

High quality steel, but the G10 feels cheap and is too light. This knife is not well balanced.

I have 3, this one, Red Battlewash and Ranger Green. They all perform excellent at what they were designed to do. I can hardly tell a difference between the 3. Great materials and steel, very sharp and slicey, light, compact and pack able. Scales have good grip with a comfortable surface, Ranger Green seems a touch better scale surface. I don't loose grip and my knife hand is injured with limited movement and feeling. A couple drops of oil with proper adjustment and and they all 3 are easily one handed flickable to open and close. Though the thumb stud to open draws less attention. Well made, good materials with excellent fit and finish. They aren't heavy duty camp or hunting knives but I like them for what they were made for and and they do it well.

For the first day that I owned this knife, I disliked it, because opening and closing it was a colossal pain.

I worked the blade and particularly the axis lock a couple of hundred times, possibly more, before it finally "broke in." Before then, there were some very unpleasant grinding sounds when I tried to close the blade. Pulling back on the axis lock was also a very "gritty" experience.

Once broken in, the knife became easier to use. I still wish the pocket clip was longer, and I might get an aftermarket clip to replace it.

The S30V blade is very sharp, and because of the stiffness of the blade action, I nicked myself twice on my little finger.

This knife is very light in weight, as most people have mentioned. You almost forget that it's in your pocket.

It feels good in your hands. I have the CF-Elite version, and I like the look and feel of the scales.

I think that it's a fine knife.

This is my first Benchmade.

I was torn between getting a 940 with the G10 scales (REI edition) and this Bugout, and was talked into the Bugout. At first I was skeptical because of how light it was, but after a few days of playing with it and breaking it in (it was a little stiff out of the box) I can safely say this was the correct choice. The scales are light yet sturdy (props on CF Elite living up to the hype), no blade play at all, the coating feels and looks great on the blade. New daily driver.

Compared to the only other Benchmade I own, a very early 25+ year old McHenry&Williams that I used to carry all the time, this new one is outstanding. My old Benchmade is still my favorite but I no longer carry it every day. Love the axis lock on both but this Bugout is 75% lighter and the size and weight is beyond perfect. The deep pocket clip works great. This new Bugout is in my pocket every day. I highly recommend you buy one. You won't regret it. And the price is spot on for the value.

My Bugout CF-Elite is great. It is light, sharp and fits great in my hand. A lot of my knives have thicker handles and when I put my hand in my pocket will scrape on my knuckles. Not this knife. The handle is thin and let’s my hand slide by easily. I would recommend this knife to everyone.

Lightweight full size knife. 3.5" blade sub 2oz, great blade shape, high flat grind, nice thin blade stock. Not the most HD knife in the world but great for most EDC tasks. As a lefty it is fully ambidextrous with the axis lock. Well made the QC was on point. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was the price. $145 seems a little steep but its a great knife I am really enjoying its ease of carry.

This is my 12th Benchmade but my first 'Bugout' knife from there. It is probably my least favorite Benchmade and I am a bit disappointed since the reality does not live up to the hype for me. I know many will disagree but I just am not very happy with this knife. Its okay but not great. In my opinion, the handle is too thin and light and the blade rotation is too stiff for the weight of the handle. The handle feels flimsy and has a 'cheap' kind of feel. The blade itself is quality but the stiffness of the rotation is annoying for so light a knife. I have worked the joint and its much better now but it took quite a bit of work and I still really don't like carrying.

I received my CF-Elite Bugout about a week ago and it has been in pocket ever since. It is so thin and light weight it is unnoticeable. I re-profiled the edge on my Wicked Edge sharpening system and it is scary sharp just the way I like them.

No regrets here, highly recommended.

If you like light, this fits the bill. I do love the slim profile and size proportions, but I'll be getting the copper scales for this. This just doesn't feel like it has the right balance for me as is. I think I'll try the bailout.

I had always heard how great these were but I never knew it would become my favorite carry knife thus far. Lightweight, great edge retention, and a badass look. I will recommend these to anyone who asks and I'll definitely buy another one very soon.

Awesome knife and quick shipping! The new CF-Elite handles are very sturdy and knife looks great and super sharp right out of the box!

This knife is nice & light in the pocket! It came sharp out of the box! It comes with a pouch!
I really like the Axis lock!
If you don’t have one, you should
order it!

Absolutely what BM advertises it as. It is more rigid in the handle than the original and slightly lighter. I have no complaints but I prefer the clip and the ergonomics on the PM3 Lightweight to this knife. Both this Bugout and the PM3 LW will see pocket time for sure.

This is absolutely my go-to EDC now, and I simply can't imagine how anything is going to replace it. Thin, light weight, buttery smooth action, and built like a tank. With the clip aligned with the back edge of your front pocket (I changed mine to left side), this knife disappears and is out of the way, unobtrusive, yet right there where you want it when you need it. It takes up very little space in the pocket. It came highly recommended, and I know why. My only regret is not buying one of these sooner. Go ahead... order it. You won't be sorry.

Bought this during the Thanksgiving deals, the price was right. Very light and the action is easy and smooth. Flat contour allows for comfortable EDC and so far fits the bill. I normally like the mini versions for an EDC, the handle is at the maximum length for what I would use. So far I don't have any complaints.

When I first opened my package, my first thought was the blade must be missing because it was so light. It was in there and this knife is a gem. It is my everyday carry and I forget I have it in my pocket especially when wearing jeans. Then I put my jeans in the dirty clothes and have to dig through trying to find my Benchmade. My wife gets a little upset when I leave coins in my pockets. You don't want to be within three states if my Bugout starts rattling around the washing machine during the spin cycle.

I was very excited when the blacked out bugout went on sale and bought it immediately. When it arrived i open it up and was very surprised at the weight, it went right into my pocket and my spyderco went back into the collection. So far I’m not that impressed with how stiff the opening mechanism is, hopefully it’ll loosen up. Also it is not as sharp as other knives I’ve bought right out of the box, thats an easy fix. For now I’ll keep it in my pocket and put it through the paces.

So i'm going to be honest. when i first got this knife i was not impressed. It felt cheap and i found it very stiff opening in closing. I have never been someone who has purchased a knife over the price of $50 and have had some that have felt better and opened and closed better. I decided to carry it around for a bit thinking it would grow on me. Oh boy did it ever. I wasn't using it for anything crazy at first just simple box openings. Nothing my cheaper knifes wouldn't do. I truly fell in love with this knife when it came to cutting things that my other cheaper blades couldn't cut as well. This blade is beautiful. It is very sharp. I can honestly say i'm happy it stayed in my pocket and it wont be leaving anytime soon. Oh and it also because much easier to open and close over time.

I know what you are thinking "why did he buy a Benchmade as his first edc?" well let me tell you why. growing up i have owned several cheaper knives and ended up never carrying them for various reasons. when i got older i wanted to get a knife that i could carry all the time. I then stumbled upon Blade HQ and this knife. I had always wanted a Benchmade and this seemed like the perfect knife to start my Regular EDC. I love everything about this knife. The all black finish is perfect the steel is great and the action is smooth. It is so lightweight it just disappears in my pocket. It was razor sharp when i got it and so far i have had it for about 3 months and have never needed to sharpen it. Excellent knife i highly recommend for any person looking for a great EDC knife.

I took advantage of a sale before the holidays and bought the blacked-out version. I tend to like mid size to smaller knives and the Bugout fits the bill. Not only that, I was shocked how light it is. The first few times I carried it, I kept checking my pocket to see if it was still there. It deploys well and I'm sure will loosen up a bit more, but it's easy to flip out of the box. Blade is very sharp with a precise edge.

My one minor issue is the clip. I may bend it a bit more for a firmer grip.

If you're looking for something that is very lightweight but sturdy, this is worth a look.

Like most coasted blades from Benchmade this one seems to holding up very well and a great edge from the factory. Cannot believe how much lighter weight it is compared to the Griptilian and other models.

This was my first but certainly not last purchase from BladeHQ. I found BHQ on YouTube and am glad I did. I purchased the black on black and had it engraved on the backside of the blade with my last name in Army script. It fits the knife and I have switched to this as my EDC due to its ability to disappear. I used to carry a Kershaw 1870 Knockout due to it's slim profile and SpeedSafe actuation. It's taken me a little bit to become accustomed to the Axis Lock but it is now second nature. The blade is fantastically sharp out of the box. I plan on getting the Lansky sharpening system to keep it slice and dice ready at all times. Benchmade followed the Colin Chapman school of thought with the design and build of this fine knife and they knocked it out of the park. Well done, Benchmade and BladeHQ for making and carrying respectively. I'll be back!

Honestly a great little knife. Extremly light, perfect suit knife if you don't already have a sutable one. Personally I recommend sharpening the blade upon recieving it. The edge is decent out of the box, but nowhere near razor sharp. Overall an amazing step into the world of Benchmade.

Got mine 12/02/2019.Feel like a 9yr old boy opening the box his first CO2 rifle. So proud of it I have to show it off to my co-workers. Even them were amazed how light it is. I love it so much that I only carry it twice this week afraid of loosing it specially now that its SOLD OUT. Good thing I decided to get it the first day it went out on special SALE. I DID NOT REGRET THE PURCHASE. Now that I have the taste of Benchmade MATERYALES FUERTES, I'm contemplating on my next either Osborne 940 or mini crooked or probably settle for mini grip sheepsfoot.

Came out slicing. Light weight banger that never quits. Slides down deep into your pocket and you'd never know it was there till you need it.You're gonna love it if you pop for it.

Picked this up during the black friday sale and I am beyond impressed. The knife is so light and carries like a dream. The blackout is pretty cool too. Thin blade stock makes the knife very slicey and the ergos are great. I see why bugouts are so highly regarded. No benchmade QC issues either. Centering is perfect. I had to loosen the pivot ever so slightly to dial in the action, but now its drop shutty with no blade play. Highly recommended.

Fantastic knife, great price. BLADEHQ is always the BEST to deal with. BLADEHQ customer service is tops.

Ever since purchasing the original Blue handled Bugout, I find myself carrying it much more frequently than any other folder I have in rotation. It's a perfect size, thin in the pocket, great deep carry clip makes it nearly invisible, and of course it's lightweight. This led me to purchase the Ranger Green model when it was available.

Now, with BladeHQ's exclusive model in all black, I love it even more! The black Cerakoted blade actually does look better than the Ranger Green's Chromium Nitride treatment, and looks exceptionally smooth.

I now have 2 BHQ Exclusive Bugouts, and one sports Natural G-10 scales from Flytanium. What a great looking combo!

Got mine on Black Friday sale. Steel and action are fantastic. Great deep carry pocket clip. Scales are a little cheap but nothing too serious. The lock clicks a little which is annoying. Overall the steel and action make the knife. It's not perfect but so light I forget the flaws. New EDC along with the copper Natrix.

The short: This is a great EDC knife.

The good: Great blade steel, solid ergos, insanely lightweight, supercool blackout color scheme.

Needs improvement: The price. This knife would be an amazing knife at around the $80 price point. I only got it because of the sale price, but I still feel a little like it should be a hair cheaper yet.

I've only had this knife for a short while, but right now, it pales in comparison to my Para 3 Lightweight. I'm keeping it in my pocket for now to see if I warm up to it a bit more...

This is a great EDC knife.

I own many Benchmade knives and love them all. This lightweight EDC is great and less than 100.00 on sale is incredible. Have never had any issues with Benchmade products and this is no different.

Got it on sale for $99....still feel like it's a premium for what you get. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty nice knife. Super light, nice and slim, excellent clip and came very sharp out of the box. Blade wasn't centered which bothers the heck out of me when I consider the price. C'mon Benchmade!!!

I have several Benchmade knives, this knife is one of the best ones I own. The size is perfect for a EDC; it is very light and quite thin disappears in your pocket. My only criticism is the opening is a bit stiff, would of been better if it had an assisted opening system. Highly recommend.

I was on the fence about getting a bugout for months, and finally said i was not going to get one. Then one day i got an email $99 so i took a stab and got it love the knife fun to play with took some break in time to make it smooth. This was my first "expensive" knife. I just use my knives for EDC uses nothing too crazy and this knife should handle that perfectly fine.

Pros
Super sharp
Lightweight
Looks great
Fun to play with
Easy to carry
This knife disappears like a spyderco dragonfly also overpriced in your pocket so if you have something like that and want a bigger one this is for you. You will forget its there.

Cons
Benchmade pricing


I would not have paid $136 for this knife or the $119 for the blue one I think they should make all the colors the same price glad i got it on sale. I like that this is a blade hq model too. To each your own if you can get over the price or get one on sale you will definitely love the knife. Blade HQ was great nice quick shipping time always get stuff here.

This thing is all you need for an EDC. It’s perfect!

I have to be honest in saying that this knife is smaller than I had anticipated but is still more than adequate for my EDC usage. The blade itself is super sharp from the factory and although the handles feel like a bit of an afterthought on this knife, they are very lightweight and slim. This is the perfect knife for pocket carry/ every day use. I would recommend this to anyone.

The Bugout has always received high praise for its ability to deliver as a lightweight and reliable EDC blade. It certainly lives up to its hype. Love the deep carry clip and as always, love the AXIS lock. For my first Benchmade, its been a really great carry. Looking forward to doing some customization with the scales.

I was originally going to buy one of these when they launched. But BladeHQ website crashed so I didn't get one. Last week when they went on sale I bought one. I am glad I waited. This is a great knife and will become a regular in my EDC rotation. But I do not feel this knife is worth $136 and it won't overthrow my Spyderco Para 3 as my current favorite.

Pros: Super light weight knife. Axis-lock is smooth and fun to play with. Blade steel is great and the blade looks awesome! Feels great in the hand with absolutely no hot spots. Comes with deep pocket carry clip.

Cons: Blade has some play. When closing isn't always centered. Each close is different. Pivot screw coating is already showing wear within a couple of days and turning silver.

That is my honest opinion. It's still a great knife but I am glad I paid $99 shipped to my door.

Benchmade knives generally cost more than I care pay so I was glad to get this Bugout at a better price. It is a quality EDC. It's thin and lightweight. It works well as a tough work knife and rides easily in a pair of nicer dress pants.

I own several Benchmades because of their quality and durability. This knife is no exception. Thin, lightweight, centered and sharp as a razor! My new EDC.

I was looking for a black knife to carry with me to address daily usage requirements. Any shortcomings you may see in videos or reviews, in my opinion, are unfounded for someone with relatively simple requirements like myself. It is well made, solid and works well right out of the box (and it is black). I would recommend this for anyone who is looking for a tool to carry with them every day.

The benchmade bugout is arguably one of the (if not the best) best edc knife options anyone could ask for. The knifes ergos are like those of the Benchmade 940, they fit any size of hand is SUPER lighweight. This freakin crazy sweet. The deep carry pocket clip not only performs amazing, but it looks sick. Blade steel is good to go, givory is crazy light, but still balances perfect. It is just super sweet, plus the all black everything is sweet. The only problems that it has is the lock-up feels weaker than the 940 because of how light it is, but for EDC tasks, its amazing. Another problem is that even though it balances super well, the scales feels a little flimsy and weak but are actually pretty strong. Overall, a super sweet knife.

Now I can't say it... Get the perfect EDC knife for under $100! This is insane. Benchmade quality for this price and a perfect knife for anyone. I recommend this knife for anyone and everyone.

The benchmade bugout is a slim, light, edc knife. The knife I think only has one con and that is the pocket clip, it is very stiff however this will go away with use.

I have had a great experience so far with the Bugout. Out of the box everything was high quality: symmetrical grind, blade centred, super light, and razor sharp. Coming from low quality knives with liner locks, the axis lock is absolutely amazing. Would recommend for a light carry.

I received this in the mail I was so excited, first Benchmade and axis lock. I know a few people that have them and they USE them. Well 7 weeks and 2 days later I flip it open and a piece of the spring fell out. I never abused it, or used it to cut anything other then paper and boxes. I look up reddit, other forms and few others had the same problem with the springs. Will updated after I send it to Benchmade for repairs.

I really like the blacked out look, the AXIS lock, deep pocket clip, and how light it is!
Overall a great knife!

As an owner of the first Bugout, I had plans of customizing it with different scales prior to this Blade HQ exclusive being announced.

Why not own all the colors? The AXIS lock makes this knife extremely fidget friendly along with its feather like weight and deep carry clip makes it disappear in pocket! The S-30V blade steel is still a premium steel that is well rounded in it’s edge retention and sharpening ability along with toughness and corrosion resistance.

If you owned all the colors, they still wouldn’t weigh what two of its competitors weigh!

This is my EDC knife and I'm obsessed, deep pocket carry, lighter than my PEN. There's nothing not to love about this knife!

I have 4 of these knifes. The only one I don't have is the green one which I plan on getting soon. It fits well in my hand and is extremely lite weight with makes it easy to carry.

I held off on buying a Bugout for a while because I didn't care for the blue handle. But when the black on black came out had to get one and it is great. Perfect size and weight for me making it extremely pocketable.

I had to hop on this bandwagon and I didn't regret it. Bugouts have been a staple in the knife world as of late and while they may not be everyone's cup of tea, this one suited my needs perfectly. I loved the blacked out exclusive offering from BHQ as it suits my style. The Bugout affords me quite a bit of flexibility - I can EDC it and I can use it as more of gentleman's knife. Weighing so little, it disappears in my pockets and the black disappears in more formal wear - almost nobody notices it. Having a lightweight knife with excellent steel suits most of my EDC needs quite well and I'm very happy with my purchase.

Lightweight, 3.25" Drop point, Axis lock, Blackout, S30V, Attractive = Perfect EDC

This knife is super lightweight and has a thin profile It's not too noticeable in the pocket as far as weight and size. I feel this knife is best suited for light/medium use, I use mine for opening boxes mostly but wouldn't be afraid to cut anything with it.

I love the bugout. Didnt at first but I just love it. Great EDC. This is the best bugout I have handled. Why? Because right out of the box it was centered, drop shut smooth and no blade play. Maybe I got lucky? I have owned and handled other bugouts (none being the BHQ black out) and not been able to achieve all 3 of those things.

I bought a Bugout Blackout and returned it. I think it's a high quality knife for someone who can use all its features, but for me it was just not a substantial tool for carry, and not a pretty collectible either. The handle is very light plastic which actually gives a cheap feel to this knife.

My first Benchmade and I'm not that impressed. The thumb stud is to high or forward for the correct angle to deploy for me, I can use the blade behind it much better. It used a axis lock that drags on the blade and sound horrible, like scrapping paint off plastic. Then that paint from the blade it scratches off gets into the pivot. Does not flip open as I have seen on other reviews, I will be working on the pivot and lubrication to hopefully make it easier. It is small in my hand and not as comfortable as say the Para 2. Will not be my EDC. It also has burrs and sharp edges that will require work.

I've carried a lot of the knives in my pocket over the years, but this one replaces them all. It's super light weight so much so that you'll forget its their, the action on it is beautiful and slick, and honestly it's just a fun knife to fidget with. I won't be replacing it for a long time.

I have always had good results with Benchmade products and Blade HQ, this was no exception. I carry a Benchmade for my EDC and I know I can count on it. However, this purchase will be more of a collector piece and backup. One thing about this knife is that it is light, but when fishing, hunting or bugging out a little less weight can be very good. When I was younger and in the army going on 20 mile road marches I really noticed the weight that I carried and I would have appreciated this knife more then. I like that the quality is superb and that it is very sharp out of the box. They only thing that I do is strop the blade to make it just a little bit sharper. I don't have any dislikes. All in all I am very happy with this purchase.

Blade is canted over to side. Action nice. Should have paid another $50 for something nicer given the current price point.

I don't feel like BHQ was Robin me when I bot this, but I am not crazy about it. The problem is that the polymer handle feels funny and the knife is light as a feather. I prefer a heavier knife. Not Ka-Bar Mule heavy, but this one just might float away. The finish is good. The knife feels good in hand. The blade was centered. Lock up is sturdy. OOTB sharpness was great. I ordered this knife for the same reason that I ordered a PM2. Everyone that wrote about it loved it. Everyone seemed very enamored about the Bugout. I love my PM2. This one is just OK. But the OKness is my reaction, not the knife itself. If you are looking for a very light knife and are fine with the polymer texture, this is likely as good as it gets. If you're into electronic camping, be sure and get the Bugout before you go.

Hard to say more about the Benchmade bugout... great action, great axis lock, great blade. And Blade HQ just made it a must buy for me by creating an all black version

I think its a great knife. I forget it's even in my pocket. I loosened the pivot screw just a touch and it opens and closes perfect for me. They even threw in a Benchmade patch after I thought they were sold out. Hurry and buy one before they run out.

NOICE

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The Bugout is a much better knife than it looks and feel.
It's the knife I'm using and carry the most in my collection.

I love this thing, great action light weight and murdered out ch'yall.

Love the all blacked out look on this thing. Super lightweight, can't even tell I'm carrying it sometimes. This has been my edc knife lately. Love this thing!

I've been crushing on this knife for a long time I could never decide on getting the ranger green or the original blue bugout. When Blade HQ came out with this "flavor" I immediately wanted this one. Love how light it is and how sharp it is right out of the box. Once again very pleased with Blade HQ.

This is my 3rd Bugout. I have the blue one and the green one. I think the black on black looks good. I get a lot of use out of my Bugout and since I like the design so much, I decided to add this one to my collection as well. I do not regret it.

I didn't know I would love this knife but I do! It is the lightest knife I have ever held and absolutely disappears in the pocket. You will barely ever notice it on you. The handle is also not fragile like it seems. The perfect EDC knife!

This is my EDC and I have actually cut more than paper with it... works great on steak. Great purchase, bought the Blackout for my nephew as a birthday gift and he loves his.

I like to carry a knife in my pocket, without the clip. I've seen pocket clips do crazy damage to cars so I like to just throw it in the pocket and float around with keys and such. Being a bit more lightweight, this is a perfect candidate for such a thing. When I first got it, I thought it was a bit cheap feeling as it is so light, but after having it and using for a while you start to feel how well balanced and great it feels to open and close and cut with satisfying results.

This was my first Benchmade but definitely won't be my last. The axis lock took a couple days to break in but after that it's been complete perfection. Super sharp, super light, great blade shape, and disappears in the pocket.

This knife is incredible. I have never had much luck with thumb studs on knives, but this thing is another story. What a knife. Buttery smooth. The black on black looks sharp (pun intended). The blade is sharp (literally). It weighs as much as the crumpled piece of paper that we forget about in our pocket until we find it destroyed in the washing machine. But don't worry, you wont forget the knife is in your pocket, because you wont be able to resist fondling it. It is overly satisfying. I now enjoy this over my ZT 0566 overall.

This is my second Bugout(I have the blue version also). I have to say that every so often you find something that has achieved total perfection and the Bugout is it. Much like the ubiquitous Bic lighter this is a tool that one would be hard pressed to improve upon. That’s where the Blackout Bugout comes in: Just keep the design and play with the color ways. I love this so much I got my name laser etched on it. My hats off to you Benchmade and Blade HQ: Keep up the amazing work!

I don't know why I buy any Benchmade's with the plastic (aka) Grivory scales. I'm not sure what it's made out of, I just don't like the feel of them. They remind me of fiberglass & I always wind up paying for a pair of aftermarket scales. Also when I got this thing it was very stiff. I almost sent it back but I thought I'd give it a chance since so many people seem to really like this thing. So I took it apart cleaned & oiled the pivot area. The bronze washers also had burs so I ran them over some 1000 grit paper. Works much better now. The only good thing I can say about this knife is it is light.

I have dozens of folders and this has become my new go-to EDC. It has a great blade, open action and it's incredibly light. Perfect blade size for real work, but not too big. Great knife and a good price.

This is perfect for me - I love the deep carry clip and the fact that the knife is light and doesn't make my pocket hang down. Steel quality is very good. Ergonomics also perfect for my hand. I'd buy it again without hesitation.

This is a great knife, my first Benchmade and it will be my last. This is my first expensive (for me), American made knife. Factoring the price, which is close to $150 after taxes, it's hard to stomach a blade with such an uneven grind. The knife is sharp and I'm sure it will serve me well and for a long time, but when I'm paying so much, I expect a better level of quality. The blade is the most important part of a knife and I'm really surprised a brand like Benchmade which I thought would be great quality, would ship a knife with an uneven grind. Furthermore, this is a BladeHQ exclusive, which means Benchmade is aware they were sending these off to people who A) are more likely to be discerning customers, and B) will have the inconvenience of not being able to hold the product before buying and unable to switch it without mailing it back. That is just such a huge miss for me, I will bring my business elsewhere. In retrospect I should have returned it before using it and requested a better quality knife. In the end, it's a great knife. I love the shape and it disappears in my pocket unnoticeable until I need it then it's out quick, and it's super sharp despite the poor grind. There's alot to love about this knife and I will use it for a long time, but when I spend that much I want better quality.

Got this after looking at several other EDC knives and this thing really fit the bill. Feels very high quality despite being surprisingly light.

This is my first Benchmade and it held up to everything good I've heard. Its incredibly light and comfortable to carry that at the end of the day I forget its there. I would recommend this to anyone,

This knife does everything an EDC knife should do. It is lightweight, slicey, ergonomic, and it comes with a deep carry clip. The Blackout color is what I needed to finally pull the trigger on buying one. Mine came perfectly centered from BladeHQ, and has taken the place of my ZT 0450 as my EDC knife.

I have been pleased with the Benchmade line of knives including the Bugout and have a couple of them. A light weight working knife - yes..but never considered them a great looking knife before...but this version is a looker too... Form, function, fashion and still light weight - its a great knife for the $. OK though the problem with this knife is I don't want to scuff it up...but that's what its for and it wouldn't be happy sitting around in the box.

Im not a big fan of thumb studs. Give me a flipper, or Spydie hole any day. But the Bugout may just change my thinking on that. It fires out using the thumb stud and the detent is as good as they come. Very sharp out of the box and haven’t had to sharpen it yet. I liked so much I bought another one...lol. Great knife, great EDC.

I Fidget a lot with my knives and the Bugout is by far the best to play with! You already know S30V is a good steel and that Benchmade makes reliable blades, so if your looking for an awesome knife to annoy people around you with, this is it!

I have read good and bad reviews for this knife. It's very light, easy to open and close, good fit and finish, sharp out of the box, and feels good in the hand. It's a pleasure to pull this knife out of my pocket and use it for about any task that I've needed a knife for since I got it. I love it. I also like the fact that it's black exclusive to Blade HQ.

I already own every Bugout ever manufactured including the Blade HQ exclusive blacked out version. Does this version with the CF-ELITE handle one up the Grivory version? Yes, yes it does! It is far more sturdier without any added weight. GET ONE SON!

I'm a benchmade fan but I admit I was not in love with the bugout at first. I finally cracked and bought the blackout BladeHQ model (how could you not?). I've been using it as my edc since the release and love it. I've even worn it with a suit a few times, already. It is so light you'll forget it's there and it showed no signs of wearing out my nicer clothes. The knife was tuned perfectly and sharp right out of the box. Only thing that would have made it better would have been a BladeHQ logo on the blade, which is amazing. Next stop will be the Sierra's for fly fishing.

Love the completely blacked out Bugout. It is so slim and light weight. Easy to forget about, until needed. Highly recommend!!!

My second Bugout. Love the Ranger Green Bugout and now love the Blackout. Sharp right out of the box, has the best deep carry clip, cant even tell when its in my jeans pocket.

Wow. My favorite Bugout yet. S30V and
nice weight size and blade shape.
Great EDC knife style and Benchmade quality.
I especially like the AXIS Lock system
used in all the Benchmade knives.
Thanks BladeHQ for this exclusive.

Love the look of the all black Bugout. It's stealthy, slim and light weight. I almost forget that I'm carrying it with me. I would recommend it anyone for a light weight carry.

It’s great quality, small enough for EDC and very light. Mine came perfect. Opens well, no stiffness or sticking, and I love the black. Can’t go wrong with a Benchmade.

This is my second Bugout--I already have a Ranger Green which is my EDC (though the Blackout is angling to take its place). Otherwise, it's a Benchmade: great quality, super sharp.

Great EDC knife. Came in 4 days. Very sharp and light weight. Replaced my Blade-Tech Pro Hunter Magnum. Nothing wrong with the Blade Tech after 10 years, just wanted something lighter but high quality. Very Pleased.

Have a few other brands but saw this all black one and couldn't resist anymore. Extremely light-weight, can easily forget you are carrying it! The blade didn't come as sharp as I thought it would but still fantastic action and I love the AXIS lock. Would highly recommend this to anyone who asked.

Cool knife, but this is not a "bugout" type of knife. As others have stated, this knife feels very "flimsy" and almost has a "cheap" knife feel.

Pros - S30V Steel, deep carry clip, lightweight

Cons- Price, feel

Good knife overall, but i think the hype for this knife is extremely overblown for what it is.

Thats not a knoife...This is a knoife. Its benchmade, its blackout, lightweight, super sharp, quality blade. What is there not to like.

I love this knife for EDC the light weight makes it feel like it isn't there until you need it.

It's a Benchmade!! That's really all you need to say because everything they make is amazing and they back up what they make! I have two Bugouts now and I really like the all black look of this one!

Wanted a Bugout for awhile but I wasn't keen on the blue or green handles so when I got the notification that there was going to be a black handle version, I had to jump on it.

Blade is nicely centered, the knife is incredibly light and well suited for EDC. I still like my heavy duty folders but for office carry, the Bugout is going to be my go to.

This is still for me, THE KING of lightweight everyday carry. Para 3 LW comes next easy. Best blade-to-handle-to-weight ratio. Size is perfect even for sheeple. Pocket clip is perfect. Very thin in the pocket. I live in the Philippines so the whole BM debacle is a non-factor. The only thing I would change are the scales -- Jade G10 for that CPM-M4 look ;)

Blade centering was good and action is smooth. Grind is not perfect tho, it flares out toward the tip.
This is great for what it is made for, a slim and lightweight EDC knife. It is not a hard use knife. That being said, it rides great in the pocket and it is a pretty good slicer!

It's hard to say something new about the Bugout. It's incredibly light, takes up little room in the pocket, has an excellent blade shape, comes razor sharp out of the box, and stays sharp for a long time with normal use. It's my favorite EDC and hiking/backpacking knife.

Unfortunately, sometimes Benchmade slips up with quality control these days. I ordered three of these (that's how much i love the Bugout). One of them is absolutely perfect, one has blade centering that is just slightly off, no big deal. The other has blade centering so far off it's almost touching the scale.

Fortunately, Blade HQ has amazing customer service, so I was able to return the bad one no questions asked for a full refund. Benchmade's customer service is equally good, and they stand behind their products like few other companies. I have a blue Bugout that came severely off-center as well and Benchmade will be fixing that one for me.

In short, buy it! You won't be out anything if you happen to get a less than perfect example. One of these two excellent companies will take of you.

I absolutely love this knife. I have the blue and the ranger green but needed a all black version. The deployment is smooth as silk and the lock up is classic axis lock. You can't go wrong with Benchmade. When you carry this knife it is like nothing weight wise. Can't say enough good things about it. Great job Blade HQ and Benchmade.

Benchmade has always been good quality, but I have been more of a Spyderco guy over the years; nonetheless once I got the fit and feel and lightness of this blade; all I can say is I am amazed how light it carries and has a great deep pocket clip stock; for its intended purpose this is a great knife and the all black version is just a bonus.

The BHQ exclusive blackout is the cleanest looking of all the Bugout versions. Smooth action, sharp out of the box, very light weight.

My only negatives are that the Axis lock can stick at times (which may be a break in adjustment), and the handles do flex under stress.

However, for EDC and average use, you can't go wrong!

I have the green one and just bought the black. they are superb EDC knives. getcha one or two.

Not my first Benchmade, nor my first Bugout. Came out of the box a little stiff but its breaking in nicely. Fit and finish look good too. Love the BladeHQ exclusive black. Keep up the good work.

Bought this knife for my son for his birthday and he absolutely LOVES it! He already had a Benchmade and couldn’t wait for the Blackout Bugout to come out. In fact, on the day it was released, he sent me the link to your website and said “This is what I want for my birthday”, so of course I ordered it immediately. My son loves your knives and the Benchmade is a definite FAVORITE!!!

This knife works well for light to medium duty EDC tasks. It came with a great cutting edge and a well centered blade when closed. Opening and closing the knife blade is smooth and easy and did not require any additional lubrication. I especially like the black coated blade which does not shock non knife people when I use it when dining out at restaurants. I recommended this knife to anyone looking for a low profile EDC knife

I've had my ranger green bugout for a little over a year now and I love it and with the black colors I had to get it. I can recomend anyone this knife.

For the past 2 years or so I’ve only carried knives that were black on black. This was a perfect addition to my collection. I also love to fidget with my knives. My favorite part about it is that I can flip it over and over and since it’s so light it doesn’t make a loud clicking sound when flicking it open. I finally found a knife to play with that won’t send my SO over the edge!!! Thanks BladeHQ and Benchmade!!!! You might have saved my relationship!!

I carry my original everyday. Why not get another.

After giving this knife a fair trial, while others nay like it, this model will not make it into my EDC rotation. First, it feels too flimsy and I have serious reservation about it being able to hold up under normal use. certain tasks that I perform on a daily basis makes it feel like it may fail. You should be able to have confidence in your chosen carry.
Next, is the quality control. There are very different grind angles on each side of the blade. One side is ground back to expose over an 1/8 of an inch to the steel under the coating while the other side exposes less that 1/16. It was not sharp at all out of the box.
Overall, for the price point, I am completely unimpressed with the Bugout. I will carry this in my lunchbox for slicing fruit or meat.
Benchmade really missed the mark on this one.

Overall the one that I got was decent. The centering was good, the blade was sharp however the action was super sticky. I have since lubed it up and it works very well now but out of the box it was impossible to open it smoothly.

I'm a big fan of BM and the axis lock. I think my 940 and Mini grip must have spoiled me because the action on my Bugout was extremely stiff and even a little crunchy.

Looks like I need to move on to the Super Freek

Decided to add the blackout version to my collection after getting some great use out of my green bugout. Blade centering, action, and the factory edge were much better on this one than the first bugout I ordered. Benchmade does a pretty decent job of heat treating their S30V, but I'm curious to see how the coating holds up. If you're on the fence, go ahead and pick one up. It's well worth it!

This is my first Benchmade and first axis lock knife. Initially I was unimpressed with the feel of the scales they felt "cheap" to me but as I've carried it these last 2 or 3 days, the handle make this knife so light you seriously forget its there. Im having fun with it being my first axis lock knife and I even got a small cut on my palm trying to master this new locking system. I loved how sharp the knife came in and the packaging it came in. I will definitely put this into my EDC rotation

This is a great knife for lightweight every day carry. I ordered 2 of these and both came very sharp, with no blemishes, and perfect centering. Make no mistake, this isn't a hard use survival knife, but it handles everyday tasks with ease. This was my first Benchmade purchase and I will definitely be buying more in the future

I’ve always wanted a bugout but was never sold on the color choices. Once I saw this I had to have it. So far I love it. It is extremely light and doesn’t even feel like I have a knife in my pocket. Blade centering in right in the middle, blade is extremely sharp and the action is great. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a light weight edc knife.

Great sized pocket knife. So light and thin you don’t even know it’s there. First axis lock and i love it!

This is my 2nd bugout. Love it. Kudos to BladeHQ, I ordered Friday afternoon and received Monday afternoon here in NJ! Mine came perfectly centered, evenly ground, with the pivot just a tad too tight, but after backing it off a tick the knife if fallshutty!

I know benchmade was probably pumping these things out at the factory trying to fill a big order by the release date, so I’m not too surprised at the quality of this knife. Just like my last bugout I ordered 6 months ago or so, this knife came out of the box super sharp, the coating on the blade is super nice with no blemishes, action is alittle sticky but will break in. My problem is with the blade centering. I’m not a real centering snob, but no joke my blackout bugout out of the box was literally rubbing on the scale on the right side. The blade was literally TOUCHING the scale. I just don’t understand why blade HQ would accept that kind of quality. I think you guys need to start opening boxes and checking these things before they go out. Also, the grind on the edge is super uneven, high on one side, low on the other. Idk, just some thoughts guys. Maybe you’ll get lucky and get one of the good ones like I did the first time I bought a bugout.

I have carried the Kershaw Leek for a long time. I have wanted to change things up. I came across the Bugout and liked the look, so I ordered it. It is a very light knife, but it is going to be able to handle everything I would throw at it.

Waited a while to get one of these but finally jumped on this Bugout when it was released in BLACKOUT. Very nice quality materials and solid AXIS Lock. Will take a while to get used to it's light weight. Will update this review in a few months for sure after it's been properly carried and used. I am very happy so far and am glad I got it.

first and formost big props to blade hq for oustanding customer service and lightning fast shipping. this really is in my opion one of the best bang for you buck for a edc knife. excellent action disappears in the pocket super sharp out of the box graet steel and perfect quality i cant recomend this knife and blade hq enough.

Ordered this knife on Friday to see what all the hype is about, glad I did. Perfect centering, sharp and lightning fast shipping. I will be purchasing a Ben Blue in the future.

This is my first Benchmade knife. I bought it because of the all black color. My first impressions is that the handle material was cheap for the price of the knife, and the knife is small compared to my para 2. It is very lightweight, I was wearing basketball shorts when it arrived and I've never had a knife feel so weightless in my pocket, like its not there. after only a few hours of having it in my shorts and doing one handed flips, I fell in love with this little knife. It's very strong lockup and well built and feels so great in pocket. If you like to get the best bang for your buck there are better options like the para 3. as far as EDC this is everything that I want. and that batman look really hits the spot thanks BladeHQ

This is my 3rd Bugout (gots to color coordinate yo!), so was pretty much as expected... Super lightweight, sturdy, and can easily be dropped in the pocket or ruck sack and you forget it is there. Since it is new, the Axis lock needs a bit of a break in, but I can feel it getting better with each open. Agree with other reviewers... Grivory scales are a bit sharp on the butt end of the knife and dug into my palms a bit. Guess that is a small price to pay for how fun the Axis lock is to play with! :-)

Ordered after many many friends have told me how much they love the Bugout. I am beyond impressed with this blade.

I have been carrying a lightweight PM3 for about 6 months and wow this is going right in the left pocket opposite the PM3.

ALSO! How did you guys do it Blade HQ, shipped and delivered to me in 2 days? Ordered Friday and in my hands Monday after lunch? Across the country nonetheless!

Thanks and STAY SHARP Y'all!!!

I've been hearing great things about the Bugout since it release several years ago, but I never pulled the trigger because I was never a fan of the colors. I knew that they'd release a black eventually so I held off. I'm glad I did. Here's my thoughts about the Blackout Bugout.

Pros:
-Super lightweight
-Functional and versatile blade shape
-Axis lock is fidget factor 5000
-Deep carry pocket clip
-Good steel
-Thin blade stock
-Good sharpening choil

Cons:
-Grivory handle flexes under pressure (not a big deal, if you don't plan on chopping down trees and such)
-Edges of Grivory scales are sharp
-Price is a bit high for what you get

Overall I can see why people love the Bugout. This is a solid EDC for almost any user and I highly recommend it, if you're not on a budget. I don't think it will knock any of my favorites out of my pocket, but it will definitely work it's way into the rotation.