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Benchmade Unveils New Bugout and Bailout Models

January 7, 2020

Benchmade has begun to roll out the first of its 2020 releases, starting with two interesting variations on the Bugout and Bailout. These models leverage material changes to alter the performance of the basic chassis they’re built on.

Bugout 535BK-2

Despite initial appearances, the Bugout 535BK-2 is more than a palette swap for Benchmade’s popular folder: instead of the standard Grivory material used on previous Bugouts, the Bugout 535BK-2 is made from what Benchmade is calling CF-Elite, a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer they say comes from the automotive and aerospace industries. “The carbon fiber is integrated into the polymer, reinforcing the structure of the material evenly throughout, not as a singular layer,” explains Benchmade’s Matt Glass. “It’s integrated in such a way that you won’t be able to see the traditional style of ‘weave’ that most people think of when they picture carbon fiber.”

The benefits of CF-Elite go beyond generating a back-of-the-box selling point. This material gives the Bugout 535BK-2 a 50% boost in rigidity over the standard model. And while it’s mainly an academic point, Cf-Elite also reduces the weight by another 17%; the Bugout 535BK-2 weighs 1.8 oz. compared to the standard configuration’s 1.85 oz. The Bugout 535BK-2 is also marked out with a new color scheme, with black handle scales and a black DLC coating added to the Bugout’s S30V drop point blade.

537-GY-1 Bailout

The 537-GY-1 Bailout trades the original Bailout’s Grivory scales for stippled aluminum ones. These break from the black coloration on the normal Bailout and are anodized an olive green hue. This change adds rigidity to the model in exchange for an increase in weight: from 2.05 oz. on the original to 2.7 oz. here. The other notable change on the handle portion of the 537-GY-1 Bailout is the addition of a carbide glass breaker on the end of the aluminum pommel.

Benchmade also gave the 537-GY-1 Bailout a different steel: M4. Like the standard Bailout’s 3V, M4 is a semi stainless; but rather than the pure toughness of 3V, M4 is renowned for its extreme edge holding ability and resiliency to wear.

Knife in Featured Image: Benchmade 535BK-2 Bugout

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