Benchmade brought a suite of nine new knives to SHOT this year. The lineup consists of an even-handed mix of Black and Blue Class models, and features Jared Oeser‘s first ever production collaboration.
Oeser’s Tengu Flipper custom is available for the first time in a production format. The Benchmade Tengu has an EDC-friendly, 2.77-inch tanto blade made from CPM 20CV steel. Its handle scales are made from black G-10, with white accents and shield. Benchmade chose a thrust bearing pivot here, and the clipless Tengu comes with a stitched leather pocket slip for carry.
The Bugout is getting the line expansion many thought would come. The Mini Bugout shrinks the blade length down to 2.82 inches, which gives it an overall closed length of just 3.7 inches. These adjustments to the footprint make the Mini Bugout a little lighter too, at 1.5 oz. It will be available with orange scales and a satin blade, or white scales and a black DLC blade.
A brand new model for the Black Class, the Mediator is a smallish button-lock automatic knife, equipped with a 3.3-inch reverse tanto blade made from high performance S90V steel. The handles are chevron-scalloped G-10, with a secondary safety slide located on the show side scale. The Mediator weighs 2.98 oz. and has a deep-carry pocket clip.
570-1 Presidio II and 575-1 Mini Presidio II
The Presidio II is back with a generational refresh. The biggest change to the venerable design is in the handle material: Benchmade shifted from aluminum to CF-Elite, the carbon fiber/G-10 blend they debuted earlier this month on the Bugout. The new material brings the weight from 6.10 oz. on the previous generation all the way to 4.97 oz. here. A Mini Presidio II with the CF-Elite upgrade is also debuting, and weighs an EDC-friendly 3.19 oz.
Designer Greg Thompson is back with a new version of the SOCP folder. This second generation of the knife comes with an Axis Lock and sculpted scales made from the new CF-Elite. The 4.47-inch spear point blade is made from D2 and opens with the same thumb disk as its predecessor did.
The Autocrat OTF is making its entry into the Black Class of products with the -1/-2 variations. Most of the details on the original are present here, but the G-10 scales have been given a more aggressive peel ply finish (in addition to new colors) to indicate their new Black Class orientation. The -1 comes in olive drab, while the -2 is coyote brown.
In celebration of the classic 940 turning 20 years old, Benchmade is rolling out this limited edition variant. Its handle scales are made from titanium, and the reverse tanto blade is made from S90V. Red anodized standoffs and thumbstud add some color to the design, and Benchmade chose to give it the deep carry clip seen on models like the Bugout. This 940 is limited to just 2000 pieces.
2020’s Gold Class addition takes the form of an ultraluxe Mini Crooked River. This blinged out model has marbled carbon fiber handle scales with Raffir Alume Yellow Moon inlays. The blade steel is Vinland pattern Damasteel, and the thumb stud is made from brass.
Benchmade says that the Mini Bugout, Mediator, Presidio II, limited edition 940, and Gold Class Mini Crooked River will release in February. The SOCP Folder and Tengu are slated for March. The white scaled/black bladed Mini Bugout and Mini Presidio II’s release dates are still TBD.
Knife in Featured Image: Benchmade Tengu
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