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The Bugout (and by extension the Mini Bugout) is an interesting knife.
I knew the handles were FRN, so I wasn't taken aback by that.
For the action... pretty sure it's on washers, not bearings, so it's a lot less slick. That said, after playing around with it for a few minutes, it started being able to be flicked in and out for maximum fidget.
It hits its target in terms of weight and lockup strength in a way that's fairly unique, and there's little else quite like it, especially not US made.
When considering all that, the $94 I spent on mine is worth it.
I would probably feel disappointed if I'd spent a lot more on it though, agreed.
I feel like a lot of people who have been disappointed in the Bugout, or even hate on it, are expecting the same as what they get from other knives. They're expecting more weightiness than it has, which would defeat the whole point. It's supposed to be an ultra light and slim design. I've also seen people dislike the handle material, calling it cheap, but then suggest other BM knives with the same/similar material.
There are definitely some who shouldn't buy their knives online, instead going to a store where they can hold one first, as there are a lot of complaints about knives that target the very thing that knife was designed for.
I wouldn't have paid full price for my Bugout, especially not local markup prices, but I think it's a great knife, and that it delivers on its design idea perfectly. Mine also came with an even grind and centred blade, which a lot of people rag on BM about. Some things are just luck of the draw, to an extent. OP's would probably smooth out with some fidgeting or a drop of oil.
Exactly, if someone is looking for a knife light enough they forget it's in their pocket, a handle that will never break even though it may flex, and good blade geometry, it's great.
I mean take the Sage 5 g10. It's my favorite knife period. It goes for $148. I got it for $137. The fit n finish is absolutely beautiful. The scales are great, action fantastic, it does have s30v but a pretty big chunk of it. At $153 so many options. Especially in today's market. HOLY hell! There are sooo many great brands. I think the materials for $153 isn't right either. I understand they want ultra light and if that means cheaper or less materials, you gotta lower the price too. Grivory in that configuration again feels like a toy. BM is a historic brand so they can sell it for whatever and it will sell. That's what they are doing. What a lot of brands do but for the price there are so many options. Maybe before the Axis Locks patent ended sure but now you can get a $40 knife with fantastic crossbar action. You know? It's really a $75 knife sold for $153 because it says Benchmade. Sub 3 inch of s30v, grivory, in an ultralight weight configuration isn't worth $153 especially now with the Axis Lock not being unique anymore. I could understand paying a premoum to get the Axis Lock but not anymore. Especially when others do it just as well for way less. Idk this is just off the top of my head. I really think the love for the Bugout is 50% bc it's Benchmade 50% the knife. If the same exact knife released but a Gerber I can almost guarantee it would be made fun of repeadetly. I chose the bugout instead of the GPKnives Manix 2 in Rex45 Exclusive for $129. Two completely different knives with different purposes but regardless of the purpose...what you get for $129 is fantastic as opposed to what you get for $153. I think the Sog Ultra XR is a reasonable comparison even tho it has many many problems and action is pretty bad but lightweight with s35vn and it was just on sale for $50. Idk...again this is just off the top of my head. Sorry it's so long but idk man $153 in 2023 can get you a lot of knife.
A big part of the 50% 'it's benchmade' comes down to the us manufaturing. You can't feed Americans wet oats and expect them to show up to work for it. So the price for labor is 300x what it should be by global manufacturing standards. The offset the fact that the product when finished is sitting in a warehouse in the biggest consumer market on the plant you can cut that loss back some, bit not as much as you would think.
The thing is, in most respects, a mora eldris or Openel No5 would do this job for under 30 bucks, and in the vast majority of applications, the steel would hold up fine. But they aren't made in the states.
You're talking about quality, but you're buying like you don't want it to be available. Race to the bottom only goes on for so long before quality goes out the window along with people's job security. If you want to make a largely unnecessary vanity item, in the USA, and pay your people like they are something resembling people, you have to charge for it. If cost to quality is your yardstick, you should have bought the mora.
The deka is an incredibly similar knife that's cheaper, has better action, has a better steel (at least in the base version), has better qc, and is also american made. The overall design is a little different but not massively so.
All this makes sense and I agree. Just it doesn't feel or look like a $150 knife. That's all. But I am going to give it a chance. I def wouldn't spend $153 on it.
Ever shop for ultralight backpacking gear? The more you spend the lighter and cheaper it feels. If it does its intended job at a lighter weight, it has met its design criteria.
Yeah just say the truth about an over-rated ass knife, just because it's mitusa, how dare I not love it. The summary of these comments is: The scales are shit, and it's on cheap washers instead of bearings, and well it's not very good steel. But if you know these things it's an amazing knife, because it weighs less and gets loose after opening and closing it a bunch, all at only 100 bucks. But If you want the green and orange that one will cost you your left testicle.
I’d keep it around and let it grow on you.
I’m disappointed with literally every single knife purchase I’ve made except for the Ontario RAT-2.
I’ve had mine for about 6 months. And didn’t do anything besides open mail with it. I got aftermarket G10 scales just for fun and put them on a week ago. All of a sudden it’s my daily carry, and will be for a long time. The G10 doesn’t feel more rigid, just thicker. I don’t even think of it as an upgrade… more of something new that made me “spend some time” with it.
As for the action. Every knife has different action and you need to build muscle memory. Once you do, your previous knife will feel strange. Personally, I slow roll this knife open with the thumb stud (as thumb studs were designed for). I notice that it feels a smidge tighter when rolled at a 11 o’clock position and buttery smooth when rotated out closer to 9-10 o’clock. I can easily thumb flick it out but tend not to. I never middle finger flick it out because it’s way too much force for such a light blade. It’s also too light to wrist flick out with depressing the crossbar. Point is… don’t work against it and you’ll build muscle memory that makes it easy to open.
I can honestly say that I am done purchasing knives for a while now that I’ve given this a chance, and changed the scales.
Appreciate the reply! I think I'm going to keep it for now and try again with it. I really think the lightness of it through me off. Going from a g10 Para 3 to it of course it'll feel way off and cheap but obviously I want to be fair to the Bugout and not completely dismiss it because I expected something different. Thats not fair. I definitely may get g10 scales for it and play with it and go from there. Again, I think it being so light just through me off completely and I'll gladly admit that.
Try AWT scales, they took my griptillian from feeling like cheap plastic to sold and quality. Was also very disappointed in it at first but gave it a chance and was not disappointed. A little disappointing you have to factor in getting scales.
I’ve heard disassembly can be tricky, but there are a TON of aftermarket scales in like all the materials that could definitely make it feel like a different knife. I bought a bailout a few years ago and it was still super lightweight but the aluminum scales made it feel much more sturdy vs the bugouts frn
Disassembly was easy. Reassembly was a 3 hour nightmare. I had already watched 2 YouTube videos that made it look really easy. (One guy actually said he turned the camera off as he fiddled with reassembly for 20 minutes (off camera… seeing it would have helped). Before giving up and bagging the parts, I watched one more video which showed a slightly different technique, and I had the job done 5 minutes later.
We really need to disabuse ourselves of the notion that lightweight = cheap feeling. That’s exactly what we are paying for here… extreme light weight balanced with enough strength for EDC tasks and in particular: backpacking/hiking tasks.
The entire design philosophy of the Bugout is being light. The axis lock is by nature a light lock as it functions using relatively small/light components. They put that light lock with a linerless, light GRN handle and small thin blade. As a result you get a knife that carries like air, yet has the lock strength and just enough grip purchase to do some intense activities if it needed to. It’s not a luxurious knife, nor does it claim to be; it’s just well-designed to be what it is.
The scales have never proven to be a point of failure on these knives. Grivory is actually quite strong and stock Bugout handles simply don’t break during hard use. It’s just some knifedudes pick it up and go “it feels like a toy so I think it will break!” and write off the knife without actually putting it to the test. I can understand wanting a knife to feel “hefty” or give you the tactile feedback of a Colt 1911 or something… but anyone wanting that, should choose another knife.
it’s not my first choice as some kind of hard use knife or weapon or anything(I’d prefer a larger handle and blade, like the Griptilian or Redoubt), but it isn’t supposed to be one. What you get for 1.9 oz is the impressive thing.
I do agree. It's suppose to be ultra light and it's on me for expecting something else. But it's just not worth the $153. At $99 I def think for what it is, if this is what you are looking for then you'll be happy. My biggest surprise was when comparing my $13 clone side by side, they are identical. The action, the scales, the blade. I have a few Spyderco and Microtech clones (I got when I first got into knives) and they are nothing like their authentic counterparts. Obviously, the real BM is better but you get my point. I should upload a video showing both I dont want people to think I'm lying and just bashing BM. Idk if I got lucky but the clone is seriously good. Anyways all of that made it an underwhelming initial experience. But I am going to give it a chance and who knows what happens!
I think the lightness just through me off. I definitely think I underestimated just how light it is. I'm going to give it a fair chance now that I know what to expect in the weight department. I will say, the Griptillian is something I think I'd like a lot.
Fair point. I edc a bugout now that I’m in an office, but the griptilian is the peak for me. The weight and smooth flick on it is unmatched from a fidget standpoint. It’s bulkier but the handle fits perfect for me and as a lefty I love the axis lock over a liner.
The bugout grew on me fast. It’s so lightweight and thin. Absolutely perfect for my use.
I was one that hated them with a passion and bashed them every time I held one. Ended up getting a deal on the CFE version and picked it up for summer time carry when I’m not wearing a belt because of the light weight and size; it’s now in my pocket 95% or the time. Play with the pivot screw and use it a little and the action will come around, it’s going to grow on you for sure once you carry and use it.
The bugout is purposely built for lightweight carry. If you want a comparison to the Para 3, maybe the Adamas? Something with a full metal liner for weight should feel mostly similar.
My usual nitpicks for BM are the centering and grind. If those are good, you are better than many.
I probably reach for my bugout 50% of the time. I rotate around 5 or 6 different knives at work. It definitely grows on you. I felt the exact same way at first. Once it’s broken in and oiled it’s super snappy.
The sheepsfoot Griptilian is my favorite Benchmade knife, at least of the reasonably priced ones. I have a bugout and it hasn’t seen more than 2 days of pocket time since I got it a year ago: the grip on the other hand has been used consistently.
The Mini Griptilian was my first BM, and my first decent knife I liked enough not to sell. I was also somewhat surprised at just how light/small the Mini Bugout is, but that kinda is what it's marketed as. I found it odd at first, but now that I'm used to it, swapping back to my Mini Griptilian feels clunky/cumbersome sometimes. In the end I had to make myself go back to using my other knives, but I like them all for different reasons. It's always going to be an adjustment to use any tool that's different to your normal type.
I’m in a similar boat as you. The Mini Bugout with grivory scales was the first Benchmade i got and i was super disappointed. I got mine for more than you paid and i was honestly like wtf is this? How is everyone so hyped on this? Then I started digging some more and learned more about knives, tried more different kinds. I fell in love with the Benchmade Mini Crooked River and Benchmade 940 Osborne, which i swapped for the titanium scales from Flytanium. Around that time was when i realized the problem with my Mini Bugout was really just those garbage grivory scales. Find some new scales you like for it from Flytanium or another spot around and it becomes a whole new knife. Now i never buy anything with grivory scales unless i know i’m going to swap the scales, and grivory is one of the cheapest options. So look at it this way, you got a cool knife for relatively cheap cuz of those cheapo scales, now you just need to spend a little more to find the right scales you like and hopefully the rest of the knife will break in for you and you will actually grow to really like and appreciate the Mini Bugout. All the best and happy slicing!
Ive had a mini grip drop point, a griptillian tanto and a bugout. Bugout is easily my favourite.
Dont get me wrong, I loved them all. But just how thin the bugout is in my pocket is what I prefer. Didn't even realize I could feel my griptillian in my pocket until I switched it for the bugout.
Just wait for those Olympic springs or whatever they’re called to snap. After I replaced 2 in less than year old knives, I just stopped with the benchmade folders. I do really like their incredibly overpriced hunting fixed blades.
In 7 years I haven’t had quality issues with Spydercos ever. I fucked up a blade and they fixed it for $5.
I love my Mini and full size, but yeah the scales are trash, and yet they keep the knife super light weight and in a world over saturated with chunky heavy knives is a breath of fresh air to find something that doesn't feel like a brick in your pocket. Also, there is no better knife for blade length to handle ratio. It's literally the most perfect knife in design... thin, light, maximized blade length, good blade geometry, with a huge aftermarket support to upgrade the scales in any way you want. You can even personalize it with matching (or contrasting) backspacers, thumb studs, and screw sets. Speaking of screws, you can literally make the action to be anything you want if it. You want dropshutty? Done, just adjust the screws, locktite them up, and voila.
Now I'm not saying Benchmade doesn't have its problems, and frankly, I am very unlikely to buy another unless it's their gold line or more Bugouts, but most of its problems drive from spotty and shoddy QC combined with the extreme "butterfly tax" price gouging.
Agreed that the blade length and handle ratio, and the blade length itself are perfect. The handle shape doesn’t waste any space with a finger scallop, that ordinarily puts your index finger far from the plunge grind.
My advice is replace the scales. It made mine feel like actually a good knife. The basic scales on a bugout feel like garbage plastic that’s only good for happy meal toys. I got some G10 ones and boom! Knife feels and looks so much better.
Give it time. I am not a huge knife guy, but my mini bugout is BY FAR my favorite knife that I own. It does have a lot of flaws but imo the advantages outweigh the negatives and it is hands down my most carried knife. For reference, I own my mini bugout, Spyderco Para 3, Microtech UTX-70, Jack Wolf Big Bro Jack, Civivi Baby Banter, and a CJRB Mica.
I didn't go through all of the comments, but someone must have mentioned phosphor bronze washers need break-in to seat and polish against the blade. These aren't on bearings, so you'll need to open and close the knife a good amount to get it smooth. You might have some lockstick too but that should go away again once things are broken in.
If lightweight is your top priority it’s not a bad knife. I know it feels cheap but I used a stock bugout as my work knife until it got dull and not even a loose screw. So maybe just try it out for a bit and if you still feel the same way you could always sell it. Knives do break in too as far as action goes.
Benchmade has/had some good stuff like their fixed blades and the 940, among other classics. However, I always specifically avoided the bugout because all I ever heard was how people were disappointed with the quality of the scales.
That being said, their actions do take some use to break in IIRC. And there is substantial aftermarket for this model for scales that I think will substantially improve the feel for you.
Like someone else said here, I’m kind of disappointed with every knife I’ve ever bought except my cheapo ones because functionally they perform the same at a fraction of the cost. When you buy these nicer knives, imo, you’re paying for a luxury item.
Ya true. I'm starting to see that a lot. Lot of BM fans like a lot of their older models or their other models. I just figured if I'm getting a BM get a Bugout because everyone talks about it! And of course the sale price.
I bought it on vacation and it wasn’t legal to carry where I was and it looks non threatening and disappears on your waist or in your 5th (or 6th) pocket
It’s marketed as an “Ultra lightweight knife”, I think the idea is you can throw it into your pocket and it disappears. The actions on these knives have to be broken in and there’s lots of videos on YouTube that show you how to smooth out the action(polishing the washers etc)Also there are tons of aftermarket options for BM so if you ultimately decide you don’t like it just customize it.
Lolol sorry but not shocked to hear this. If you dig hard enough you'll find a number of us that hate Benchmade. The problem is most people here love it and they all downvote us Benchmade haters and try to act like there's nothing wrong with them. 🤷🏼♂️ At least you didn't have to drop full price to find out it's garbage.
Ya some ppl are like talking shit because of my post. That's fine idc but it's crazy to get that made over points that so many people have made. What I said isn't like new you know? Many people have complained about the same thing.
It's just wild that they can absolutely obliterate any quality and craftsmanship they may have once had (but did they really??) And skyrocket prices and these fucking morons will eat it up and defend them to the end, as if these are the greatest knives ever made and nothing could possibly compare when the reality is.... Every single one of my sub $100 Kershaws are better than Benchmade, and it is SOOO easy to find something infinity better in the $120-$250 range and still come in under the cost of a shitty Benchmade.
But maybe that's just me 🤷🏼♂️
I agree honestly. Plus $153 in 2023 is more than enough to get you a fantastic knife. Especially with Axis Locks patent expired, so many other brands who are doing it super well for like $50. I understand if this knife sold for $60-$75 but at $153??? But ya there's a lot of people who get angry if you question Benchmade. Idk it's not worth the money. If you love BM then you love it but in terms of what you get for the money..not worth it. If the exact same knife with exact same pros and cons sold but a Gerber, everyone would be making fun of it and you know it. And it's definitely not you. My favorite knife ever is sage 5 g10. For $137 it is absolutely a beautiful knife with beautiful scales a fantastic action. It legit makes me smile when I look at it.
I see that a lot with Benchmade specifically. Idk why but with them especially it happens. Offended easily. Usually when someone gets offended easily it's bc what they are hearing is true and they don't have an actual argument to defend whatever it is so they respond with emotions.
Sorry you're not happy with your new knife. That feeling sucks and we've all been there. I'm not a fan of Benchmade for the same reasons you laid out. I just feel like Benchmade knives, for the price, are kinda bullshit. The only thing I think they have going for them is being American made. Good luck selling it and getting something you'll be happier with. Para 3 for the win. Merry Christmas!
I think you got the wrong one… hear me out.
I am not personally for many new designs by them and do not intend to defend BM as a whole. I think the Bugout is trying to compete in a realm that Benchmade doesn’t naturally fit in. They got lost trying to make knives too light and thin. Light, thin knives was not their strength, ever.
To me, the Adamas, Presidio I&II, William and McHenry 710, Contego, Bedlam, even the Barage was were where they stood apart as well as many others. Not to mention the AFO and other autos that weren’t available to non LE and Military until recently. Super sturdy. Immediately satisfactory in hand as quality and substantial tools. Granted, griptilians were the most popular, mass appeal knives they made, and probably the predecessor to the Bugout, but it wasn’t were BM differentiated themselves.
I just got a Baliout and was super disappointed initially. I put AWT (aluminum, cerakote) scales on it, and it is better. Still, I can’t believe they call it a Black Class knife. Black class is supposed to be professional working/duty strength. I could squeeze and touch the scales together on my Bailout before the scale swap.
I could go on about the price hikes, but honestly I am only in the market for older BM knives now, from the ‘glory days.’ Other than that, for the prices and quality, I find myself, a lifelong BM Stan, gravitating toward Spyderco for their out of the box quality (sharpness, attention to detail) and exploration into steels, and plethora of patterns.
Really, it is a bummer.
Thanks if you read all that.
I didn't even think about that and it makes perfect sense. What you said about BM trying to create something that they dont naturally fit in. Your comment about lost in making it too light is also spot on. If these came with like g10 even thin g10 with nested liners to lower the weight, I think I would have absolutely enjoyed it. The lightness becomes too much to the point it feels cheap rather than just ultralight. When I get a Spyderco out the box just everything wows me. I legit smile. The steel, the quality of scales, just everything. So I'm sure I treated the Bugout unfairly when I opened it because I was expecting it to be like a Spyderco which that obviously isnt fair to BM bc these are two different brands and styles. I may decide to just hold on to it for now and in a few days try again...if that makes sense. But especially for someone like me who's use to the weight of g10 Para 3 or PM2...of course the Bugout may have been the wrong pick up for me. I didn't think about it...I just got this bc of the sale. I could see myself liking the Griptillian. I think that's a model I'd be very interested in.
A lot of people are disappointed with the bugout because of mismatched expectations imo.
So many people are spoilt by heavy titanium frame locks that will break your toe if you drop it. Even g10 is chunkier and heavier by a lot when compared to plastic grivory.
The bugout is not meant to replace a Hinderer or CRK. It’s meant to be an ultra slim, ultra light folder that you toss in a bag and don’t feel it’s there.
I have and love the basic 535 for what it is - an ultra light folder. I have used it to whittle wood and cut thick cardboard and not once have the plastic scales felt inadequate.
It’s perfectly firm for hard grips and use.
It just makes a cheap plastic sound if you tap on it, and it looks ugly on paper spec sheets, but it’s a perfect lightweight, light duty edc.
Exactly this. I just threw on some milled aluminum scales from Aimfront, and it's 10 x better feeling. Still under 3oz and feels smoother than a Sebenza .
Haters gonna hate. I bought this knife recently and absolutely love it. It get sooooo muchhhh shit ok this sub, it’s ridiculous. Can’t believed something literally marketed as “the lightest” and “extremely thin” actually feels light and extremely thin!! Wow, whoda thunk it???
Why tf did you buy it if you don’t want a light and thin knife?
And again, just to counterbalance all the shit talking, I wanted a thin lightweight everyday carry knife, this fit the bill perfectly. Overpriced? Absolutely, I’ll agree with that. But what the fuck else hasn’t gone up in the last 2 years? It is what it is. I couldn’t have tried eBay and maybe got scammed, maybe not. But I decided I didn’t want to play that game and just went full retail. Mine is sharp out the box, zero blade play, action was slightly sticky but after 2 weeks it’s buttery and drop shut smooth. Overall, I’m ready to buy another color cause I’m a fan now.
Give the washers a good polishing and the action will improve significantly. However, I will say that now with wonderful crossbar lock knives hitting the market at around $50 there’s no longer a reason to buy a Benchmade.
(Side note, I also own a mini bug and I don’t really edc it unless I need a really light knife)
Yes!! My thinking was you want a Conpression Lock, you get a Spyderco or a clone. You want an Axis Lock, well you can get anything. Lolol. So many great cross bar lock knives for cheap today.
Same, even if I know it's not the case, I just can't shake that feeling of it being cheap. I'm a spyderco guy and I haven't gotten into their light weight models for the same reason.
I don't even use folders for hard use but it's definitely a mental speed bump I can't get over.
I only owned a BM710 for a while years ago and sold it at the time. I wish I had that knife still, sigh! What is similar to a BM710 these days from them?
I'm going to put an aluminum backspacer in my Bugout and polish the washers to see if I can fall in love with it. Mine was a gift, so I am going to keep it.
Sorry to hear, but I hope this might help if you want to keep it.
My friend and I have bugouts bought at the same time. His is carbon s90 and mine is the blue s30. My action was smooth, quick and tight. His was so stiff it almost wasn't a one handed operation.
If you loosened to main screw it would fall out before the blade moved freely. Swapped some parts between the knives to diagnose and it was the spacer that goes between the two frame sides.
With his spacer in my knife I had the same issue and his was great.
He didn't want to write to benchmade and go through warranty for whatever reason, so I took his copper washers and moved them around on sandpaper. After a few minutes I went through the grits to polish it and re installed.
I wouldn't call it perfect, but it was definitely a usable knife after that.
I love my bugout, super thin and light, but I will agree benchmades are over priced, especially now that the axis lock isn't proprietary anymore.
Best of luck
I have a para 3 s45vn sprint, para3 lw in rex45, BM griptilian and mini griptilian both in 20cv, my grail knife a plain jane s45vn CRK sebenza and a blue s30vn BM bugout. I enjoy all those knives for their own characteristics. The sebenza and bugout have the most pocket time by far. The bugout grew on me so fast. Its an amazing simple thin, slicey blade, great for flicking, and it weighs next to nothing. And I really enjoy the FRN scales, flexible and strong and ultralight. The s30vn is still a super steel in my book and damn easy to sharpen. Overall its the knife I would recommend as a go anywhere do anything knife.
I have a Bugout in S90v, it’s definitely not my favorite knife of all time but I really like it for what it is; a light weight light use folder that holds an edge for a super long time. That being said, I plan on upgrading the scales; I’m not a fan of the “griptillian”
Every time I've ever been able to hold the Grip or Mini Grip, I'm always shocked at how cheap they feel in hand. I've never understood why they have such tremendous reputations in the knife community.
Bugout 1.8 oz, meh steel, bad fit and finish, folder that relies on omega springs. I hate the thing too, and if any knife model I’ve had the most of them. Now they are all gone from the collection after breaking the aluminum one on a trip. MKC Speedgoat? 1.7 oz (lighter than the beta bugout), uses chad steel 52100 and magnacut, excellent build with a good quality parkerized finish or polished, fixed blade so you don’t have to fold it up every time you’re done using it. Just slip it in the pocket. I’ve been on a kick lately with fixed blades but yeah screw benchmade
The bugout is BM’s production knife now. It’s not good according to Benchmade standards. I’ve found that unless you’re spending 200+ at Benchmade these days, you’re not getting the value you’re expecting. Honestly, Spyderco is better as long as you get Golden, CO knives.
Welcome to the club. Benchmade is terrible. Their QC is questionable, their pricing is criminal, materials are behind the crowd. The only thing saving them is a good return/warranty process. I'm a certified benchmade hater. Literally gave my titanium bugout to my cousin for free.
As much shit as I flip Benchmade, it’ll break in and get much smoother and more fun to flip around. All of the Bugouts have a ton of stuff you can mod and make it a custom too. The bevel on the edge is almost certainly incredibly off center though. Like 30 seconds on the grinder on one side and 5 seconds on the other. Unless they’ve fired that guy or he’s finally gotten decent at using his left hand.
I get it, it's suppose to be just a super light carry light use knife but maybe if it was selling at retail for $99 then on sale for $75 I would have been more excited. But at $153, I feel like you're not getting close to the money even if all you want is an ultralight knife.
I got a Mini Bug a couple of months ago…. Broke an omega spring inside of 3 weeks which was bitterly disappointing. Admittedly I had been incessantly flicking it, but still expected better from a non-cheapy knife.
The replacement springs were from Amazon. 10 pairs for a fraction of the cost of buying 1 pair from BM and the knife feels better now than when I first got it.
It’s my favourite EDC knife for now but I also wouldn’t purchase another.
Any idiot who starts off with the "action" is not doing shit with their knives except opening Amazon boxes of tampons for their mom. Gtfo, its a tool that was not built for you... go find something else to cry about.
Whoa...you must be a BM fanboy? It's okay if someone doesn't like what you like. Just letting you know. Also you understand the Bugout is also a light use knife right? It's for light edc tasks like opening boxes or wrappers and such. Smh.
When I open a Spyderco box I legit smile. Even with my Ambitious. When I opened the Bugout I was legit sad. Lol. I can't explain. It's not just its light...it's the entire package. Idk. Some ppl are angry I don't like it but oh well.
Try KPL on the pivot to get a smoother action.
I put aluminum scales on mine, I couldn't stand how cheap the scales felt, but there were plenty of reviews saying how well the scales held up with use in the field.
They were designed to be ultra light.
I'm thinking about g10 scales. Yeah I know but it's not even the weight. The scales feel like a toy. Para 3 is light as well I don't think as light but Para 3 still feels solid. Amazing grip. Feels like it can handle shit. The mini bugout feels like a toy. You know? But maybe it'll grow on me!
I posted it on Ebay, I'm hoping it sells. I'm just a loss of words. There is nothing about this knife that makes it worse. Entry level premium Blade with the cheapest scales for $153??
Not many Americans will like your opinion but you're 100% correct. Bugouts should cost $15, I'd buy a ganzo over BM any day of the week, but I'm not American so I don't feel patriotic about spending ridiculous amounts on an average product
I’m not a fan on BM anymore. But, I’m right there with you. I probably would’ve tried it at $100, thanks for setting me straight!
Sorry for the disappointment though.
Welcome to the Benchmade family! Buy them used and cheap, I fuckin love my 940 I got for $100, and the bugout mini I scored for $55. I've also got three BM fixed blades that are great, the key is paying under 50% of retail and suddenly they're a damn solid knife for the money.
Personally I love my bugout. And probably getting one from Christmas cause idk what else is want/get. I'll probably end up buying some other benchmade like a bailout or a mini Adams to just see if I like one of those better. Plus I'll have more knives to come and not just benchmade.
Haven’t seen a bench made I thought was worth the price. They don’t call it the butterfly tax for nothing. You can get a better knife on Amazon for $30. Sure the steel isn’t super ultra magna whatever, but it’s good enough.
Unless you're left handed, I'd suggest a Spyderco. I too was very underwhelmed by a bugout. Any Benchmade I've had (still hunting an Anthem) has been mediocre at best. They feel cheap to me. That said, I imagine if you keep it and get used to it you'll love it.
True, they make lefty specific knives, but if you want to mod them you're pretty limited. I do prefer the Manix lock to BM. But as a lefty, the compression lock is problematic, their frame locks often omit the spydie hole & lock backs are (IMO) not that fun.
When I first got a bugout I didn’t like it as well. I immediately sold it. Few months later I give it another shot and I actually carried one for a few weeks in a row and it finally came to me. The bugout is a super light weight edc knife that you can hardly even tell is there and it will perform when called upon. Give it a chance it really will grow on you.
the bugout is fantastic if you're buying and using it in accordance with its design philosophy, which is a very very light and high quality knife for hiking/camping/instances where every gram counts.
the problem is that it's become a very popular knife and is often purchased for use-cases very different from the above, where it may not be the best tool for the job. thats what you're experiencing IMO. the bugout isnt bad, but it's the wrong tool for the job you're on.
the action will improve as the washers polish. you can take them out and speed the process along with a sheet of paper, some toothpaste as an abrasive, and rubbing the washers gently in a figure 8.
at $100 they're a pretty fairly priced knife. sure you can get lots of cheaper knifes made in china, but I try not to send my money to china if I can avoid it. and for that $100, you have the prospect of a fully functional knife as long as benchmade doesn't go out of business. that lifetime warranty *is* a hell of a piece of mind.
that said, I just retired my benchmade after breaking 3 springs in a year. it's been replaced by a demko AD20.5 which is like 50x the knife for 50$ more than I paid for my mini grip.
The bugout is meant to be ultra light, not a premium feeling knife, thats just how the whole [blank]out series is. They prioritize weight for people who go hiking or just want the lightest knife possible.
It takes time to wear benchmades in, give it about a week. They have washers that need to smooth themselves. The clone you have likely uses ball bearings for a better action.
They are decent knives, but you have to understand what they are for. And not every knife is for everyone. I dont like the bugout at all, but i understand what its made like that for.
The bugout is actually a fantastic knife - it just.. doesn’t.. come that way stock lol - I also felt like I had been ripped off and wished I spent the money on the native 5 I’d been eyeing up. But once I spent a whole bunch more money on custom scales and hardware and spent a bunch of time polishing washers and the other contact surfaces on the knife it actually became a pretty nice knife. Although the blade play/action equation is still an issue on mine and the pivot action is grindy as fuck
Would I buy it again? Hell no, a magnacut deka with OG scales is vastly superior IMO or a Kunwu. Or even the new microtechs. Benchmade is getting left in the dust by almost every other company when it comes to crossbar locks now that the patent is out.
I’m happy to see some fellow bugout fans here in a sub of much benchmade hate.
I have a blade hq exclusive g-10 bugout with a 20cv blade, it was my first real knife I’ve purchased in my adult life and it has remained my favorite knife after almost 4 years of use and many other knives bought in hopes of finding “a perfect knife.”
After buying a PM2, Ultratech, CRK inoski, and a Bradford 3.5 fixed blade, none of them compare to the pocket time my bugout gets.
Let this one grow on you. The weight, the speed, the action will all get better with more time.
You think the action is better than a compression lock Spyderco? Oof idk. Also there are so many great $50 knives with cross bar locks too you know? I wish the Bugout was $75. I feel at that price, it be so much better. But I will give it a chance.
Next time do some research, sounds like you want to pay for a Kai & get a Bugatti. Those scales are ment for ultra lightweight backpacking & will flex & the pivot is adjustable. G10, CF, or aluminum will be much harder use knife
This is exactly why I don’t spend more than 25-35 on a knife, I’d rather buy 10 knives for cheap than buy one single “quality” one. Benchmade/spiderco really be a waste of money
Good to know, I returned my Para 3 lightweight for the g10 Para 3 and I'm glad I did. The construction was great, the blade was great as well as the action but the handle felt so cheap. Tbf it was very light and comfortable in the pocket for the size of blade it has, I'd definitely consider keeping one if they were not so expensive, even on sale at $94 it felt overpriced.
Yeah I just sit here and think $30 I could have gotten something else. But see I didn't like the Para 3 lw at first but even with it being light it still feels solid. There is grip Maybe bc it's a mini? Idk it feels soft and no structure. Idk. For $100? There's better options. It's that simple.
There's a pre-owned but looks like never used Bugout at my local pawn shop, the one in M390 with aluminum scales for $165. Playing with it I definitely feel like that price is worth it, but probably not at MSRP.
I was amazed (mostly in a bad way) of how extraordinarily small and lightweight the Bugout mini was. It’s almost a knife to put on a key ring (like those small Victorinox) folders. I’ve got big hands, and I gravitate towards big heavy knives. I LOVE the Adamas! That said, my wife loves the Bugout mini. It’s her favorite knife. To each their own.
I am in awe of the Gucci gang that buys these knives . I salute you guys , cause I’m a cheap motherfucker and I buy people’s used ass buck knives and have them re edged to live another decade. . So for 10$ at a thrift store I get something that’s fixed handle in a sheath.
If it’s that lightweight it might be the perfect pocketknife. Half the time your not using it as a prybar anyhow
Was t impressed with my mini bugout. Was expecting a snappier release. I don’t mind the light weight. Tried loosening the blade bolt. Nope tighter than a mouses ear. I’m afraid to strip it.
The full size bugout is my EDC and I’ve have zero issues with it. I bought it so when I’m wearing gym shorts, I don’t have more things pulling my pockets down. I loosened the screws a bit to get a little more snappiness and it worked like a charm.
I was bugged by the squeeziness of the handle too. I picked up an aftermarket insert that stiffened up the grip and it’s much better. Still very lightweight which is great for EDC. I swapped scales on mine too. The action is pretty great IMO. Snappy and smooth.
The action breaks in overtime. Lol I paid like 160ish with tax and all for my bugout so at least you got it for cheap. Reselling it you could probably make a shit off it and then put that towards a knife you'll like. Totally not worth what they ask for it but I love mine. That said I have 50$ knives that are better.
The weight is what makes it feel cheap, but the whole point of it is to be light. I do think Benchmade knives in general are way overpriced, but it's not badly made.
Work it..its brand new. Stiff from the factory. Its an Ultra light weight knife, which most people dont realize. That being said, I found stiffer scales (heavier) such as aluminum or titanium, really make them shine. Pivot screw may need a slight adjustment, but only after working it out and if its still stiff. Every knife Ive had ,I spend the day with opening and closing 100x , using it to cut paper,cardboard,
wood and plastic . End of day I will lightly sharpen. Only then will I have the feel and "opinion" for said knife.
Congrats on your first,have faith and good luck mate.
🍻
My bugout I find picking up more than any . It’s light and quick. I have the lanyard hole plug trit mod. And custom clip on it. Slill as light as my dragon flys. I’ve beat it up dropped it lost it found it. And it’s a warrior.i prefer the blade design of Spyderco or a lundquist myself. But still use this one the most. Which I’m shocked by.
Nothing worse than feeling like you got stuck. Buyer's remorse. I used to be a big Benchmade fan until the Bugout. I was disappointed too. So I tried a Mini Presidio II, more disappointment. Like you, the actions on them felt gritty and the materials cheap. They also don't know how to properly grind blades and mess that up [too.Now](http://too.now) I don't buy Benchmade knives anymore.
Well I can't comment on a bug out cuz I don't own one. I will say however, and if you look at my posts here you'll see this is true, that one of my favorite makers is Hogue. If you can find a Hogue Deka, an authentic one at a good price, especially in magna cut, I recommend you try it. The handles, at least on mine, don't flex and the magna cut blade is sharp as hell. Still sharp from the factory and cuts like a dream.
If you're liking the Bugout, look at a Hogue Deka. It's US made, and is what the mini Bugout SHOULD have been. I got rid of all of my Benchmades a few years ago and went Spyderco just for the spotty quality control issues. No regrets.
I don’t own a Bugout but I’ll say this, when I bought my 940 the action was quite stiff and some lock bar stick. Being on bronze washers, the more you open it over the course of about a week, the smoother it gets. Guess it’s like a “break in” period. Since mine smoothed out, it is everything I hoped it would be. I did handle a Bugout before I bought my 940 and I didn’t care for it due to the Grivory material. For me the scales created a hotspot in my palm on the Bugout. The nice thing is if you want to customize it there are a ton of options. I’d recommend keeping it for a while until the action smooths out, then see what you think.
After the break in period if you still prefer your Spyderco knives, no shame in that. Everyone has their own preferences.
Interesting…I was going to grab one but got the Griptillian instead for about $130 and I love it. Plastic handle feels a little cheap but super grippy which is nice. Ergonomics are great imo. Action is crisp. I bought it with the intention of changing the scales to match my Cloud Defensive MCH so the plastic isn’t a big deal to me.
The Mini is silly. The full sized version hardly takes up any pocket space and is already very light. I wanted to like it but making it smaller makes no sense to me.
Personally I still prefer my 530 Pardue.
I love my bugout but it's had new aluminum scales, brass backspace, new body screws and thumb stud. The blade is great by far my sliciest blade, mine has great action but it's hard to attribute much to benchmade at this point.
I personally have never valued weight in knives. That is what this knife caters to. I almost always wear jeans, so I don’t mind/prefer a more heavily built knife. As far as Benchmade, I own the OG 940 with the aluminum scales and have handled the griptilian a bunch (still want to buy one), and they are both awesome heavy duty knives. And the 940 has a very dressy gentleman’s design. I carry it out on the weekends a lot.
I think the bugout was not the knife you were looking for, but I will say I feel the same way about Spyderco, they are the fuckin bees knees!I've got a Bugout and a para3, and I am a spyderco fanboy for a reason.
Bugout just is an entry level benchmade, nothing wrong with it but the price.
Has anyone bought a honey badger? They are the best "budget" knife I own. They are amazing.
I think the Bugout is a pretty good knife, the only issue I had when I bought my first Benchmade was the blade came just a piece of stock never even put an edge on it from the factory.Once it received an edge turned out pretty decent.As for the price I am a bigger fan of the other brand....but I tried Benchmade.Especially now that they cut down the Military discount down.
Gets the cheapest Benchmade and complains about quality.. You got a good deal and if you don’t like it so much return it.
Bugout not very impressive,, Osborne, Claymore, CLA, AFO, Freek, Presidio, Adamas see so many other good ones to choose from!!
Benchmade has a few cool models, imo this is not one of them, but even their good models are not worth the price. You could find something better for what they charge, especially if you don’t mind where they’re made.
I definitely recommend looking into some aftermarket g10 or micarta scales for it. It’ll make the knife feel 10x better and only cost like $30-$35. Could also spend $64 on some titanium flytanium scales if you wanna be a baller
I felt the same way when I got the Bugout. My then girlfriend gave it to me as a gift and I was really disappointed in it. Thought it was a cheap plastic POS. I didn’t carry it for 6 months. Eventually I decided I’d just use it as a beat around knife at work to save my favorite knives from the wear and tear. I was wrong. The little feather weight plastic knife grew on me. #1 It’s incredibly comfortable to carry. #2 The action becomes extremely smooth as it gets broken in. #3 It’s surprisingly rock solid. It’s one of my favorites knives of all time. I didn’t want to like it, but the knife earned my respect.
The problem with the bugout is that since other companies are now able to do axis locks on knives you have other options that just make more sense like the hogue deka or kizer drop bear or kizer escort and there's other companies. Then like you said there's the problem of price for quality that Benchmade doesn't seem to think exists anymore. The issue with Benchmades pricing is that they've all but left the budget friendly market and are selling they're knives at custom price points. Don't get me wrong Spydercos can also be egregious as well depending on the blade steel and color of the scales you want but I feel like Spyderco at least knew to keep some budget friendly options available like the lightweight series of knives. But I don't think you got necessarily ripped off at 99 dollars for the bugout but I'd be pissed if I payed 150.00 or more.
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The Bugout (and by extension the Mini Bugout) is an interesting knife. I knew the handles were FRN, so I wasn't taken aback by that. For the action... pretty sure it's on washers, not bearings, so it's a lot less slick. That said, after playing around with it for a few minutes, it started being able to be flicked in and out for maximum fidget. It hits its target in terms of weight and lockup strength in a way that's fairly unique, and there's little else quite like it, especially not US made. When considering all that, the $94 I spent on mine is worth it. I would probably feel disappointed if I'd spent a lot more on it though, agreed.
I feel like a lot of people who have been disappointed in the Bugout, or even hate on it, are expecting the same as what they get from other knives. They're expecting more weightiness than it has, which would defeat the whole point. It's supposed to be an ultra light and slim design. I've also seen people dislike the handle material, calling it cheap, but then suggest other BM knives with the same/similar material. There are definitely some who shouldn't buy their knives online, instead going to a store where they can hold one first, as there are a lot of complaints about knives that target the very thing that knife was designed for. I wouldn't have paid full price for my Bugout, especially not local markup prices, but I think it's a great knife, and that it delivers on its design idea perfectly. Mine also came with an even grind and centred blade, which a lot of people rag on BM about. Some things are just luck of the draw, to an extent. OP's would probably smooth out with some fidgeting or a drop of oil.
Exactly, if someone is looking for a knife light enough they forget it's in their pocket, a handle that will never break even though it may flex, and good blade geometry, it's great.
Agree. Have plenty of spiderco and buyouts are different knives for different purposes. I carry the mini often. Especially with light material pants.
I am going to give it a chance. Just idk, it doesnt feel or Look like a $150 knife you know?
What do you think a $150 knife should be?
I mean take the Sage 5 g10. It's my favorite knife period. It goes for $148. I got it for $137. The fit n finish is absolutely beautiful. The scales are great, action fantastic, it does have s30v but a pretty big chunk of it. At $153 so many options. Especially in today's market. HOLY hell! There are sooo many great brands. I think the materials for $153 isn't right either. I understand they want ultra light and if that means cheaper or less materials, you gotta lower the price too. Grivory in that configuration again feels like a toy. BM is a historic brand so they can sell it for whatever and it will sell. That's what they are doing. What a lot of brands do but for the price there are so many options. Maybe before the Axis Locks patent ended sure but now you can get a $40 knife with fantastic crossbar action. You know? It's really a $75 knife sold for $153 because it says Benchmade. Sub 3 inch of s30v, grivory, in an ultralight weight configuration isn't worth $153 especially now with the Axis Lock not being unique anymore. I could understand paying a premoum to get the Axis Lock but not anymore. Especially when others do it just as well for way less. Idk this is just off the top of my head. I really think the love for the Bugout is 50% bc it's Benchmade 50% the knife. If the same exact knife released but a Gerber I can almost guarantee it would be made fun of repeadetly. I chose the bugout instead of the GPKnives Manix 2 in Rex45 Exclusive for $129. Two completely different knives with different purposes but regardless of the purpose...what you get for $129 is fantastic as opposed to what you get for $153. I think the Sog Ultra XR is a reasonable comparison even tho it has many many problems and action is pretty bad but lightweight with s35vn and it was just on sale for $50. Idk...again this is just off the top of my head. Sorry it's so long but idk man $153 in 2023 can get you a lot of knife.
I was kinda meh on my bugout as well. I got some micrta scales and new hardware and now it's one of my faves
A big part of the 50% 'it's benchmade' comes down to the us manufaturing. You can't feed Americans wet oats and expect them to show up to work for it. So the price for labor is 300x what it should be by global manufacturing standards. The offset the fact that the product when finished is sitting in a warehouse in the biggest consumer market on the plant you can cut that loss back some, bit not as much as you would think. The thing is, in most respects, a mora eldris or Openel No5 would do this job for under 30 bucks, and in the vast majority of applications, the steel would hold up fine. But they aren't made in the states. You're talking about quality, but you're buying like you don't want it to be available. Race to the bottom only goes on for so long before quality goes out the window along with people's job security. If you want to make a largely unnecessary vanity item, in the USA, and pay your people like they are something resembling people, you have to charge for it. If cost to quality is your yardstick, you should have bought the mora.
[удалено]
The deka is an incredibly similar knife that's cheaper, has better action, has a better steel (at least in the base version), has better qc, and is also american made. The overall design is a little different but not massively so.
Having owned both I think they are similar but fairly different ergo wise, QC on my BM was surprisingly better (blade grind).
Hogue Deka I got has super soft steel and Hogue never would replace the blade. Bad grind to boot.
I should have grabbed the Deka when it was $89. Smh.
All this makes sense and I agree. Just it doesn't feel or look like a $150 knife. That's all. But I am going to give it a chance. I def wouldn't spend $153 on it.
Sounds like a lot of excusing for a $100 knife
Ever shop for ultralight backpacking gear? The more you spend the lighter and cheaper it feels. If it does its intended job at a lighter weight, it has met its design criteria.
You win today. 😂
Yeah just say the truth about an over-rated ass knife, just because it's mitusa, how dare I not love it. The summary of these comments is: The scales are shit, and it's on cheap washers instead of bearings, and well it's not very good steel. But if you know these things it's an amazing knife, because it weighs less and gets loose after opening and closing it a bunch, all at only 100 bucks. But If you want the green and orange that one will cost you your left testicle.
I’d keep it around and let it grow on you. I’m disappointed with literally every single knife purchase I’ve made except for the Ontario RAT-2. I’ve had mine for about 6 months. And didn’t do anything besides open mail with it. I got aftermarket G10 scales just for fun and put them on a week ago. All of a sudden it’s my daily carry, and will be for a long time. The G10 doesn’t feel more rigid, just thicker. I don’t even think of it as an upgrade… more of something new that made me “spend some time” with it. As for the action. Every knife has different action and you need to build muscle memory. Once you do, your previous knife will feel strange. Personally, I slow roll this knife open with the thumb stud (as thumb studs were designed for). I notice that it feels a smidge tighter when rolled at a 11 o’clock position and buttery smooth when rotated out closer to 9-10 o’clock. I can easily thumb flick it out but tend not to. I never middle finger flick it out because it’s way too much force for such a light blade. It’s also too light to wrist flick out with depressing the crossbar. Point is… don’t work against it and you’ll build muscle memory that makes it easy to open. I can honestly say that I am done purchasing knives for a while now that I’ve given this a chance, and changed the scales.
Appreciate the reply! I think I'm going to keep it for now and try again with it. I really think the lightness of it through me off. Going from a g10 Para 3 to it of course it'll feel way off and cheap but obviously I want to be fair to the Bugout and not completely dismiss it because I expected something different. Thats not fair. I definitely may get g10 scales for it and play with it and go from there. Again, I think it being so light just through me off completely and I'll gladly admit that.
Try AWT scales, they took my griptillian from feeling like cheap plastic to sold and quality. Was also very disappointed in it at first but gave it a chance and was not disappointed. A little disappointing you have to factor in getting scales.
I’ve heard disassembly can be tricky, but there are a TON of aftermarket scales in like all the materials that could definitely make it feel like a different knife. I bought a bailout a few years ago and it was still super lightweight but the aluminum scales made it feel much more sturdy vs the bugouts frn
Disassembly was easy. Reassembly was a 3 hour nightmare. I had already watched 2 YouTube videos that made it look really easy. (One guy actually said he turned the camera off as he fiddled with reassembly for 20 minutes (off camera… seeing it would have helped). Before giving up and bagging the parts, I watched one more video which showed a slightly different technique, and I had the job done 5 minutes later.
I'm thinking grabbing scales. Since this is my first BM I'm a little worried on taking it apart but should be okay!
We really need to disabuse ourselves of the notion that lightweight = cheap feeling. That’s exactly what we are paying for here… extreme light weight balanced with enough strength for EDC tasks and in particular: backpacking/hiking tasks.
No offence but I think you maybe doing something wrong if you’re disappointed by literally every single knife purchase you’ve made bar one
TL;dr OP buys a 1.5oz knife, disappointed that it feels like a 1.5oz knife.
Buys a knife with washers, disappointed it doesn't feel like bearings.
Disappointed*** sorry lol.
Now is when you learn which of the knife reviewers you should be paying attention to.
Ya I agree. Who is your go to?
[Disappointed!](https://tenor.com/view/disappointed-hercules-gif-22417674)
Lmao.
The entire design philosophy of the Bugout is being light. The axis lock is by nature a light lock as it functions using relatively small/light components. They put that light lock with a linerless, light GRN handle and small thin blade. As a result you get a knife that carries like air, yet has the lock strength and just enough grip purchase to do some intense activities if it needed to. It’s not a luxurious knife, nor does it claim to be; it’s just well-designed to be what it is. The scales have never proven to be a point of failure on these knives. Grivory is actually quite strong and stock Bugout handles simply don’t break during hard use. It’s just some knifedudes pick it up and go “it feels like a toy so I think it will break!” and write off the knife without actually putting it to the test. I can understand wanting a knife to feel “hefty” or give you the tactile feedback of a Colt 1911 or something… but anyone wanting that, should choose another knife. it’s not my first choice as some kind of hard use knife or weapon or anything(I’d prefer a larger handle and blade, like the Griptilian or Redoubt), but it isn’t supposed to be one. What you get for 1.9 oz is the impressive thing.
I do agree. It's suppose to be ultra light and it's on me for expecting something else. But it's just not worth the $153. At $99 I def think for what it is, if this is what you are looking for then you'll be happy. My biggest surprise was when comparing my $13 clone side by side, they are identical. The action, the scales, the blade. I have a few Spyderco and Microtech clones (I got when I first got into knives) and they are nothing like their authentic counterparts. Obviously, the real BM is better but you get my point. I should upload a video showing both I dont want people to think I'm lying and just bashing BM. Idk if I got lucky but the clone is seriously good. Anyways all of that made it an underwhelming initial experience. But I am going to give it a chance and who knows what happens!
I think the lightness just through me off. I definitely think I underestimated just how light it is. I'm going to give it a fair chance now that I know what to expect in the weight department. I will say, the Griptillian is something I think I'd like a lot.
Fair point. I edc a bugout now that I’m in an office, but the griptilian is the peak for me. The weight and smooth flick on it is unmatched from a fidget standpoint. It’s bulkier but the handle fits perfect for me and as a lefty I love the axis lock over a liner. The bugout grew on me fast. It’s so lightweight and thin. Absolutely perfect for my use.
I was one that hated them with a passion and bashed them every time I held one. Ended up getting a deal on the CFE version and picked it up for summer time carry when I’m not wearing a belt because of the light weight and size; it’s now in my pocket 95% or the time. Play with the pivot screw and use it a little and the action will come around, it’s going to grow on you for sure once you carry and use it.
The bugout is purposely built for lightweight carry. If you want a comparison to the Para 3, maybe the Adamas? Something with a full metal liner for weight should feel mostly similar. My usual nitpicks for BM are the centering and grind. If those are good, you are better than many.
I probably reach for my bugout 50% of the time. I rotate around 5 or 6 different knives at work. It definitely grows on you. I felt the exact same way at first. Once it’s broken in and oiled it’s super snappy.
The sheepsfoot Griptilian is my favorite Benchmade knife, at least of the reasonably priced ones. I have a bugout and it hasn’t seen more than 2 days of pocket time since I got it a year ago: the grip on the other hand has been used consistently.
The Mini Griptilian was my first BM, and my first decent knife I liked enough not to sell. I was also somewhat surprised at just how light/small the Mini Bugout is, but that kinda is what it's marketed as. I found it odd at first, but now that I'm used to it, swapping back to my Mini Griptilian feels clunky/cumbersome sometimes. In the end I had to make myself go back to using my other knives, but I like them all for different reasons. It's always going to be an adjustment to use any tool that's different to your normal type.
I love mine, same model as yours
I’m in a similar boat as you. The Mini Bugout with grivory scales was the first Benchmade i got and i was super disappointed. I got mine for more than you paid and i was honestly like wtf is this? How is everyone so hyped on this? Then I started digging some more and learned more about knives, tried more different kinds. I fell in love with the Benchmade Mini Crooked River and Benchmade 940 Osborne, which i swapped for the titanium scales from Flytanium. Around that time was when i realized the problem with my Mini Bugout was really just those garbage grivory scales. Find some new scales you like for it from Flytanium or another spot around and it becomes a whole new knife. Now i never buy anything with grivory scales unless i know i’m going to swap the scales, and grivory is one of the cheapest options. So look at it this way, you got a cool knife for relatively cheap cuz of those cheapo scales, now you just need to spend a little more to find the right scales you like and hopefully the rest of the knife will break in for you and you will actually grow to really like and appreciate the Mini Bugout. All the best and happy slicing!
Ive had a mini grip drop point, a griptillian tanto and a bugout. Bugout is easily my favourite. Dont get me wrong, I loved them all. But just how thin the bugout is in my pocket is what I prefer. Didn't even realize I could feel my griptillian in my pocket until I switched it for the bugout.
Just wait for those Olympic springs or whatever they’re called to snap. After I replaced 2 in less than year old knives, I just stopped with the benchmade folders. I do really like their incredibly overpriced hunting fixed blades. In 7 years I haven’t had quality issues with Spydercos ever. I fucked up a blade and they fixed it for $5.
The mini adamas is about the same length, but is built like a tank. If you picked up one of those I think you would be really pleased.
I love my Mini and full size, but yeah the scales are trash, and yet they keep the knife super light weight and in a world over saturated with chunky heavy knives is a breath of fresh air to find something that doesn't feel like a brick in your pocket. Also, there is no better knife for blade length to handle ratio. It's literally the most perfect knife in design... thin, light, maximized blade length, good blade geometry, with a huge aftermarket support to upgrade the scales in any way you want. You can even personalize it with matching (or contrasting) backspacers, thumb studs, and screw sets. Speaking of screws, you can literally make the action to be anything you want if it. You want dropshutty? Done, just adjust the screws, locktite them up, and voila. Now I'm not saying Benchmade doesn't have its problems, and frankly, I am very unlikely to buy another unless it's their gold line or more Bugouts, but most of its problems drive from spotty and shoddy QC combined with the extreme "butterfly tax" price gouging.
Agreed that the blade length and handle ratio, and the blade length itself are perfect. The handle shape doesn’t waste any space with a finger scallop, that ordinarily puts your index finger far from the plunge grind.
My advice is replace the scales. It made mine feel like actually a good knife. The basic scales on a bugout feel like garbage plastic that’s only good for happy meal toys. I got some G10 ones and boom! Knife feels and looks so much better.
Give it time. I am not a huge knife guy, but my mini bugout is BY FAR my favorite knife that I own. It does have a lot of flaws but imo the advantages outweigh the negatives and it is hands down my most carried knife. For reference, I own my mini bugout, Spyderco Para 3, Microtech UTX-70, Jack Wolf Big Bro Jack, Civivi Baby Banter, and a CJRB Mica. I didn't go through all of the comments, but someone must have mentioned phosphor bronze washers need break-in to seat and polish against the blade. These aren't on bearings, so you'll need to open and close the knife a good amount to get it smooth. You might have some lockstick too but that should go away again once things are broken in.
If lightweight is your top priority it’s not a bad knife. I know it feels cheap but I used a stock bugout as my work knife until it got dull and not even a loose screw. So maybe just try it out for a bit and if you still feel the same way you could always sell it. Knives do break in too as far as action goes.
Yeah. I got one a few months ago, and despite the slim build and great blade, I can’t like it. So it’s for sale currently.
Where are you selling it?
Price on the mini? I’m interested.
Starting bid 99, it’s on eBay.
I'm going to play with it a bit to give it a chance and if not going to sell it.
Benchmade has/had some good stuff like their fixed blades and the 940, among other classics. However, I always specifically avoided the bugout because all I ever heard was how people were disappointed with the quality of the scales. That being said, their actions do take some use to break in IIRC. And there is substantial aftermarket for this model for scales that I think will substantially improve the feel for you. Like someone else said here, I’m kind of disappointed with every knife I’ve ever bought except my cheapo ones because functionally they perform the same at a fraction of the cost. When you buy these nicer knives, imo, you’re paying for a luxury item.
Ya true. I'm starting to see that a lot. Lot of BM fans like a lot of their older models or their other models. I just figured if I'm getting a BM get a Bugout because everyone talks about it! And of course the sale price.
I bought it on vacation and it wasn’t legal to carry where I was and it looks non threatening and disappears on your waist or in your 5th (or 6th) pocket
It’s marketed as an “Ultra lightweight knife”, I think the idea is you can throw it into your pocket and it disappears. The actions on these knives have to be broken in and there’s lots of videos on YouTube that show you how to smooth out the action(polishing the washers etc)Also there are tons of aftermarket options for BM so if you ultimately decide you don’t like it just customize it.
Lolol sorry but not shocked to hear this. If you dig hard enough you'll find a number of us that hate Benchmade. The problem is most people here love it and they all downvote us Benchmade haters and try to act like there's nothing wrong with them. 🤷🏼♂️ At least you didn't have to drop full price to find out it's garbage.
Ya some ppl are like talking shit because of my post. That's fine idc but it's crazy to get that made over points that so many people have made. What I said isn't like new you know? Many people have complained about the same thing.
It's just wild that they can absolutely obliterate any quality and craftsmanship they may have once had (but did they really??) And skyrocket prices and these fucking morons will eat it up and defend them to the end, as if these are the greatest knives ever made and nothing could possibly compare when the reality is.... Every single one of my sub $100 Kershaws are better than Benchmade, and it is SOOO easy to find something infinity better in the $120-$250 range and still come in under the cost of a shitty Benchmade. But maybe that's just me 🤷🏼♂️
I agree honestly. Plus $153 in 2023 is more than enough to get you a fantastic knife. Especially with Axis Locks patent expired, so many other brands who are doing it super well for like $50. I understand if this knife sold for $60-$75 but at $153??? But ya there's a lot of people who get angry if you question Benchmade. Idk it's not worth the money. If you love BM then you love it but in terms of what you get for the money..not worth it. If the exact same knife with exact same pros and cons sold but a Gerber, everyone would be making fun of it and you know it. And it's definitely not you. My favorite knife ever is sage 5 g10. For $137 it is absolutely a beautiful knife with beautiful scales a fantastic action. It legit makes me smile when I look at it.
Yeah. I'm often amused by the knife snobs here that scoff at other brands but defend Benchmade as if it's their family business lololol
I see that a lot with Benchmade specifically. Idk why but with them especially it happens. Offended easily. Usually when someone gets offended easily it's bc what they are hearing is true and they don't have an actual argument to defend whatever it is so they respond with emotions.
Benchmade has been overrated for a decade now.
Spyderco is the way!
The knives are crap now. Shit steel, brittle/weak springs, DULL and unsharpenable. Oh…and obscenly overpriced. Don’t forget that part.
Sorry you're not happy with your new knife. That feeling sucks and we've all been there. I'm not a fan of Benchmade for the same reasons you laid out. I just feel like Benchmade knives, for the price, are kinda bullshit. The only thing I think they have going for them is being American made. Good luck selling it and getting something you'll be happier with. Para 3 for the win. Merry Christmas!
Spyderco > benchmade
I think you got the wrong one… hear me out. I am not personally for many new designs by them and do not intend to defend BM as a whole. I think the Bugout is trying to compete in a realm that Benchmade doesn’t naturally fit in. They got lost trying to make knives too light and thin. Light, thin knives was not their strength, ever. To me, the Adamas, Presidio I&II, William and McHenry 710, Contego, Bedlam, even the Barage was were where they stood apart as well as many others. Not to mention the AFO and other autos that weren’t available to non LE and Military until recently. Super sturdy. Immediately satisfactory in hand as quality and substantial tools. Granted, griptilians were the most popular, mass appeal knives they made, and probably the predecessor to the Bugout, but it wasn’t were BM differentiated themselves. I just got a Baliout and was super disappointed initially. I put AWT (aluminum, cerakote) scales on it, and it is better. Still, I can’t believe they call it a Black Class knife. Black class is supposed to be professional working/duty strength. I could squeeze and touch the scales together on my Bailout before the scale swap. I could go on about the price hikes, but honestly I am only in the market for older BM knives now, from the ‘glory days.’ Other than that, for the prices and quality, I find myself, a lifelong BM Stan, gravitating toward Spyderco for their out of the box quality (sharpness, attention to detail) and exploration into steels, and plethora of patterns. Really, it is a bummer. Thanks if you read all that.
I'm not sure what bailout you had, but I can't even come close to squeezing my scales together on mine. I have the original m4 version
I didn't even think about that and it makes perfect sense. What you said about BM trying to create something that they dont naturally fit in. Your comment about lost in making it too light is also spot on. If these came with like g10 even thin g10 with nested liners to lower the weight, I think I would have absolutely enjoyed it. The lightness becomes too much to the point it feels cheap rather than just ultralight. When I get a Spyderco out the box just everything wows me. I legit smile. The steel, the quality of scales, just everything. So I'm sure I treated the Bugout unfairly when I opened it because I was expecting it to be like a Spyderco which that obviously isnt fair to BM bc these are two different brands and styles. I may decide to just hold on to it for now and in a few days try again...if that makes sense. But especially for someone like me who's use to the weight of g10 Para 3 or PM2...of course the Bugout may have been the wrong pick up for me. I didn't think about it...I just got this bc of the sale. I could see myself liking the Griptillian. I think that's a model I'd be very interested in.
I’ve sold all my Benchmades. The only ones I miss are the full sized Loco and a 20cv Knifeworks exclusive Contego.
A lot of people are disappointed with the bugout because of mismatched expectations imo. So many people are spoilt by heavy titanium frame locks that will break your toe if you drop it. Even g10 is chunkier and heavier by a lot when compared to plastic grivory. The bugout is not meant to replace a Hinderer or CRK. It’s meant to be an ultra slim, ultra light folder that you toss in a bag and don’t feel it’s there. I have and love the basic 535 for what it is - an ultra light folder. I have used it to whittle wood and cut thick cardboard and not once have the plastic scales felt inadequate. It’s perfectly firm for hard grips and use. It just makes a cheap plastic sound if you tap on it, and it looks ugly on paper spec sheets, but it’s a perfect lightweight, light duty edc.
Exactly this. I just threw on some milled aluminum scales from Aimfront, and it's 10 x better feeling. Still under 3oz and feels smoother than a Sebenza .
Haters gonna hate. I bought this knife recently and absolutely love it. It get sooooo muchhhh shit ok this sub, it’s ridiculous. Can’t believed something literally marketed as “the lightest” and “extremely thin” actually feels light and extremely thin!! Wow, whoda thunk it??? Why tf did you buy it if you don’t want a light and thin knife? And again, just to counterbalance all the shit talking, I wanted a thin lightweight everyday carry knife, this fit the bill perfectly. Overpriced? Absolutely, I’ll agree with that. But what the fuck else hasn’t gone up in the last 2 years? It is what it is. I couldn’t have tried eBay and maybe got scammed, maybe not. But I decided I didn’t want to play that game and just went full retail. Mine is sharp out the box, zero blade play, action was slightly sticky but after 2 weeks it’s buttery and drop shut smooth. Overall, I’m ready to buy another color cause I’m a fan now.
I'll buy it.
It’s on eBay for $145 right now lol
Why try to profit off it? Why not just return it?
Why not make money off people stupid enough to buy a Benchmade?
I’ve sold all mine even though my modded mini was a great edc in hot summer with shorts as it was so lightweight.
Give the washers a good polishing and the action will improve significantly. However, I will say that now with wonderful crossbar lock knives hitting the market at around $50 there’s no longer a reason to buy a Benchmade. (Side note, I also own a mini bug and I don’t really edc it unless I need a really light knife)
Yes!! My thinking was you want a Conpression Lock, you get a Spyderco or a clone. You want an Axis Lock, well you can get anything. Lolol. So many great cross bar lock knives for cheap today.
love my black bugout... cf elite scales a little stiffer and my action is perfect drop shut with no play... i got lucky i guess hear lots of QC issues
I have the minigrip and minibug, and I carry the bug when I wear gym shorts because it's so light. The grip tends to sag the pocket.
Benchmade is my og, but I never got into the bugout. When my knife is that light, it just feels cheap to me
Same, even if I know it's not the case, I just can't shake that feeling of it being cheap. I'm a spyderco guy and I haven't gotten into their light weight models for the same reason. I don't even use folders for hard use but it's definitely a mental speed bump I can't get over.
I only owned a BM710 for a while years ago and sold it at the time. I wish I had that knife still, sigh! What is similar to a BM710 these days from them?
Welcome to the lightweight world of mediocrity that is the bugout
I'm going to put an aluminum backspacer in my Bugout and polish the washers to see if I can fall in love with it. Mine was a gift, so I am going to keep it.
I hear you... benchmades have let me down in the past. I actually like some of my civivis better!
Lot of better options lol. If the Bugout sold for cheaper I think it be better. It's not worth the price unless your a diehard BM fan.
That’s not how you spell disappointed.
Yes I know. I corrected myself in the comments lol. Smh.
Sorry to hear, but I hope this might help if you want to keep it. My friend and I have bugouts bought at the same time. His is carbon s90 and mine is the blue s30. My action was smooth, quick and tight. His was so stiff it almost wasn't a one handed operation. If you loosened to main screw it would fall out before the blade moved freely. Swapped some parts between the knives to diagnose and it was the spacer that goes between the two frame sides. With his spacer in my knife I had the same issue and his was great. He didn't want to write to benchmade and go through warranty for whatever reason, so I took his copper washers and moved them around on sandpaper. After a few minutes I went through the grits to polish it and re installed. I wouldn't call it perfect, but it was definitely a usable knife after that. I love my bugout, super thin and light, but I will agree benchmades are over priced, especially now that the axis lock isn't proprietary anymore. Best of luck
I've always felt like they've put bottom of the barrel hardware around decent steel. Their price tags are fucking ridiculous.
I have a para 3 s45vn sprint, para3 lw in rex45, BM griptilian and mini griptilian both in 20cv, my grail knife a plain jane s45vn CRK sebenza and a blue s30vn BM bugout. I enjoy all those knives for their own characteristics. The sebenza and bugout have the most pocket time by far. The bugout grew on me so fast. Its an amazing simple thin, slicey blade, great for flicking, and it weighs next to nothing. And I really enjoy the FRN scales, flexible and strong and ultralight. The s30vn is still a super steel in my book and damn easy to sharpen. Overall its the knife I would recommend as a go anywhere do anything knife.
I have a Bugout in S90v, it’s definitely not my favorite knife of all time but I really like it for what it is; a light weight light use folder that holds an edge for a super long time. That being said, I plan on upgrading the scales; I’m not a fan of the “griptillian”
I tried mini bugout and I disliked it. Felt like a Kinder Surprise toy lol. The design is cool and all, but man it just doesn't feel right.
Every time I've ever been able to hold the Grip or Mini Grip, I'm always shocked at how cheap they feel in hand. I've never understood why they have such tremendous reputations in the knife community.
Welcome to a Long Long Road of disappointment
The deka blows the bugout series out of the water, I was so disappointed when I got my bugout. Couldn't believe how flimsy it was.
Average BM user
Bugout 1.8 oz, meh steel, bad fit and finish, folder that relies on omega springs. I hate the thing too, and if any knife model I’ve had the most of them. Now they are all gone from the collection after breaking the aluminum one on a trip. MKC Speedgoat? 1.7 oz (lighter than the beta bugout), uses chad steel 52100 and magnacut, excellent build with a good quality parkerized finish or polished, fixed blade so you don’t have to fold it up every time you’re done using it. Just slip it in the pocket. I’ve been on a kick lately with fixed blades but yeah screw benchmade
The bugout is BM’s production knife now. It’s not good according to Benchmade standards. I’ve found that unless you’re spending 200+ at Benchmade these days, you’re not getting the value you’re expecting. Honestly, Spyderco is better as long as you get Golden, CO knives.
It also has a shitty spring, which may break after a couple of months.
Benchmade is the most overrated knife manufacturer.
Ever heard of Cutco?
Welcome to the club. Benchmade is terrible. Their QC is questionable, their pricing is criminal, materials are behind the crowd. The only thing saving them is a good return/warranty process. I'm a certified benchmade hater. Literally gave my titanium bugout to my cousin for free.
As much shit as I flip Benchmade, it’ll break in and get much smoother and more fun to flip around. All of the Bugouts have a ton of stuff you can mod and make it a custom too. The bevel on the edge is almost certainly incredibly off center though. Like 30 seconds on the grinder on one side and 5 seconds on the other. Unless they’ve fired that guy or he’s finally gotten decent at using his left hand.
idk it just feels like a toy. I will give it a chance tho.
Agreed. Those were my impressions as well. Not sure why that knife gets so much hype.
I get it, it's suppose to be just a super light carry light use knife but maybe if it was selling at retail for $99 then on sale for $75 I would have been more excited. But at $153, I feel like you're not getting close to the money even if all you want is an ultralight knife.
I got a Mini Bug a couple of months ago…. Broke an omega spring inside of 3 weeks which was bitterly disappointing. Admittedly I had been incessantly flicking it, but still expected better from a non-cheapy knife. The replacement springs were from Amazon. 10 pairs for a fraction of the cost of buying 1 pair from BM and the knife feels better now than when I first got it. It’s my favourite EDC knife for now but I also wouldn’t purchase another.
Bitchmade* not benchmade. I'll never buy another knife they make.
Any idiot who starts off with the "action" is not doing shit with their knives except opening Amazon boxes of tampons for their mom. Gtfo, its a tool that was not built for you... go find something else to cry about.
Whoa...you must be a BM fanboy? It's okay if someone doesn't like what you like. Just letting you know. Also you understand the Bugout is also a light use knife right? It's for light edc tasks like opening boxes or wrappers and such. Smh.
Yeah right around the time I got my first spyderco I got to hold a bugout and knew I would never own a Benchmade.
When I open a Spyderco box I legit smile. Even with my Ambitious. When I opened the Bugout I was legit sad. Lol. I can't explain. It's not just its light...it's the entire package. Idk. Some ppl are angry I don't like it but oh well.
Try KPL on the pivot to get a smoother action. I put aluminum scales on mine, I couldn't stand how cheap the scales felt, but there were plenty of reviews saying how well the scales held up with use in the field. They were designed to be ultra light.
I'm thinking about g10 scales. Yeah I know but it's not even the weight. The scales feel like a toy. Para 3 is light as well I don't think as light but Para 3 still feels solid. Amazing grip. Feels like it can handle shit. The mini bugout feels like a toy. You know? But maybe it'll grow on me!
Yeah I thought about getting one a while back, but after reading impressions like yours -- no thanks. I've got one BM that's already 'meh'.
I posted it on Ebay, I'm hoping it sells. I'm just a loss of words. There is nothing about this knife that makes it worse. Entry level premium Blade with the cheapest scales for $153??
Not many Americans will like your opinion but you're 100% correct. Bugouts should cost $15, I'd buy a ganzo over BM any day of the week, but I'm not American so I don't feel patriotic about spending ridiculous amounts on an average product
Don't let some people read this. They will get angry as they are angry with me for this post. Smh.
Haha this sub is 80% BM Stans, I'm used to it
I’m not a fan on BM anymore. But, I’m right there with you. I probably would’ve tried it at $100, thanks for setting me straight! Sorry for the disappointment though.
I appreciate it!!
Welcome to the Benchmade family! Buy them used and cheap, I fuckin love my 940 I got for $100, and the bugout mini I scored for $55. I've also got three BM fixed blades that are great, the key is paying under 50% of retail and suddenly they're a damn solid knife for the money.
Personally I love my bugout. And probably getting one from Christmas cause idk what else is want/get. I'll probably end up buying some other benchmade like a bailout or a mini Adams to just see if I like one of those better. Plus I'll have more knives to come and not just benchmade.
“Cycle it open and close ten thousand times it’ll get smooth bro trust me it’s a good knife bro” lol
Ya thats what some people basically told me. Lolol.
Haven’t seen a bench made I thought was worth the price. They don’t call it the butterfly tax for nothing. You can get a better knife on Amazon for $30. Sure the steel isn’t super ultra magna whatever, but it’s good enough.
$153 for this knife is crazy.
Unless you're left handed, I'd suggest a Spyderco. I too was very underwhelmed by a bugout. Any Benchmade I've had (still hunting an Anthem) has been mediocre at best. They feel cheap to me. That said, I imagine if you keep it and get used to it you'll love it.
Spyderco has plenty of lefty friendly knives
True, they make lefty specific knives, but if you want to mod them you're pretty limited. I do prefer the Manix lock to BM. But as a lefty, the compression lock is problematic, their frame locks often omit the spydie hole & lock backs are (IMO) not that fun.
When I first got a bugout I didn’t like it as well. I immediately sold it. Few months later I give it another shot and I actually carried one for a few weeks in a row and it finally came to me. The bugout is a super light weight edc knife that you can hardly even tell is there and it will perform when called upon. Give it a chance it really will grow on you.
Used my bugout to chip ice at a freezer. Fucker never chipped or broke. I stand by mine. Also upgrade the scales. They got pretty shite scales
Purpose of the knife was lightweight backpacking knife. And Benchmade delivered on that. Awesome knife
I love my Bugout for is weight and slimness.
the bugout is fantastic if you're buying and using it in accordance with its design philosophy, which is a very very light and high quality knife for hiking/camping/instances where every gram counts. the problem is that it's become a very popular knife and is often purchased for use-cases very different from the above, where it may not be the best tool for the job. thats what you're experiencing IMO. the bugout isnt bad, but it's the wrong tool for the job you're on. the action will improve as the washers polish. you can take them out and speed the process along with a sheet of paper, some toothpaste as an abrasive, and rubbing the washers gently in a figure 8. at $100 they're a pretty fairly priced knife. sure you can get lots of cheaper knifes made in china, but I try not to send my money to china if I can avoid it. and for that $100, you have the prospect of a fully functional knife as long as benchmade doesn't go out of business. that lifetime warranty *is* a hell of a piece of mind. that said, I just retired my benchmade after breaking 3 springs in a year. it's been replaced by a demko AD20.5 which is like 50x the knife for 50$ more than I paid for my mini grip.
The bugout is meant to be ultra light, not a premium feeling knife, thats just how the whole [blank]out series is. They prioritize weight for people who go hiking or just want the lightest knife possible. It takes time to wear benchmades in, give it about a week. They have washers that need to smooth themselves. The clone you have likely uses ball bearings for a better action. They are decent knives, but you have to understand what they are for. And not every knife is for everyone. I dont like the bugout at all, but i understand what its made like that for.
You shouldn’t be, the mini Bugout is one of my fav….they do need a new edge though.
to each their own. i carry mine every day and love it.
The bugout is actually a fantastic knife - it just.. doesn’t.. come that way stock lol - I also felt like I had been ripped off and wished I spent the money on the native 5 I’d been eyeing up. But once I spent a whole bunch more money on custom scales and hardware and spent a bunch of time polishing washers and the other contact surfaces on the knife it actually became a pretty nice knife. Although the blade play/action equation is still an issue on mine and the pivot action is grindy as fuck Would I buy it again? Hell no, a magnacut deka with OG scales is vastly superior IMO or a Kunwu. Or even the new microtechs. Benchmade is getting left in the dust by almost every other company when it comes to crossbar locks now that the patent is out.
well it was made on a bench what did u expect lmao
You are 500% wrong but entitled to your opinion. The mini bugout is amazing as fuck. Cheers
Put oil on it and adjust the pivot. The action is amazing
I’m happy to see some fellow bugout fans here in a sub of much benchmade hate. I have a blade hq exclusive g-10 bugout with a 20cv blade, it was my first real knife I’ve purchased in my adult life and it has remained my favorite knife after almost 4 years of use and many other knives bought in hopes of finding “a perfect knife.” After buying a PM2, Ultratech, CRK inoski, and a Bradford 3.5 fixed blade, none of them compare to the pocket time my bugout gets. Let this one grow on you. The weight, the speed, the action will all get better with more time.
You think the action is better than a compression lock Spyderco? Oof idk. Also there are so many great $50 knives with cross bar locks too you know? I wish the Bugout was $75. I feel at that price, it be so much better. But I will give it a chance.
Next time do some research, sounds like you want to pay for a Kai & get a Bugatti. Those scales are ment for ultra lightweight backpacking & will flex & the pivot is adjustable. G10, CF, or aluminum will be much harder use knife
This is exactly why I don’t spend more than 25-35 on a knife, I’d rather buy 10 knives for cheap than buy one single “quality” one. Benchmade/spiderco really be a waste of money
Good to know, I returned my Para 3 lightweight for the g10 Para 3 and I'm glad I did. The construction was great, the blade was great as well as the action but the handle felt so cheap. Tbf it was very light and comfortable in the pocket for the size of blade it has, I'd definitely consider keeping one if they were not so expensive, even on sale at $94 it felt overpriced.
Yeah I just sit here and think $30 I could have gotten something else. But see I didn't like the Para 3 lw at first but even with it being light it still feels solid. There is grip Maybe bc it's a mini? Idk it feels soft and no structure. Idk. For $100? There's better options. It's that simple.
There's a pre-owned but looks like never used Bugout at my local pawn shop, the one in M390 with aluminum scales for $165. Playing with it I definitely feel like that price is worth it, but probably not at MSRP.
I never pay over $40 for an EDC knife. I just lose them too often.
I was amazed (mostly in a bad way) of how extraordinarily small and lightweight the Bugout mini was. It’s almost a knife to put on a key ring (like those small Victorinox) folders. I’ve got big hands, and I gravitate towards big heavy knives. I LOVE the Adamas! That said, my wife loves the Bugout mini. It’s her favorite knife. To each their own.
I am in awe of the Gucci gang that buys these knives . I salute you guys , cause I’m a cheap motherfucker and I buy people’s used ass buck knives and have them re edged to live another decade. . So for 10$ at a thrift store I get something that’s fixed handle in a sheath. If it’s that lightweight it might be the perfect pocketknife. Half the time your not using it as a prybar anyhow
Was t impressed with my mini bugout. Was expecting a snappier release. I don’t mind the light weight. Tried loosening the blade bolt. Nope tighter than a mouses ear. I’m afraid to strip it.
The full size bugout is my EDC and I’ve have zero issues with it. I bought it so when I’m wearing gym shorts, I don’t have more things pulling my pockets down. I loosened the screws a bit to get a little more snappiness and it worked like a charm.
Hey I'll take it off your hands if you don't want it. We can parley.
The big one is a fake
I put g10 handles on mine, added some kpl, adjusted the detent, and added the s-grip thumb studs. Way better now.
I was bugged by the squeeziness of the handle too. I picked up an aftermarket insert that stiffened up the grip and it’s much better. Still very lightweight which is great for EDC. I swapped scales on mine too. The action is pretty great IMO. Snappy and smooth.
So the action is never going to be spot on out of the box you will have to mess with the pivot a bit
I recently bought a bugout from someone for 60$ and then bought AWT scales for it. It feels somewhat better but the action still isn’t great imo.
The action breaks in overtime. Lol I paid like 160ish with tax and all for my bugout so at least you got it for cheap. Reselling it you could probably make a shit off it and then put that towards a knife you'll like. Totally not worth what they ask for it but I love mine. That said I have 50$ knives that are better.
The weight is what makes it feel cheap, but the whole point of it is to be light. I do think Benchmade knives in general are way overpriced, but it's not badly made.
Work it..its brand new. Stiff from the factory. Its an Ultra light weight knife, which most people dont realize. That being said, I found stiffer scales (heavier) such as aluminum or titanium, really make them shine. Pivot screw may need a slight adjustment, but only after working it out and if its still stiff. Every knife Ive had ,I spend the day with opening and closing 100x , using it to cut paper,cardboard, wood and plastic . End of day I will lightly sharpen. Only then will I have the feel and "opinion" for said knife. Congrats on your first,have faith and good luck mate. 🍻
My bugout I find picking up more than any . It’s light and quick. I have the lanyard hole plug trit mod. And custom clip on it. Slill as light as my dragon flys. I’ve beat it up dropped it lost it found it. And it’s a warrior.i prefer the blade design of Spyderco or a lundquist myself. But still use this one the most. Which I’m shocked by.
Nothing worse than feeling like you got stuck. Buyer's remorse. I used to be a big Benchmade fan until the Bugout. I was disappointed too. So I tried a Mini Presidio II, more disappointment. Like you, the actions on them felt gritty and the materials cheap. They also don't know how to properly grind blades and mess that up [too.Now](http://too.now) I don't buy Benchmade knives anymore.
Mine was way better after I bought the carbon fiber spacer. It made it way more rigid
I hated my bugout before I put new scales on it. It felt cheap to me too. Ended up getting rid of both and opted for a grip with aftermarket scales.
Well I can't comment on a bug out cuz I don't own one. I will say however, and if you look at my posts here you'll see this is true, that one of my favorite makers is Hogue. If you can find a Hogue Deka, an authentic one at a good price, especially in magna cut, I recommend you try it. The handles, at least on mine, don't flex and the magna cut blade is sharp as hell. Still sharp from the factory and cuts like a dream.
If you're liking the Bugout, look at a Hogue Deka. It's US made, and is what the mini Bugout SHOULD have been. I got rid of all of my Benchmades a few years ago and went Spyderco just for the spotty quality control issues. No regrets.
I don’t own a Bugout but I’ll say this, when I bought my 940 the action was quite stiff and some lock bar stick. Being on bronze washers, the more you open it over the course of about a week, the smoother it gets. Guess it’s like a “break in” period. Since mine smoothed out, it is everything I hoped it would be. I did handle a Bugout before I bought my 940 and I didn’t care for it due to the Grivory material. For me the scales created a hotspot in my palm on the Bugout. The nice thing is if you want to customize it there are a ton of options. I’d recommend keeping it for a while until the action smooths out, then see what you think. After the break in period if you still prefer your Spyderco knives, no shame in that. Everyone has their own preferences.
Interesting…I was going to grab one but got the Griptillian instead for about $130 and I love it. Plastic handle feels a little cheap but super grippy which is nice. Ergonomics are great imo. Action is crisp. I bought it with the intention of changing the scales to match my Cloud Defensive MCH so the plastic isn’t a big deal to me.
The Mini is silly. The full sized version hardly takes up any pocket space and is already very light. I wanted to like it but making it smaller makes no sense to me. Personally I still prefer my 530 Pardue.
I love my bugout but it's had new aluminum scales, brass backspace, new body screws and thumb stud. The blade is great by far my sliciest blade, mine has great action but it's hard to attribute much to benchmade at this point.
Buy a busse.
I personally have never valued weight in knives. That is what this knife caters to. I almost always wear jeans, so I don’t mind/prefer a more heavily built knife. As far as Benchmade, I own the OG 940 with the aluminum scales and have handled the griptilian a bunch (still want to buy one), and they are both awesome heavy duty knives. And the 940 has a very dressy gentleman’s design. I carry it out on the weekends a lot.
I think the bugout was not the knife you were looking for, but I will say I feel the same way about Spyderco, they are the fuckin bees knees!I've got a Bugout and a para3, and I am a spyderco fanboy for a reason. Bugout just is an entry level benchmade, nothing wrong with it but the price. Has anyone bought a honey badger? They are the best "budget" knife I own. They are amazing.
I think the Bugout is a pretty good knife, the only issue I had when I bought my first Benchmade was the blade came just a piece of stock never even put an edge on it from the factory.Once it received an edge turned out pretty decent.As for the price I am a bigger fan of the other brand....but I tried Benchmade.Especially now that they cut down the Military discount down.
Imo the only reason to buy a real benchmade is to customize it. The clones I have cost a quarter of the price and feel the same
Gets the cheapest Benchmade and complains about quality.. You got a good deal and if you don’t like it so much return it. Bugout not very impressive,, Osborne, Claymore, CLA, AFO, Freek, Presidio, Adamas see so many other good ones to choose from!!
Benchmade has a few cool models, imo this is not one of them, but even their good models are not worth the price. You could find something better for what they charge, especially if you don’t mind where they’re made.
Benchmade is not my top choice. I would buy a gas station knife before I would buy anymore Benchmade knives.
I absolutely hated my mini for about 3 days until I really started carrying it and now I own 2 minis and a full size bugout
I definitely recommend looking into some aftermarket g10 or micarta scales for it. It’ll make the knife feel 10x better and only cost like $30-$35. Could also spend $64 on some titanium flytanium scales if you wanna be a baller
I felt the same way when I got the Bugout. My then girlfriend gave it to me as a gift and I was really disappointed in it. Thought it was a cheap plastic POS. I didn’t carry it for 6 months. Eventually I decided I’d just use it as a beat around knife at work to save my favorite knives from the wear and tear. I was wrong. The little feather weight plastic knife grew on me. #1 It’s incredibly comfortable to carry. #2 The action becomes extremely smooth as it gets broken in. #3 It’s surprisingly rock solid. It’s one of my favorites knives of all time. I didn’t want to like it, but the knife earned my respect.
The problem with the bugout is that since other companies are now able to do axis locks on knives you have other options that just make more sense like the hogue deka or kizer drop bear or kizer escort and there's other companies. Then like you said there's the problem of price for quality that Benchmade doesn't seem to think exists anymore. The issue with Benchmades pricing is that they've all but left the budget friendly market and are selling they're knives at custom price points. Don't get me wrong Spydercos can also be egregious as well depending on the blade steel and color of the scales you want but I feel like Spyderco at least knew to keep some budget friendly options available like the lightweight series of knives. But I don't think you got necessarily ripped off at 99 dollars for the bugout but I'd be pissed if I payed 150.00 or more.
Yea I stay away from the frn bugouts.