Benchmade 535-3 Carbon Fiber Bugout Knife
Spec'd with a milled carbon fiber handle, S90V super steel blade and signature blue highlights, the Benchmade 535-3 Carbon Fiber Bugout knife is a premium, ultralight everyday carry (EDC) folder.
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- Manual AXIS® lock folding mechanism
- Drop-point CPM-S90V premium stainless-steel (59-61 HRC) blade with a satin finish
- Carbon fiber handle scales with a blue-anodized aluminum backspacer/lanyard hole
- Reversible mini deep-carry clip
- Comes with a black microfiber bag with cord and closer toggle
- Covered by the Benchmade limited lifetime warranty and LifeSharpâ„¢ services; contact Benchmade for details
Made in USA.
View the Benchmade Bugout Product LineView all Benchmade Pocket Knives| Best Use | Camping |
|---|---|
| Knife Blade Type | Straight Edge |
| Locking Blade | Yes |
| Number of Blades | 1 Blade |
| Max Blade Length (in.) | 3.24 inches |
| Closed Length | 4.22 inches |
| One-Handed Opening | Yes |
| Handle Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Blade Construction | CPM-S90V stainless steel |
| Lanyard Ring | Yes |
| Dimensions | 7.46 x 0.41 inches |
| Weight | 2.02 ounces |
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Terrible action after 4 months, 2 broken omega spr
Since day 1 the knife had stiff action. I loosened, tightened, oiled, cleaned, took apart, flipped washers, and still stiff action after 4 months of playing with all day everyday. Customer service was 0 help. The grind on blade is way off, its like 70/30 on each side. After a month of constantly opening and closing it one of the omega springs broke. I replaced it and not even a week later the other omega spring broke(I assume bad heat treatment on the pair of springs). For 300$ and terrible customer service, you can do better.
Bench made 535-3 is the real deal!
Top notch knife in every way! Lightweight, Feels good and strong in hand, and cuts superbly!
S90v FTW
Great knife, I like this much more than my Osbourne for edc. Not only is this knife thinner than the Osbourne but it has a much more useful blade profile. The slimmer but taller handle really helps you get a secure grip and feels less likely to slip in your hand, boosting your confidence and hopefully lessening the chance to injure yourself. The ~$100 price difference is worth it over the standard Bugout, better steel and handles that are significantly stronger and better looking, the plastic scales are very flexible. Oh, the carbon fiber scales with the blue accents makes for a beautiful looking knife.
Quality Issues
I was excited to get my first expensive folding pocket knife, but I was left disappointed with this one. It's a beautiful knife for sure. The blade was unfortunately off-center (favored the clip side). The blade was not factory-sharpened properly. You could feel one side had a slight rolled over edge. The action on the folding was VERY stiff and did not operate how I've seen all other Bugouts operate (they are supposed to fall-shut or at the most require a very slight flick of wrist). For it being the most expensive Bugout, it was really a letdown to see these issues. About 1-2 weeks after I purchased, one of the axis lock springs broke! That was the final strike for me and I returned to REI. I have to give it to REI for making the return so easy. I wanted to give Benchmade another shot (since they make in my opinion the best looking knives and I thought this purchase may have been a fluke), and I purchased the aluminum Bugout from REI. I decided to go with a different model in case the carbon fiber model has QC issues. The initial quality issues are not present with the aluminum Bugout. The blade is very close to centered, blade is sharp, and the action was perfect out of the box. I'm much more pleased with the aluminum Bugout (it feels much more solid and substantial in the hand too). After handling both, the aluminum model is definitely more attractive to me now as well. I'm wondering if the axis lock springs will hold up. We shall see.
Great quality that matches the price
Super high quality, great fit and finish.
EDC, not a work horse
I've had this knife for a lot of years, it's great. It fit in your pocket super nice. Should you use it to open boxes, or gut a deer, sure but why? I have $8 Mora's to do box work and other cheap fix blade work. If I'm in the field, I do have two other Benchmades that are also fixed blade and have specific tasks that work especially well, having said that, a cheap set up with a razor blade is one my go to for gutting deer. Back to the point, this is a EDC, it's for when you would like a knife and then you have one.
Pricy but love it
This is pretty much everything that I wanted in a hiking pocket knife and EDC. Is is super light, very sturdy, looks great, and is razor sharp. I don’t feel it in my pocket at all, the slim profile is amazing. There is no doubt it is over priced, I wanted to spend about $180 but picked this up on sale for about $220. Despite other reviews I ordered it online and it was perfect; zero flaws with grind etc.. The color of the two blue parts are different only in that the finish is different; gloss vs matt due to the part. I definitely recommend this when you find it on sale.
High quality
Best edc knife, lightweight, high quality steel. If money is not an issue then you wont be disappointed in adding this to your collection.
Terrible Quality Control
I have another version of the bugout that is flawless. This 535-3 is just awful especially for the price. The action is extremely gritty and stiff even after breaking it in and taking it apart and cleaning it. The grind is also extremely uneven. The tip looks completely lopsided and you can tell one side of the grind is very shallow. For a $255 knife, these are some pretty glaring quality control issues. I would say pass on this version of the bugout until they can put out some better quality
my favorite knife just got better
Revived this knife as a gift. I carried a standard bugout for awhile it replaced the other folding knives I used it’s so light and slim you forget it’s there till you need it. This bugout with the carbon fiber scales and the S90V blade is a really nice upgrade. The carbon fiber is top quality and the color combination is awesome the blue accents really make the knife pleasing to look at. This is about best bugout you can buy. If you have the money in the budget and looking at a bugout this one will not disappoint but then again the standard model will not let you down either. As far as Benchmade as a company goes I’ve never had any problems with them and their customer service is one of the best I’ve ever dealt with. Bottom line if you buy this bugout or the standard one you just bought a knife that will last a lifetime.