Shot Show 2020: the newest Benchmade knives

Shot Show 2020, an annual event in Las Vegas. Anyone who has heard of Vegas has heard of the phrase 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas'. This week is a massive exception. At the Shot Show brands and designers show off their newest products and talk about their plans for the future. One of these brands is Benchmade. We stopped by to find out more about what great things they have in store for 2020. Enjoy!

Benchmade started 2020 well with the release of the new Bugout 535BK-2 and Bailout 537GY-1. Not surprising considering the popularity of both knives. The surprising thing, however, was the choice of material. Benchmade didn't simply change the colour. They did a lot more than that! They used a completely new material for the handle! Who would have thought? We also see cool new models such as the Tengu, designed by Jared Oeser, and the new Mini Bugouts. Benchmade's Troy Hellman will tell you more about these new knives in the video below.

Benchmade Bugout 535BK-2 DLC CF-Elite

With the new Bugout 535BK-2 the wish of many Benchmade fans is fulfilled: a completely black Bugout without colour accents. Instead of the matt, black-grey coating we see on the Bugout 535GRY-1 Benchmade used a smoother black DLC coating. The steel remained the same: S30V steel. On this Bugout we also find the new handle material: CF-Elite, instead of grivory. A handle material that is made from polymer reinforced with carbon fibre. A rock-solid material that was originally used in the car and aviation industry. CF-Elite is no less than 50% more solid than grivory and weighs less. Yes, you read it right. It weighs even less.

Benchmade Mini Bugout 533BK-1 and Benchmade Mini Bugout 533

Perhaps the most surprising Benchmade knife for 2020 is the Mini Bugout. The Bugout already isn't a big knife to begin with. This doesn't change the fact, however, that we welcome the Mini Bugout! It is namely the perfect knife for anyone who loves small EDC knives. In terms of materials the Mini Bugout is the same as the standard Bugout. Benchmade starts this collection with a black-white Mini Bugout and an orange Mini Bugout.

Benchmade Tengu 601 Jared Oeser design

The Benchmade Tengu is a unique pocket knife. Designed by world-famous knife maker Jared Oeser who is mostly known for his traditional pocket knives. The Tengu is enhanced with a fancy black-white G10 handle. The contrast is amazing and the knife will look great when combined with a neat outfit. The blade is made from CPM-20CV steel. Like many traditional pocket knives the Tengu is not enhanced with a pocket clip. That is why Benchmade added a neat leather pouch to carry the knife in your pocket.

Benchmade Mini Crooked River 15085-201 Gold Class

Like previous years Benchmade expanded the Gold Class collection for 2020. This is a collection of knives with which Benchmade demonstrates what they are capable of. These knives are enhanced with the most special finishes and materials. The Mini Crooked River 15085-201 is a stunning pocket knife that truly does justice to this collection. The knife is enhanced with a Damasteel blade and a marble carbon fibre handle with a Raffir Noble inlay. Gold-coloured accents adorn the handle and complete the whole. Breathtakingly beautiful!

Benchmade Bailout 537GY-1 Aluminium CPM-M4

With the release of the Bailout 537GY-1 another wish is fulfilled. Namely: a different type of steel on the Bailout. The blade is made from CPM M4 steel with a hardness of 62 HRC. Instead of CPM 3V. A type of tool steel that retains its sharpness well. CPM M4 is also tough and, when compared to other types of super steel, relatively easy to sharpen. The only thing you need to pay attention to is rust: CPM M4 isn't corrosion resistant. To counterbalance this, Benchmade enhanced the blade with a grey Cerakote coating. The handle was also updated. It is made from top-quality aluminium instead of grivory. The result is a more solid, less flexible handle. Benchmade enhanced the scales with a diamond pattern for additional grip and a green anodized finish for a little extra flair. But that is not all! Benchmade even added a glass breaker to the backspacer.

We hope to have all new products in stock as soon as possible. In the meantime we will be posting multiple topics about our 2020 Shot Show experiences and the newest products. Stay tuned!

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