Introducing The 535 Bugout

gunmike1 said:
I got mine in. Perfect centering and lock up, though I had slightly loosen the pivot a tad to get it to move a little more freely when the lock is released. I didn't loosen it enough to be a free swinger, just enough so it doesn't take undue force to get it to move with less effort.

The edge is .020" thick at the top of the bevel, and it's about 13-14 degrees per side. Not bad, but I will probably end up thinning it out more. Either way it should slice great for a factory knife with that geometry and thin blade stock. It is sharp enough to pop some hairs on my arm, and the grind lines look very even. No recurves or other funky stuff like I've seen posted about lately.

The handle is just large enough for me to fit my whole hand on there by keeping my fingers close together. The ergos aren't great, but they certainly aren't bad at all, especially for a knife that prioritizes slimness and lightness. The handles will now in a bit if you squeeze them, and maybe another stand off in the middle of the knife would help that, but then again it would cost weight. The clip is great for low riding the knife in your pockets, with good retention. The knife works perfectly clipped to my gym shorts and gym pants, as I hoped.

I'll have to do some cutting with it to get a real feel for it. It should be a very good light duty folder. It will probably be able to handle many tasks, but the handle flex might reduce your confidence for some types of cutting. I'll have to grab some pine and see how it does making some feather sticks. I would rarely use this knife for that, its more of a gym or dress carry knife for me, but it would be good to know it could handle that work without worrying about the handle flex causing any issues with lock stability. I highly doubt there will be any issues with that, though. The inside of the scales may be a little sharp and create hot spots on heavier cuts. I'll have to see later when I actually get to use the knife.
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Could you post pics in hand or similar?
 
I was able to get one in hand today at a local shop. Has a really good feel to it for as small as it is (I usually like larger knives). The clip was good too. I had doubts at first since it is so short, but now I realize it just helps it stand out less. The real surprise for me was the weight. This little guy made my Spyderco pacific feel like a boat anchor! If I had to nitpick something I'd add some jimping on top of the blade. Overall a cool new knife.
 
When I got back into bicycling some years back I also got into lightweight, slim knives so this one is really interesting to me.
 
RamZar said:
Nice deep carry pocket clip!

At $114.75 it's somewhat pricey for S30V considering the U.S.-made Native5 Lightweight with S35VN is just $86.37!
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10 times better warranty as well , not to mention a faster lock , more blade length .
 
I like this knife, reminds me of a folding Rant Bowie. I'm going to pick one up, but I want to check out the Freek first.
 
I've always wanted to like the 530 and 531 but the shape of the butt of the handle was always uncomfortable for me and my 530 lives in a box and never sees the light of day.

This 535 really appeals to me - in my preferred blade length range, thin stock, high grind and the butt of the handle is better for me.

Can anyone that has both post a photo of a Bugout with an Amicus / Arcane? I'm thinking this could be my lightweight, unassisted Arcane!
 
Was interested until I realized the handle was squishy. On a $20 Ka Bar Dozier: sure. On a $115 BM w/S30v and an Axis Lock??? Uhm....not so much. Hey, I'm sure it will work fine, but I can't abide the scales. Pity. Maybe they will come out with a G10 version a la the 531 or even an FRN scaled version...but with the 535 handle profile. The 531 is a looker, for sure, but not the most ergonomic. The 535 looks like it will fit most hands nicely.
 
Bigbluefish said:
Was interested until I realized the handle was squishy. On a $20 Ka Bar Dozier: sure. On a $115 BM w/S30v and an Axis Lock??? Uhm....not so much. Hey, I'm sure it will work fine, but I can't abide the scales. Pity. Maybe they will come out with a G10 version a la the 531 or even an FRN scaled version...but with the 535 handle profile. The 531 is a looker, for sure, but not the most ergonomic. The 535 looks like it will fit most hands nicely.
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These handles are FRN, AKA Glass Filled Nylon.
 
jkarp_53 said:
Thanks again Jimmy. For a long time painted clips were standard issue, and many of us thought they could've been better. I know I'll take the black oxide versions any time. They really help the look and feel of the overall knife.
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But, the paint is so easy to remove so it can be acid etched & stonewashed! The black oxide takes more effort to remove. I'm lazy and don't want to do too much... ;)

Snoow said:
Sorry but idc about weight... 2 oz aren't going to change my opinion on a knife. I just don't like thin blades, you cant do any hard use with them. How can this knife he classified as "outdoor" and "edc" if you are going to snap the tip and break the blade doing any stabbing or prying? I'm not saying to make the blade super chunky, just something like .12 or .13.
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If you're going to do stabbing and prying, get a fixed blade, not a folder. This knife is not designed for that, but still works just fine as a edc knife. 95% of users don't stab and pry for edc. We cut tape, string, boxes, etc., and might make a feather stick or two...
 
I'll echo what a couple of people have said here, the flex in the scales is something I'd like to hear more from other users about.

This knife caught me completely by surprise, in a great way. I don't use pocket clips (damn you, supple car leather!) and I generally look for knives now that can take an entire day's beating in the same pocket as my keys (the GTO key spares no prisoners, pocket or pocket inhabitant :p). The Bugout seemed to fit the bill nicely, while allowing me to avoid the old man solution of carrying a tired-looking GEC nail-nick knife that all people over 70 seem to prefer.

The lovely plastic/frn scales, actual color(!), and blade shape on the Bugout seemed to be right up my alley until I saw the flex they seem to produce. Is there any way to reduce the flex? Has anyone actually ran into a cutting task that has caused the flex to become a safety/performance issue for them? I would love to read some first hand accounts, especially from folks who don't use the clip.
 
Advanced Knife Bro on Youtube beat this knife up some. Looks like it did pretty good. No accidental closing, no safety issues.

I have couple of FRN Spydercos, no liners, handle flex. No problems at all. Edit: I will say, they are thicker than the handles on this knife, from what I have seen.
 
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I'm handling one of my knives and my grip doesn't seem to be putting significant pressure down on that bottom space of the handle which the guy presses together in his video. This is a lightweight design; doesn't seem like one I'd be bearing down on with all of my might. Will be paying attention to more impressions than that guy's.
 
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