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Head-to-head · Best EDC Pocket Knives

Benchmade Bugout 535 vs Kershaw Leek 1660

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Benchmade Bugout 535 comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.2 vs 4.1). The gap is mostly about Minimalists who want a full-size blade they never feel in the pocket, for slicing rather than abuse. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Benchmade Bugout 535
Higher ratedRanked #3 in Best EDC Pocket Knives
Benchmade Bugout 535
3 sources2 derived$174.99as of Aug 1

The Benchmade Bugout 535 is the ultralight benchmark for everyday carry: a 3.24-inch CPM-S30V drop point on a Grivory handle for a total of 1.85 ounces. KnifeInformer scored it 82 out of 100 and OutdoorGearLab 78 out of 100, both praising how cleanly the thin blade slices and both warning it is not a hard-use tool. The polymer handle flexes, and that is the trade.

Strengths
  • — 1.85 oz with a full-size 3.24-inch blade
  • — CPM-S30V arrives sharp, slices cleanly and comes back easily on a strop
  • — AXIS lock is ambidextrous and disengages with either hand
Watch-outs
  • — The Grivory handle flexes under hard pressure and is not built for chiseling or prying
  • — Feels almost too light at first, which makes some owners distrust it
  • — The small pocket clip is less secure than a full-size clip
$174.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Kershaw Leek 1660
Ranked #4 in Best EDC Pocket Knives
Kershaw Leek 1660
3 sourcesall derived$74as of Jul 30

The Kershaw Leek 1660 is a Ken Onion design that has sold in huge numbers for two decades and still defines the slim, dressy assisted flipper. Its 3-inch Sandvik 14C28N blade rides Kershaw's SpeedSafe assist in a 4-inch closed, 3 oz package that disappears into a pocket. KnifeInformer scored it 79%, praising the slicing geometry and the price-to-performance while flagging the knife's one universal weakness: a needle tip fragile enough that owners report snapping it. It is the most elegant and affordable knife here, well suited to light office and EDC tasks, but that delicate point keeps it out of hard-use territory.

Strengths
  • — SpeedSafe assisted opening flips the slim blade open fast and one-handed
  • — Sandvik 14C28N blade offers an excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • — Very thin slicing geometry bites into cardboard and packaging with ease
Watch-outs
  • — The needle tip is notoriously fragile and can snap off under modest side load
  • — Edge can roll, so the blade needs care during tougher cutting
  • — All-steel handle is slipperier than G-10 in wet conditions
$74 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Benchmade Bugout 535

At 1.85 oz the Bugout is the lightest knife here, well under the Knafs Lander 2's 2.9 oz and the Spyderco Para Military 2's 3.9 oz. It slices as cleanly as the Para Military 2 thanks to a similarly thin grind, but its Grivory handle flexes where the Para Military 2's G-10 stays rigid. The CIVIVI Yonder offers similar light carry for far less money with a crossbar lock.

Kershaw Leek 1660

The Kershaw Leek 1660 is the slimmest, dressiest knife in this group and the only one with spring-assisted SpeedSafe deployment. Like the CIVIVI Yonder it uses budget-friendly 14C28N steel, trailing the Benchmade Bugout 535's CPM-S30V and the Knafs Lander 2's S35VN. Its needle tip is far more delicate than the Spyderco Para Military 2's already-thin point, so it is the least suited here to anything beyond light cutting.

Specs side-by-side

SpecBenchmade Bugout 535Kershaw Leek 1660
Blade SteelCPM-S30VSandvik 14C28N
Blade Length3.24 in3.0 in
Overall Length7.46 in—
Weight1.85 oz3.0 oz
Lock TypeAXIS lockFrame lock
Handle MaterialGrivory410 stainless steel
Blade ShapeDrop point—
WarrantyLifeSharp lifetime service—
Closed Length—4.0 in
Deployment—SpeedSafe assisted flipper
Designer—Ken Onion
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