Since its debut in 2017, EDCers have been bugging out over how good of an EDC knife Benchmade’s Bugout 535 proved itself to be. It was even voted as the most popular EDC knife of 2018 with our own readers—an especially impressive feat considering the outdoors-inspired, ultralight 535 wasn’t originally intended for EDC. Benchmade’s new Bailout 537, on the other hand, is. It builds upon the Bugout’s winning formula with a few tweaks and improvements to make it better serve as a tactical EDC. The result is a slim and light folder that’s tougher, more discreet, and perfectly dialed for urban daily carry.
Similar to the Bugout, the Bailout 537 sports a slim silhouette that’s low-profile enough for a tactical EDC. It tacks on a few grams over the ultralight Bugout, measuring at 0.4” thick, 4.7” closed, and 2.05 oz total, but for good reason. The added length offers a better grip for hard use while remaining fairly pocket friendly and lightweight. Other changes to the handle include a flare guard for a more secure grip during hard use and piercing tasks. Its lightweight Grivory handles now come in a discreet, tactical black as opposed to the Bugout’s high-vis bright blue, and still offer ample grip with its diamond-shaped texturing. Rounding out the handle is a rear pommel for emergency applications and added carry configurations, made from aluminum for its strength-to-weight ratio.
The Bailout’s blade also measures a touch longer at 3.38”, maximizing cutting edge while keeping as light as possible. A tanto blade shape and serrations at the heel of the blade give it all-round performance for piercing, slicing, and cutting through tough materials. Benchmade equipped the Bailout to handle such hard use with CPM-3V tool steel, an exceptionally tough steel that resists wear and chipping. It’s even finished with tactical grey Cerakote, a durable ceramic coating commonly used on firearms.
The blade deploys quickly via ambidextrous dual thumbstuds and locks with Benchmade’s signature AXIS lock, just like the Bugout and other popular Benchmade EDC knives. And when the Bailout isn’t working hard, it rides inconspicuously in the pocket thanks to its slim profile and reversible tip-up deep carry clip. Its integrated aluminum pommel handle also accommodates a lanyard for more carry options. You can finally get your hands on this made-in-USA tactical follow-up to a recent crowd-favorite from Amazon at the link below.
