Everyday Carry

Benchmade Bailout 537

Authored by:
Bernard Capulong
Benchmade Bailout 537

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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.

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Bernard Capulong

Founder and Editor-in-Chief


About the Author
Bernard Capulong is an everyday carry (EDC) gear expert, entrepreneur, all-around nerd, and the founder and editor-in-chief of EverydayCarry.com—the largest online community for EDC gear enthusiasts. Since founding Everyday Carry in 2009, he’s built over a decade of experience in the industry, reviewing and highlighting brands and products, including pocket knives, flashlights, wallets, watches, bags, pens, and much more.

Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social media.

In addition to being the editor-in-chief and main social media personality for EverydayCarry.com, Bernard is an avid gearhead and collector in general. His personal collections span technical bags, fountain pens, digital cameras, retro gaming hardware, personal hi-fi audio gear, and mechanical wristwatches, to name a few. Bernard Capulong is a prominent figure and trusted authority in the everyday carry industry with a career dedicated to helping people discover this hobby and stay prepared with quality gear.

Discussion (5 total)

33ww ·
"535 wasn't originally intended for EDC"?
How so?
"just like the Bugout and other popular Benchmade EDC knives"?
Bernard Capulong ·
535 was an outdoors-specific knife but its performance and light weight made it popular for general EDC. The second quote was referring to the AXIS lock and dual thumbstuds. Those were found on the Bugout and other Benchmade knives that became popular with EDCers, for example, the Mini Griptilian. Sorry if I wasn't clear.
Goldthunder ·
You are correct, Bernard. 535 originally intended for outdoor use.
Igor Gogolev ·
yea
1 more comments