We got a FAKE Benchmade Bugout - Some Differences

We picked up a fake Benchmade Bugout that is surprisingly close to the real thing.
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[@zankelley]

pocket clip was what stood out to me at the very beginning.

[@RayLahey]

Got mine from cabelas and my paperwork is exactly like yours, life sharp on the back, the clip is what gave it away just cuz it looked kinda shiny. Thanks for showing this, good to know.

[@robertdouglas4293]

Thanks for the heads up, mine were purchased a while back, I am good, I had to check, I am good!

[@trulydillon471]

Best video I’ve watched so far. You pointed out so many differences between the two. I actually went and looked at mine after watching this video and no doubt mine is the real deal. Thanks

[@BirdShotIV]

haha glad to hear it 👏

[@davidbaize4825]

Ok, what did I learn from this video?🤔 That I need to take detective Frankie with me to gun and knife shows, to call out the fake knives. Great video y’all!!!! 😁👍

[@o0FranklySpeaking0o]

Its us poor people outside the USA that have to purchase via the net and get scammed.

[@ginom407]

Thank You for this video! Great information on what to look out for. 👍👍👍

[@KenGerathsDuck]

Thanks for the heads up. Another informative video.

[@BirdShotIV]

Thanks Ken

[@PeterC585]

Thank you for the info and Jimi Slash!

[@piercerounds8562]

My first guess was the red one, just based off of color vibrancy, it somehow stood out to me. With that being said, thank god I watched this video out of curiosity while still in my return window on eBay!! I had bought a used blue bugout that ticked every box that this fake did. Saved me from paying too much for a clone! This video Good video showing people what to watch out for at blade shows and spotting fakes bought on places like eBay!

[@khakicampbell6640]

I got a fake on ebay for 19 bucks to see if I'd like it. I'm not very hard on my knives, so it's been great! It's not super strong, or super steel, but it's light and slim, and affordable. Came really sharp! I may get lucky & snag a real one on sale sometime, but their prices have just gotten too high for me now.

[@anthonytuccillo6274]

Mine was like 15 bucks on wish or dh gate or something, got the red one to compare to the real one I have, for the money it's amazing. Mine was super sharp and the action was better than my real one out if the box, obviously its not a benchmade and the scales are too flexible which can be fixed with aftermarket scales. The blade steel isn't s30v or whatever but it's a decent steel and it cuts things, super light and fidgety, all for around 20 bucks or so. Why the hell not lol.

[@rapidsqualor5367]

I just got one from eBay (mailed from China) for $25 and the ad copy said the blade is stamped S30V but the actual material is D2 . The thumb studs are not wide but the pocket clip screw is exposed. The box had no styrofoam liner. Best price I found for a real Blue 535 is $140 and I don't have enough WAF for that.

[@glowindark64]

​@@rapidsqualor5367so are you saying it was worth it? D2 is on higher end of steel, right?

[@rapidsqualor5367]

@@glowindark64 Totally worth it. If your considering a Bugout, try a fake first before you shell out hundreds on the real thing. Same idea if your wanting a Spyderco. D2 holds a edge and is not chippy but it can rust easily. Because D2 is harder it is also harder to sharpen. Most fake Bugouts are 440-SS stainless, softer and a bit more chippy but wont rust easily. It's the steel triangle ; Toughness , Hardness , Corrosion resistance Pick Two Mine was Black coated blade with Black G-10 Crossfade scales and black hardware, about a $40 value. Now I have a real Bugout with S90V, Black G-10 and satin hardware. It was $325

[@MrMushenm]

She is Awesome!!!! Great video and information ❤❤❤

[@EDCandLace]

The ones from Jufule are so good you have to take them apart to tell and even then it isn't apparent.

[@happiknife7716]

Love the channel 👍 great content as always ✌️

[@dpoppen1]

it's pretty crazy how close that looks!!!

[@OreoDave]

Nice educational video. Cheers! 👍

[@Abby_Normal_1969]

Thanks for the info. I remember the video you did on fake Spydercos years ago. It's always good to know what one is looking out for. In fact, the biggest personal change I made was I stopped ordering from Amazon, and order through quality retailers.

[@49giants3]

Yep I got a fake Silent Hero from Amazon. I had my old one to compare it to, but the main giveaway were the plastic handles instead of micarta. Back it went!

[@druidic4353]

@@49giants3 spyderco is overpriced anyway

[@jamesstephenson2346]

​@@druidic4353not really. I hate spyderco knives, but they are priced well for the quality.

[@jax3695]

@@jamesstephenson2346 how can you hate spyderos lmao. They're the most ergonomic cutting tool you can get. I'm gonna guess because they're ugly, which is a ridiculous reason many have for a tool meant for cutting.

[@anthonytuccillo6274]

Super flexible scales, longer thumb studs, and pocket clip screws are the same as the rest of the screws on the fake. The screws on the real pocket clip are longer. Have both and stripped them down completely and inside is near identical. Also the blade shape I'd slightly off and has more belly on the fake and dosent have those lines on the blade that make that fun hologram or record scratching sound. The action on my fake was really good out of the box, for 10-20 bucks it's a great knife to just use and abuse for whatever you don't want to do with your real one.

[@2AEnthusiast]

Great video. This is why I only buy from authorized dealers.

[@danielfuchs9057]

I was definitely deciding between the red and the white one!

[@robertsimon276]

My wife ordered a Benchmade bugout for my birthday from Amazon and she just knew that I wanted the type of knife. It came in and she gave it to me on my birthday and I didn’t tell her but I wasn’t impressed one bit it was a counterfeit. The knife had all the markings came shaving sharp but one of the screws fell out and the axis lock torx screw was a t-9 instead of t-10 and that’s a sure thing it’s a counterfeit! A clone would be like the original but have it’s own name on it! Clone is a name given to knives like that but we know in reality it is a counterfeit! Great video by the way!

[@homersimpson6969]

110.00 for a Bugout? That's a 2017 price. The base model is 144.00 now.

[@dougbrown7150]

Benchmade entire line is over priced imo

[@cvltzilla]

A few years ago i sent a "940" back to the factory figuring I would not get it back. I got it back with a razor edge and a nice new box.

[@thagedorn]

glad I watched this, was about to get 3 for 33 bucks on temu, then you mentioned the steel.

[@zgnu]

Bought a fake off of eBay. Seller had a good rating. He did take it back. Knife had all the signs you pointed out.

[@blacklyte716]

I got a shaft on an ebay purchase, the pivot screw was the giveaway - Benchmade uses T10, the clones use T8 also.

[@kaiyoshisato4697]

I figured out from the something about the Pinot screw that jumped out for me as well as the jimping steel does not match the blade color they usually match those from what i remember. it's usually black for black blades and darkwrs blades where it's usually that saying steel for stonewash and satin blades

[@tylermarch9300]

What stood out from the beginning was that blade coating. Compared to the others it looks like cheap nail polish.

[@kteagle3]

On all the clones I’ve seen the “jimping” on the spine is stainless and not black. My buddy bought a bunch for $12.50/each and gave me an all black one. The biggest difference visually from the authentic is the stainless jimping, imo.

[@eitanschulman7325]

how did you find bugout for 109 on amazon I looked and I couldn't find it

[@robertkain7890]

It was a clone that convinced me to buy my first "premium" knife! I bought a fake Spyderco PM2 on WISH and I was so impressed with how good the fake was that it convinced me to get the real thing! I'd never paid over $100 for a knife, until I bought my REAL KNIFE,! That opened a far greater can of worms than I'd ever imagined! Because here I am, 5 years later, and I now own knives worth $1000.00 or more!!

[@isaiahgray3057]

I own a few of these fake Bugouts and the biggest thing that stands out is the garbage steel. True it says "S30V" but it also says "Benchmade" on the blade. Whatever it is, it takes an edge without much work but goes dull very quickly. My best guess is 8cr13mov or whatever the cheapest blade steel is. Not bad for a junk drawer beater.

[@jamesstephenson2346]

The better ones are d2. There are a ton of different factories pumping these out.

[@Hungrybird474]

It’s the red one the butterflies don’t stick out as much is what I always looks for. 👍

[@fishes74]

That's what caught my eye right away!! Looked way off to me right away!

[@davegoodridge8352]

I was thinking that Bigfoot swapped the fake Bugout when you gifted the real bugout, that time on the log. But no.

[@walnutz84]

I watched this video a year ago when you put it out and here I am back again. Got my first clone from Ebay today. Pissed me off cause the seller listed it as Used which lulled me into a false sense of security based on what the price ended up being. I am surprised how close it is to the real thing but it checked all the fake boxes you listed off here. Oh well I think I may have one more clone on the way lol. I was rounding out my Bugout collection with some of the original models that came out and was trying to be cheap and go through the secondary market. Won't do that again.

[@johnbennett1162]

You can file an item not as described and return it or file a payment dispute and get a refund

[@doughester3086]

Just bought a fake today for full price! From a local tool truck I won’t say which one but it’s definitely going back to him

[@BirdShotIV]

😬😬

[@sdriza]

don't think for a second the guy didn't know - but he'll say he doesn't

[@olegyefremov2583]

Guys, thank you for that video. I just got a bugout from ebay and thanks to you two I was able to tell that it is indeed fake!

[@BirdShotIV]

Sorry to hear that

[@scottarnold8293]

I though it was the tan one with ive seen alot of them there selling alot of them on Ebay for around 80 to 120 dollar not tell people there fake just not listing as usa be very careful buying these make sure it says made in the usa or its made in chin great video.

[@Fillmore668]

Maybe it was just the contrast/effect of the red scales, but it didn't look like the Axis lock stud sat in the slot on the scales the same as the others. It was enough of a difference on the video to make me pick the red knife as the counterfeit.

[@Mortismors]

My first experience with counterfeits was watches. They were always very light and were not water resistant at all. Give a counterfeit a week and it will start falling apart.

[@mgrsdgfsdafsdgrsdgfsdg6980]

I called it on the red one due to the font. But that was only because it was next to a real one.

[@cjenkins212]

Hello BirdShot IV, or should I say Frankie and Bird! I was wondering if you guys are going to release any more Frankie and Bird hanks? They seem to be out of stock on blade HQ. I wanted to purchase a few for Christmas gifts

[@BirdShotIV]

Not sure. They sold really fast!

[@TypeShotta]

Could mine be fake? I bought it at bass pro shops/Cabellas

[@matthewsalomone3800]

Other than the griptilian, I really haven't found a bench made knife that I really like the looks of.

[@anthonyaranda5832]

Ironically my bugouts spring just broke off but it still works the same but I don't know wtf happened to it

[@timtitus2532]

The lock bar is not positioned correctly in the closed state.

[@Beans_blades_VMOGroup]

Sorry for the many comments but the clip also is brighter, not so matte. The font too if it has the word BENCHMADE is going to look cheaper. Thicker more bubby type font.

[@whammofammo7346]

Crazy how similar they are anmore. Always buy from an authorized dealer.

[@OFish202]

I also noticed that the corners of the counterfeit box are not folded as sharply as the real box.

[@0zmose]

That glossy cheap paint on the blade and clip were a dead giveaway. The clip in particular. Every Benchmade I've ever owned had a very matte finish on the clip, and it usually looks a little worn straight out of the box.

[@ronaldroberts8515]

I want to get a bug out when the funds are there...I could never understand as I do have a mini griptilian why the bugouts are more than the griptilian. Thank you Frankie n Bird.

[@mknight6556]

For no good reason other than popularity so they mark that one up. I bought one when they were like $130 over 5 years ago. It was a nice knife, I liked the blade shape for slicing but all in all, the little mini grip is better and is still what I carry to this day. I've seen guys that have been there and done that with just about every class Benchmade and they got a grippy in their pocket. I share your thoughts though. The bugout doesn't even have a full liner where the mini grip does. Mini grip is the best bang for the buck. I'd rather have the bugout weigh a couple ounces more with a full liner. Long story short, Bugout is overrated!

[@BrentonCarr]

The "c" in benchmade, on the box, gives it away. They're like 5% larger for some reason. Also the font on the blade "s30v"

[@robertdouglas4293]

Is that me or does the slot on the fake clip look wider?

[@adambecker4661]

The blue on the benchmade name on the box is a darker blue than the real ones. It is also smaller font.

[@Beans_blades_VMOGroup]

I have also had a real Benchmade from my local high end knife spot, they are good at spotting fakes I do not believe they would ever have a fake bc these are knife pros, but i have bought a Benchmade there before with a box without the coffin foam. The foam was same as the coffin, but just not the shape of a coffin.

[@RiceRiceBaby0118]

Got me sitting here going through my bugouts at 2300 looking for differences, my ranger green seems suspect and I had never noticed an issue before… hope it’s all in my head

[@mknight6556]

Luckily there are small little subtle differences that can make you notice the difference. Because if there wasn't, my goodness it would be really tough to tell the fakes apart. They are getting so good at it. I only wanted to buy second hand due to BMs crackhead prices these days but guess we can't even do that anymore

[@danofiremano]

Is there a weight difference that's noticable when you pick it up?

[@BirdShotIV]

Not at all

[@Brzsteve86]

Did they ever come in red?

[@CSGraves]

I'll tell ya what I noticed right away... Frankie's Domo-kun shirt!

[@wildalfred]

In a Rolex there's a very small lasered Rolex sign in the glas, which is, like the ® on the Benchmade, better readable in the fakes :D you talked about the steel. It's unlikely S30V or near that. But it could be. More important than the steel is the heat-treat. It is possible to have a S30VN blade beeing worse than a 420 blade. For example when it is not even hardened.

[@just_nate_8694]

My EDC is a blue bugout...I also have a fake blue one so side by side it's easy to find the differences but most people would never know.

[@anthonytuccillo6274]

Yep biggest difference for me is I can bend my fake one like a banana lol, nothing a pair of g10 scales cannot fix.

[@angelicgoon5252]

Benchmade boxes will also always have the assembler and sharpeners employee number below the date

[@piratetobin6968]

The font for the S30V on the back of the blade was a dead giveaway, especially with it surrounded by legit bugouts. The font on the fake is smaller and thinner. Might not be so obvious without a real one to compare though.

[@mdubb4855]

Knowing what you are buying is ok but eventually it ends up in an unknowing owners hands. Letter opening is ok ... But what about hard use, or survival, then a component failure.

[@bpsdetailing8822]

The 3 on the 535 is a dead giveaway on the box. The finish on the blade is usually too dark and shiny on fakes.

[@wp9409]

Has anyone looked at the metallurgy of the blades? Specifically the S30V? I tried out a fake mini-bugout, marked as having an S30V blade, and based on edge retention IMHO there is no way it was S30V. More like a cheap 420HC. Other than that, fit and finish were on par, axial lock worked fine.

[@dayontapout]

Amazon has a decent clone, no labeling and not claiming to be Benchmade, for about $20 in 9cr18mov. I haven't tried heavy use with it. I mainly got it to play around with the locking mechanism so if I made mistakes it wouldn't be a big deal.

[@subspaceanomaly]

how did it work out? I'm looking at a 9cr18mov one also for the same price. Looks good!

[@dayontapout]

@@subspaceanomaly I've had several now and they've all worked well. The blue one is the only one that's had any slight issues, pivot needs breaking in, but other than that they've all worked well.

[@Gadsdan]

The blade steel text on that red is quite off!

[@ArbitraryLifestyle]

First time seeing this video and paused it at 1:55 - the clip on that red one has the opening going INTO the bend and that's not right. Gonna call it the fake!

[@kyleharmon2309]

The red one immediately because the pocket clip inserts have metal in them also the clip is a bit larger

[@echosierra9990]

This is why you buy higher end knives from trusted retailers, not gun and knife shows. Gun and knife shows are where you buy cheap, often crappy “Chinesium” knives, or cheaper well known brands, that counterfeiters don’t bother to fake, due to lack of profitability.

[@anotheryoutuber_]

this is only a sample size of one, having sold benchmade knives and having several clones and sorted through many more, there are clones that not only are indistinguishable but have tighter lock up on the axis lock. even if buying one from a reputable store, having an unopened box will help as a returned clone may have slipped through the return process and may be in inventory, thats not to say that you cant reseal a box in a manner that is very passable. as benchmade changes there own labeling/product its just a game of cat and mouse. shop local and in stores and know who your buying from.

[@r6201sk]

just check the grind and blade centering. Fakes are have even grind and centered blade.

[@docoluv9]

Without watching my guess woukd be the 4th from the left. The logo looked like it either was not there or was a bit lighter I'll be honest i couldn't see it just laying there. I'm on my phone as well.

[@nickGEdc]

Spyderco is better in my opinion

[@jimhewettjr3730]

The black coating on the blade looks darker & glossier. Looks more like a paint coating than a DLC or PVD type material. Makes me curious as to how long before it wears off. The edge going instantly dull makes it seem like a very low end steel that isn't heat treated in any way which makes sense as a production cost cutting method. The scale looks like a cheaper plastic than even the base FRN/GRN type materials normally used. I'd like to see inside it as I'm curious if the "waffle" looking reinforcement of the real Bugout scales is there, and what if any washers are there. Quick follow up disassembly vid please, and abraid that coating to see how it wears.

[@jamesstephenson2346]

It is heat treated, it is paint, not dlc. And yes, the plastic is cheaper and flexier, with the waffle reinforced areas

[@TheBootyWrangler]

Can’t believe I guess right when I said red the first 10 second of the video lol. I just noticed the screws were spaced ever so slightly differently, maybe a thou or two off from the original

[@mylesg1988]

How bout Eknives??

[@LarryGanz]

I was sent a fake Benchmade Griptilian and box last month, Sept 2022, from eBay for a desirable grey G-10/blue liner with partially serrated CPM-20CV blade, that I won for like $150 and knew right away when I received it that it wasn't;t right. The feel of the scales was of grivory not G10, the thumb studs were wrong like yours, the finish around the screws and pivot holes (also holes too big) was rough, screws were installed into the wrong side, the thickness of the steel liner was thinner, the logos were misplaced with the big "R" next to the butterfly. The texture on the inside of the blue liner was missing. The box was too dark, without the foam coffin inside, and the label was attached backwards. The seller gave me an instant refund after I submitted pics and listed the 25 points that I found were wrong. A week later I was sent a fake Spyderco PM 2. Now I'm more cautious, and if the box is not in the pics I won't buy.

[@1hotrod]

Pivot screw on Red will probably be T8 instead of T10

[@johnmarchese8420]

It's the tan one between the red and black

[@mcf8720]

Could you do a blind comparison...where one of you knows which knife is which, but the other does not. Let the second person inspect and use both knifes and compare the quality BEFORE they know which one is the real deal.

[@THC800]

01:57 its the red b/c of the weird looking font, the thumb stud look out of place, and the small screws. I'm watching this once w/o skipping to the end, so I hope I get this right XD.

[@THC800]

YAS! I got it after Frankie reveal it at 2:09. Yay me! :)

[@johnmackey3164]

That clones clip is actually a better clip as far as getting in and out of the pocket.

[@rexdoran2051]

The longer clip which doesn't hide the scale screw appears to be an improvement in design.

[@jamesstephenson2346]

Ive found real benchmades to be of poor quality overall, so, i wouldnt think clones could be.worse

[@thechancellor842]

I got it right 🔴 but only because of the clip!

[@1ohmwrecker]

I knew it was red immediately lol

[@stevemastbaum]

Butterfly on the red one looks different

[@molon_labe_nc9390]

I managed to get both right 🥳🤣👍🏼

[@Bethany415]

So what stood out to me was that the thumbstuds didn't have the torx hole in the center like Benchmade does. But some clones get that right.

[@renasnsman]

the c on the box, is taller and a different shape. first thing i saw

[@MrHayes-cb7hp]

the black coating is always a dead giveaway on the benchmade and spyderco clones

[@giovannid1457]

If they put descent steel on the clone Bugouts they would be just as good as the real thing almost. The steel on most of the clones is horrendous, but I have seen clone carbon fiber ones advertised with 62hrc d2 that looked very good. Tempting.

[@jamesstephenson2346]

Theyve tested steel on some of the newer ones. Its d2, at about 58 hrc.

[@Sherrodja]

The scales on the clone are weak.... they fail way before the legit version under a weight test.

[@frankbrowning328]

This is the reason I caution people not to have high expectations on even the more expensive Chinese knives that are supposed high grade steel that coat $100.00 or more. It may say Kershaw or another American brand and not be the steel listed. The same goes for Chinese brands. How many of us can prove the knife steel listed is in what we bought? + Very few of us can check the hardness of the steel to determine if it was properly heat treated. I have no problem buying a Chinese made knife but I won't spend more than $50.00 on one. Steel like D2 is pretty good and readily available in China cheaply so if the knife is made in China and is advertised as D2 steel there's a good chance it really is D2. If its from China, cheap, and states S30 steel it most likely is not S30

[@leestokes5412]

I knew it was the red one right off the bat.

[@BirdShotIV]

👍👍

[@donwoganowski996]

Wait...you never received the BM Studs I sent to your PO Box??

[@donwoganowski996]

Shouldve come in atleast 2-3 weeks qgo

[@BirdShotIV]

Not sure if you are serious or not but no, nothing like that received.

[@donwoganowski996]

@@BirdShotIV for whatever reason they were returned and at my local post office; im gonna resend them either today or tomorrow in literally just a Bday card/envelope

[@donwoganowski996]

@@BirdShotIV I'm so sorry I have no idea what caused the return, ill make sure to write out the addy cleanly

[@fishes74]

The red one stuck out like a sore thumb!

[@NHRebelsthoughts]

I own a real Bugout and a Jufule copy from Ali express for less than $ 20 The action is very very similiar

[@Joe_Blo]

The knockoffs are perfect for carrying in summer shorts. And for not getting bent if you lose one or need to use it as a pry bar.

[@Sherrodja]

I just buy from a reputable dealer. Amazon has been known to sell a clone that was exchanged for a real one. People scam Amazon.

[@WesTECH]

The blue color print on the fake one is off. The box, the sticker, it's all wrong.