It’s no exaggeration to say that the 940 Osborne is one of the most important knives in Benchmade’s history. Designed by the late Warren Osborne, a renowned custom knife maker who collaborated with Benchmade for over a decade, the original 940 series featured a sleek reverse tanto blade, a sturdy AXIS lock mechanism, and a comfortable aluminum handle.

The 945-2 Mini Osborne takes its cues from the original full-sized 940-1 and shrinks it down to a more pocket-friendly size. It has a blade length of 2.92”, making it ideal for those who prefer smaller knives or have legal restrictions on blade length. In my experience handling it, though, it still felt like a full-sized knife in hand compared to other “mini” iterations of popular knives, giving me a full-handed grip and the same satisfying action as its big brother. This meant all of the benefits of a more compact and locale-friendly size without any ergonomic drawbacks.

The reverse tanto blade is made from CPM S90V stainless steel, one of the best steels available for edge retention, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance, and its stonewash finish gives it a smooth and refined look. The 945-2 Mini Osborne’s handle is made from carbon fiber, contoured to fit your hand comfortably and securely even in this smaller size. It also features blue anodized barrel spacers that contrast nicely with the black scales and add some flair to the knife.

A double thumb stud opener allows you to deploy the blade quickly and easily with either your right or left hand while the blade is locked in place by the AXIS lock, one of the most reliable and user-friendly locking mechanisms in the industry. The knife also has a reversible pocket clip that lets you carry it tip-up on either side of your pocket.

What we like: Premium materials, high-quality construction, highly versatile, and like most Benchmade knives, entirely ambidextrous to accommodate all users.

What to watch out for: While ultra-premium, S90V is also a very hard steel, so sharpening or grinding won’t be an easy task.

Final verdict: Everything that made the Benchmade 940 Osborne popular is present here, optimized for smaller hands and pockets or those with big hands looking for a smaller knife to carry.

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The black G-10 handle matches the blade’s stealthy finish, and helps keep the overall knife lightweight at 2.19 ounces. The reduced size means it’s also lighter than the original while still having enough ergonomics for a full grip for most people. The scales’ blue base layer also gives them a nice accent when viewing the knife at an angle. And it’s easy to deploy the blade with either hand using the manual ambidextrous thumbstud, with the AXIS lock keeping everything in place even during hard use.

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533BK-2 Mini Bugout Blackout

As the smaller sibling to the massively popular Bugout, the Mini Bugout is one of the most sought-after and talked about everyday carry knives released in the past few years, now available in arguably its most desirable colorway: a full blackout treatment. And with its mix of great ergonomics, solid performance, and ultra light weight, it’s likely to see a place in even more pockets in the year ahead. Its standout feature is the premium 2.75″ CPM-S30V stainless steel blade, held in place with Benchmade’s signature AXIS lock and deployed via the traditional thumbstud mechanism. The CF-Elite handles offer the user plenty of grip during even hard use, but it also complements the barely-there weight quality of the knife itself, which weighs in at a meager 1.5 ounces in total. And with its reversible tip-up deep carry pocket clip, it’s not just small and lightweight: it disappears into your pockets when you’re through.

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535-3 Carbon Fiber Bugout / 535BK-4 Aluminum Bugout

While the Mini Bugout Blackout may become the more popular and affordable option, there’s no denying that the original Bugout is still a heavyweight when it comes to EDC. It struck a perfect balance of size, performance, and features for the price, so it’s no surprise that it’s an enduring model for the brand to riff on in new styles and materials. Two new models for the year offer some premium iterations of the Bugout. The 535-3 Carbon Fiber features a top tier CPM-S90V satin blade paired with a carbon fiber handle with blue accents, and the 535BK-4 flips the colors and changes up the materials, opting for an elite and blacked-out M390 steel paired with a lightweight aluminum handle and red accents. For both models you get the same versatile 3“ drop point cutting edge paired with a comfortable handle design, with an reversible deep-carry clip, dual thumb studs, and a lanyard built into the backspacer/handle for the ultimate in carry versatility.

Check Out the 535-3 Carbon Fiber

Check Out the 535BK-4 Aluminum

945 Mini Osborne

Last but not least is the Mini Osborne, a compact re-imagining of the original and crazy popular 940 Osborne, down to the satin blade and iconic green handles. The Mini Osborne features a smaller 2.92″ blade, brought down from the original knife’s 3.4″ length. It keeps the unique flat-ground reverse tanto blade shape of the original however, including the top swedge that makes it easy to stick this knife in thin spaces and the curve at the tip that makes for excellent detail slicing when the task calls for it. Its CPM-S30V stainless steel blade composition means it can achieve and retain a sharp edge for longer, and you should be able to use this knife for utility tasks without having to worry about it getting dull quickly. Like the original, the 945 comes with aluminum handles, but the smaller size means the knife weighs in at a meager 2 ounces. You get the same black hardware and reversible pocket clip as the original, with an added twist—vibrant pink spacers give the 945’s interior a nice color pop and distinction.

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The new Mini Osborne knife features a smaller 2.92″ blade, brought down from the original knife’s 3.4″ length. It keeps the unique flat-ground reverse tanto blade shape of the original however, including the top swedge that makes it easy to stick this knife in thin spaces and the curve at the tip that makes for excellent detail slicing when the task calls for it. Its CPM-S30V stainless steel blade composition means it can achieve and retain a sharp edge for longer, and you should be able to use this knife for utility tasks without having to worry about it getting dull quickly.

The black G-10 handle matches the blade’s stealthy finish, and helps keep the overall knife lightweight at 2.19 ounces. The reduced size means it’s also lighter than the original while still having enough ergonomics for a full grip for most people. The scales’ blue base layer also gives them a nice accent when viewing the knife at an angle. And it’s easy to deploy the blade with either hand using the manual ambidextrous thumbstud, with the AXIS lock keeping everything in place even during hard use.

Despite its smaller size, don’t mistake the new Benchmade 945BK-1 Mini Osborne for an inferior knife. It’s fully capable like the original, but its smaller size allows it to run more discreet when you need it. The blacked-out aesthetic helps with that as well, and the contrasting blue metal hardware gives this 20th anniversary knife a look that you’ll enjoy having with you on your adventures for at least the next 20 years. If you want to learn more, click the link below and preorder one for your EDC.

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