Kershaw Unleashes an Affordable Benchmade Bugout Alternative EDC Knife

Quietly launched in 2017, Benchmade’s Bugout quickly became one of its all-time best-sellers. And it remains among the brand’s most beloved EDC knives to this day (it even just got a highly innovative new edition).

But the sad truth is its ~$200 entry price is a big ask, even for those not on a tight budget.

That’s where Kershaw’s Celestion comes in. This new release bears a striking resemblance to the Bugout in more ways than one, but it comes in at under half the price. And that makes it an incredibly worthy, affordable alternative.

Kershaw

Snug as a bug

Let’s start with what makes this a contender as an alternative to the Bugout. That starts with the handle.

While the texture is clearly different (Benchmade prefers a machined, textured pattern on both standard models and special editions), the shape is similar. While the Kershaw looks to technically be based on the brand’s Iridium, there’s no denying that the curvature of the grip gives off at least a passing resemblance.

Kershaw

That is furthered by a couple of other elements, namely the lock and the lanyard hole. Like the Bugout, the Celestion features a crossbar lock, which is one of the more popular locks of the moment, beloved for its strength, ease-of-use, ambidexterity and reliability.

The Celestion also has a lanyard hole toward the tail. While it differs in format from the Bugout, the positioning is similar. Furthermore, both knives have reversible pocket clips and thumb-stud deployments (although these are hardly exclusive to either brand or model).

That, however, is where things diverge.

Kershaw

Affordable, not cheap

The $100 price difference between these knives cannot be credited specifically to the brand names, which is probably obvious. However, it can be credited to some of the differences in size and materials.

While the standard Bugout is 7.46 inches, the Celestion is 6.31, making it a closer contender to the Bugout Mini (which is 6.49 inches). The Celestion also weighs 1.67 ounces, which is right between the standard and Mini Bugout sizes.

Kershaw

This is mostly due to the handle material: G-10 on the Celestion, rather than Grivory. The blade steel is also different: D2 on the Celestion. That said, the average user won’t really notice much of a difference in regular use.

Now, I’m not foolish enough to suggest this knife in any way usurps the Bugout, which remains one of the most popular, beloved EDC knives currently available. That said, given the price difference (which is clearly significant), it’s a worthy alternative in numerous ways.

Kershaw

Availability and pricing

The Kershaw Celestion is now available on the brand’s official site for $100 (down from an MSRP of $125). However, it’s even more affordable on Blade HQ, where it’s just $85.

Kershaw

Kershaw Celestion

• $100 at Kershaw
  $125 (20% off)
• $85 at Blade HQ
  $125 (32% off)

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