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Ken Onion’s Latest Affordable CRKT Knife Is Coming for the Bugout

The legendary designer returns to draw up a balanced folder that’s smooth, secure, wallet-friendly and … familiar.

Black folding knife blade with CRKT logo and textured black handle on green background.CRKT
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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Most pocket knife aficionados agree that Benchmade’s Bugout is among the very best EDC knives, if not the very best.

As many superlatives as it carries, one of them is most definitely not “cheap.” The least expensive of its many variants currently costs $200. 

Four CRKT folding knives with textured handles in black, mint green, gray, and black, arranged on a dark wooden surface.
One of these Counterparts is not like the others.
CRKT

It’s rather ironic then, that a brand that has spent the past few years impressively upscaling its knives, is now introducing a budget-friendly Bugout alternative — designed by the great Ken Onion, no less!

One of several compelling 2026 releases we’ll be covering in the coming days, the Counterpart boasts a few unique wrinkles of its own, including a pretty sweet divergent variant and a much lower price.

What’s similar

Just as the Bugout comes in a number of varieties, the Counterpart bursts out of the gate with four treatments, three of which differ only in color and strongly resemble the EDC icon.

The silhouette alone is quite similar, thanks to a 3.38-inch drop-point blade emerging from an ergonomic, geometrically textured handle with a reversible pocket clip and lanyard slot at the rear.

Folding knife with black blade and textured gray handle featuring a thumb lock and CRKT logo on the blade.
Similarities to the Bugout include the drop-point blade, crossbar lock and lightweight handle. While Benchmade touts its patented Axis lock, CRKT hypes its trademarked IKBS ball-bearing pivot.
CRKT

Regarding the handle material, Benchmade calls it grivory and CRKT calls it glass-reinforced nylon — basically two different terms for the same lightweight material that helps the Bugout weigh in at 1.85 ounces and the Counterpart at a quarter ounce more.

Perhaps the most familiar feature is the crossbar lock, which is not at all unique to the Bugout (heck, just about every Benchmade knife has one). Incorporating it in this particular knife, however, really brings the comparison home.

What’s different

All that said, there are several notable differences beyond the fact the Counterpart comes in at well under half the price.

At least a couple of them probably play a big role in that difference. For example, the blade is a bit longer than the Bugout’s 3.24 inches, but it’s also made of 12C27 steel.

Folding knife with a black blade and textured light blue handle featuring a black pocket clip.
The Counterpart’s steel of choice is 12C27, likely a big reason it so affordable.
CRKT

This budget knife steel offers admirable toughness, corrosion resistance and sharpening ease for the price, but does not match the Bugout’s base model S30V steel.

The Counterpart also lacks the Bugout’s ambidextrous thumb studs, meaning you must rely on a pull of the sides of the crossbar lock and flick of the wrist to deploy it. (Reversing that motion to retract it is the same with either knife.)

Black textured folding knife with partially visible silver blade and metal pocket clip.
The Counterpart’s reversible clip makes it easy to stash in a pocket till you require its services.
CRKT

One cool distinguishing feature of the Counterpart is a bit of jimping on the spine of the blade, which should come in handy during detail work. 

However, one of the four variants swaps out that jimping for a thumb disc, while also rocking a 3.31-inch tanto-shaped blade made of D2 steel and a blacked-out oxide finish. 

Black folding knife with a tanto-style blade and CRKT logo on the blade.
The Counterpart with the K431KKP SKU appears to have an identical handle to its, ahem, counterparts. The blade, however, differs significantly in shape, size and material.
CRKT

These features make it very different from the other Counterparts and from the Bugout. I dare say this one bears a much stronger resemblance to another Benchmade staple, the Bailout. 

But hey, considering that $200 knife made the 2025 GP100 and this one costs just over a third as much, it’s equally worthy of your consideration.

Availability and pricing

The CRKT Counterpart is available now, with the three 12C27 steel drop-point blade versions costing $75 and the D2 steel tanto-shaped blade variant costs $68.

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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