The Kershaw Launch 1 uses a side-button automatic mechanism — press the button on the spine of the handle and the blade deploys instantly, locking open via the liner lock through the KVT ball-bearing pivot. To close, disengage the liner lock with your thumb and fold the blade back into the handle. The Launch 1 is a folding automatic knife — the 3.4-inch CPM MagnaCut drop point pivots from the handle. Automatic knives are subject to the same state and federal restrictions as OTF automatics. See the legality FAQ below before purchasing.

Side-button automatic knives are subject to strict regulation under federal and state law. Under federal law, the interstate sale and transport of automatic knives is restricted. State laws vary significantly: some states permit automatic knives freely, some restrict blade length, some require permits or military or law enforcement status, and some prohibit them entirely. Knifeworks cannot provide legal advice. It is your responsibility to verify that automatic knives are legal in your state, county, and municipality before purchasing. Check your local laws at akti.org (American Knife and Tool Institute) or call us at 888-225-9775 — we will not ship to addresses in states where automatic knives are prohibited.

CPM MagnaCut was engineered by metallurgist Larrin Thomas and produced by Crucible Industries to outperform CPM-S35VN and M390 in edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance simultaneously. In a drop point automatic, edge retention keeps the blade sharp through more carry cycles between maintenance. Toughness supports the blade under the mechanical stress of deployment and under hard use at the tip. CPM MagnaCut's near-H1 corrosion resistance handles carry moisture reliably — the blackwash coating adds a further barrier on top. The 7100GBLUBLK is the first CPM MagnaCut drop point automatic in the Launch 1 catalog.

A drop point blade curves the spine smoothly downward to a lowered, versatile centered tip — preserving a strong, controlled tip geometry while maintaining a long cutting belly along the edge. The drop point balances the competing demands of everyday utility better than any other production folder geometry: more tip control and belly than a spear point's symmetrical profile, more robust tip than a clip point's acute fine tip, more versatile everyday utility than a tanto's secondary-edge geometry, and more penetrating and precise than a Wharncliffe's flat spine. For a carry knife that handles the full range of daily cutting tasks — food prep, packaging, cord, utility, and occasional hard-use — the drop point is the right geometry.

The 7100GBLUBLK's handle uses black and blue anodized aluminum in a two-tone construction — blue anodized sections integrated with a black anodized aluminum frame to create color contrast within the same handle structure. The two-tone creates a more visually dynamic carry piece than either solid black or solid blue alone: blue reads as bold and assertive as a stand-alone color; against the black frame, it reads as a deliberate accent rather than a uniform statement. Both anodized finishes are electrochemical processes that create a hard aluminum oxide layer integral to the metal — neither color can chip or peel. Confirm the specific two-tone construction and color distribution from Kershaw's product images and spec sheet at kershawknives.com.

Kershaw offers a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. If the knife fails due to a manufacturing defect, Kershaw will repair or replace it at no charge. Warranty service is handled directly by Kershaw — not Knifeworks. Submit a claim through Kershaw's website at kershawknives.com with a description of the issue and proof of purchase. Normal wear, mechanism wear from deployment cycling, cosmetic blackwash finish wear, handle anodize wear, sharpening, and damage from misuse are not covered.

The Kershaw Launch 1 7100GBLUBLK is manufactured in the USA at Kershaw's production facility in Tualatin, Oregon. Domestic manufacture is a consistent feature of the full Launch series. The 7100GBLUBLK carries the Kershaw Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.