The Kershaw Launch 14 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 14 is a folding automatic knife — the 3.375-inch CPM-154 blackwash cleaver blade pivots from the handle, the broad rectangular blade face deploying forward at full extension. 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.

The 7850 and 7850OLBW are both Launch 14 cleaver automatics running the identical CPM-154 blackwash blade finish — same dimensional dark surface, same no-maintenance stainless performance. The only difference is handle color. The 7850 runs black aluminum — a fully unified, zero-signature all-black configuration where the blade and handle disappear together into any carry context. The 7850OLBW runs OD green aluminum — the field-carry configuration with an immediate tactical and outdoor signal. Both share the same carbon fiber inlay. For zero-signature all-black carry, the 7850. For field-credible OD green carry, the 7850OLBW.

The Launch 14 family spans five variants, all sharing the same 3.375-inch cleaver geometry, KVT ball-bearing deployment, liner lock, and USA manufacture in Tualatin, Oregon. The 7850 runs CPM-154 blackwash on black aluminum with carbon fiber inlay — zero-signature all-black. The 7850OLBW runs the same blackwash blade on OD green aluminum — field-carry tactical. The 7850SW runs CPM-154 stonewash on gray aluminum with carbon fiber inlay — the most carry-neutral natural-steel configuration. The 7850RDSW runs CPM-154 stonewash on black aluminum with red carbon fiber onlay — the boldest color statement and the only red CF in the catalog. The 7850BLKDAM runs Damascus on gray aluminum with black carbon fiber inlay — per-blade-unique premium visual. For zero-signature blackwash, the 7850. For field-carry blackwash, the 7850OLBW. For natural-steel neutral carry, the 7850SW. For maximum color boldness, the 7850RDSW. For Damascus uniqueness, the 7850BLKDAM.

A cleaver blade draws from the kitchen cleaver and Chinese chef's knife tradition — a broad, tall blade with a spine that runs nearly parallel to the cutting edge, producing a rectangular or squared-off profile with the widest flat face in the Launch catalog. In a folding knife, the cleaver delivers maximum slicing surface in a draw cut or rocking push cut, with the broad flat face providing even blade-to-material contact across the full blade width. The cleaver is the most visually bold and immediately recognizable blade profile in the Launch lineup, purpose-built for slicing and light-medium cutting tasks where broad blade face is the performance driver.

Blackwash applies a dark coating over a stonewash base — the stonewash tumbling process creates micro-texture variation in the surface underneath, and the subsequent dark coating sits over those micro-variations rather than a perfectly flat substrate. The result is a blade surface with dimensional depth rather than a uniform flat black. On a broad cleaver blade face with more uninterrupted surface area than any other Launch geometry, that depth is visible and readable across the full blade width — producing one of the largest, most fully visible dark-depth surfaces in the entire Launch catalog.

CPM-154 is the powder metallurgy version of the classic 154CM stainless steel formula, produced by Crucible Industries. The powder metallurgy process produces a more uniform carbide distribution than conventionally melted 154CM, resulting in better edge retention, improved toughness, and cleaner sharpening behavior while retaining 154CM's excellent corrosion resistance. In the Launch 14 cleaver, CPM-154 delivers consistent stainless performance across the full broad blade face — no active moisture maintenance required in carry conditions, sharpens readily on standard equipment.

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, blackwash finish wear, carbon fiber surface wear, handle wear, sharpening, and damage from misuse are not covered.

The Kershaw Launch 14 7850 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 7850 carries the Kershaw Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.