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 stonewash 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 Launch 14 family spans three variants, all sharing the same 3.375-inch cleaver geometry, KVT ball-bearing deployment, liner lock, and USA manufacture in Tualatin, Oregon. The 7850SW runs CPM-154 stonewash on a gray aluminum handle with carbon fiber inlay — the most carry-neutral configuration, cool natural stonewash steel and cool gray aluminum in the same tonal register, understated premium carry without color or field signal. The 7850OLBW runs CPM-154 blackwash on an OD green aluminum handle with carbon fiber inlay — the field-carry configuration, dark matte blade and OD green handle with field-tactical signal. The 7850BLKDAM runs Damascus acid etch on a gray aluminum handle with black carbon fiber inlay — per-blade-unique Damascus pattern, warm etch tones as accent against neutral gray, active moisture maintenance required. For neutral understated premium cleaver carry, the 7850SW. For field-carry stainless cleaver, the 7850OLBW. For Damascus pattern on the cleaver canvas, 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.

Stonewash leaves CPM-154 in natural textured form — the tumbling process creates a matte, low-reflectance surface that shows the steel's own cool silver-grey color across the blade face. On a broad cleaver, stonewash produces the largest expanse of natural bare CPM-154 steel in the catalog, the full width and height of the cleaver face showing the steel's honest texture. Blackwash applies a dark coating over a stonewash base, covering the natural steel color with a uniform dark surface that has dimensional depth from the micro-texture underneath. The 7850SW's stonewash blade reads as materially honest — bare steel showing its own color across the broadest face in the catalog. The 7850OLBW's blackwash blade reads as darker and more depth-visible. For natural bare steel across the full cleaver canvas, stonewash. For dark matte depth across the full cleaver canvas, blackwash.

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, stonewash patina development, handle anodize wear, carbon fiber inlay surface wear, sharpening, and damage from misuse are not covered.

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