The Kershaw Launch 15 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 15 is a folding automatic knife — the 3.5-inch CPM MagnaCut blackwash spear 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.

The 7950 and 7950DAM are both Launch 15 spear point automatics sharing the same 3.5-inch geometry, the same black aluminum and tan Micarta handle, KVT ball-bearing deployment, liner lock, and USA manufacture in Tualatin, Oregon. The only difference is blade steel and blade finish. The 7950 runs CPM MagnaCut under blackwash — benchmark stainless performance, no active moisture maintenance, a dark dimensional blade with no warm tones to echo in the handle. The 7950DAM runs Damascus under acid etch — per-blade-unique pattern with warm caramel and brown tones that tonally match the tan Micarta directly, requiring active moisture maintenance. The handle is identical on both; the blade is the entire decision. For no-maintenance benchmark stainless, the 7950. For per-blade-unique Damascus with handle-blade tonal continuity, the 7950DAM.

Yes, though the tan Micarta's role is different on the 7950 than on the 7950DAM. On the Damascus variant, tan Micarta's primary purpose is tonal continuity — its warm caramel register directly mirrors the warm tones of acid-etched Damascus, creating a deliberate color echo between blade and handle. On the 7950's blackwash blade, there is no warm etched pattern to echo — the blade is uniformly dark. Tan Micarta here functions as a standalone material choice: it brings organic warmth, natural fiber texture, and tactile grip character to an otherwise all-black knife, independent of any blade-matching logic. The aesthetic argument shifts from "blade and handle in tonal harmony" to "a warm natural accent against an all-dark tool" — still a deliberate and considered combination, just serving a different visual purpose.

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 3.5-inch spear point used for everyday carry, edge retention keeps the versatile centered tip and belly cutting cleanly through more daily tasks before maintenance. CPM MagnaCut's near-H1 corrosion resistance handles the blackwash blade's exposed areas at the bevel as the coating wears with sharpening — the steel's own resistance provides ongoing protection where the blackwash coating recedes. No active moisture maintenance required.

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, Micarta handle patina, handle wear, sharpening, and damage from misuse are not covered.

The Kershaw Launch 15 7950 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 7950 carries the Kershaw Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.