The Kershaw Launch 16 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 serrated tanto blade deploys on the central axis with the reinforced chisel-ground tip 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.

Serrations are individual scalloped or wave-form cutting points ground into the edge, each acting as an independent micro-saw tooth. A plain edge cuts through continuous, even contact with the material — effective on most everyday materials but prone to slipping or struggling on tough, fibrous, or slick surfaces. A serrated edge concentrates cutting force at each serration point, allowing it to bite into and saw through rope, webbing, seatbelt material, cardboard, and other fibrous or slick materials more effectively than a plain edge — particularly important as the edge dulls, since serration points retain cutting capability longer than a continuous plain edge under the same wear. The trade-off is that serrations are more difficult to sharpen at home, typically requiring a specialized serration sharpening tool or rod rather than a standard flat stone. The 7105 is the only serrated automatic in the entire Launch lineup.

On the 7105's tanto geometry, the serration pattern runs along the primary cutting edge — the main belly of the blade from the handle toward the tip — while the chisel-ground secondary edge near the tip typically remains plain or only lightly serrated. This preserves the tanto's reinforced angular tip geometry for penetration and hard-use tip tasks while adding sawing capability along the primary edge for cordage, webbing, and fibrous materials. Confirm the exact serration pattern — whether the 7105 runs full serration or partial serration along a section of the primary edge — at kershawknives.com.

The Launch 16 CPM M4 family spans three variants, all sharing the same CPM M4 steel, tanto geometry, KVT ball-bearing deployment, and USA manufacture in Tualatin, Oregon. The 7105 runs black Cerakote with a serrated edge on black aluminum with Trac-Tec inserts — the only serrated automatic in the Launch lineup, built for tough fibrous and cordage cutting tasks. The 7105OLBLK runs black Cerakote with a plain edge on OD green aluminum with Trac-Tec inserts — the field-carry tactical configuration. The 7105RAW runs gray Cerakote with a plain edge on raw aluminum with black Trac-Tec inserts — the natural-material configuration with more geometry-readable blade finish. For tough material cutting tasks, the 7105. For field-carry tactical plain edge, the 7105OLBLK. For natural-material plain edge, the 7105RAW.

CPM M4 is a high-speed tool steel produced by Crucible Industries through the powder metallurgy process — the highest edge retention and wear resistance of any steel in the Kershaw Launch lineup. On a serrated edge, edge retention is especially valuable: serrations are more time-consuming to resharpen than a plain edge, so a steel that holds its cutting capability longer between sharpenings reduces how often that more involved sharpening process is needed. CPM M4 is not stainless and requires active moisture management on exposed bare steel; the black Cerakote coating adds a polymer-ceramic corrosion barrier, though Cerakote coverage on serration scallops can be less uniform than on a flat plain edge, so inspect and oil the serration valleys periodically.

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, Cerakote finish wear at the blade bevel and serration points, surface oxidation from inadequate maintenance, sharpening, and damage from misuse are not covered.

The Kershaw Launch 16 7105 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 7105 carries the Kershaw Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.