The Kershaw Launch 17 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 17 is a folding automatic knife — the 3.5-inch CPM MagnaCut clip point pivots from the handle with the fine acute 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.

The Launch 17 7951BLK and the Launch 19 variants (7851BBLK and 7851CFDAM) are all clip point automatics sharing the same clip point blade geometry, KVT ball-bearing side-button deployment, liner lock, and USA manufacture in Tualatin, Oregon. The Launch 17 distinguishes itself in steel and blade length. The 7951BLK runs CPM MagnaCut — the benchmark alloy that simultaneously outperforms CPM-S35VN and M390 in edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance — at 3.5 inches, the longest clip point in the Launch lineup. The Launch 19 7851BBLK runs CPM-154 at 3.3 inches with a G-10 onlay handle. The Launch 19 7851CFDAM runs Damascus at 3.3 inches with a carbon fiber onlay handle. For the highest-performance steel in the longest clip point automatic, the Launch 17. For CPM-154 stainless in the 3.3-inch clip point, the 7851BBLK. For Damascus in the 3.3-inch clip point, the 7851CFDAM.

A clip point blade runs the spine straight from the handle, then curves it concavely downward to a fine, acute, lowered tip — historically associated with Bowie and jackknife traditions. The concave clip produces a more acute tip than a drop point's rounded spine, excelling at precision entry, detail push cuts, and controlled tip work, while the long cutting belly along the edge handles everyday slicing tasks. On a 3.5-inch automatic, the clip point's fine tip deploys forward at full extension with CPM MagnaCut's toughness supporting that acute tip through hard use — a meaningful advantage over lesser steels where the fine clip point tip can chip under lateral stress.

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 side-button automatic folder, edge retention keeps the blade sharp through more carry cycles between maintenance. Toughness is especially important on a clip point geometry — the acute lowered tip concentrates force on a small contact area, and CPM MagnaCut's toughness supports that tip under hard use better than lower-toughness steels. CPM MagnaCut's near-H1 corrosion resistance means the blade handles carry moisture reliably even under the Cerakote coating at areas of wear. The Launch 17 is the only Kershaw Launch automatic running CPM MagnaCut in the clip point geometry.

Cerakote is a polymer-ceramic composite coating applied by spray and thermally cured — harder and more abrasion-resistant than standard black-oxide, more durable against contact abrasion than PVD at the blade face. On CPM MagnaCut, the Cerakote adds a polymer-ceramic barrier on top of the steel's own near-H1 corrosion resistance, creating two independent layers of corrosion protection. The blade face is protected by both Cerakote and MagnaCut's own resistance; areas where Cerakote wears at the bevel from sharpening remain protected by MagnaCut's near-H1 resistance underneath — a more forgiving combination than Cerakote on CPM M4, where bare M4 exposure at the bevel requires active oiling.

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

The Kershaw Launch 17 7951BLK 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 7951BLK carries the Kershaw Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.