The Kershaw Launch 7 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 7 is a folding automatic knife — the 3.7-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 7 7900CF and the Launch 17 family are all clip point automatics sharing the same clip point blade geometry and KVT ball-bearing deployment. The Launch 7 distinguishes itself in blade length, blade finish, and handle construction. The 7900CF runs CPM MagnaCut stonewash at 3.7 inches on full carbon fiber and aluminum panels — the longest blade and the most premium primary-material CF handle in the Launch clip point lineup. The Launch 17 7951BLK runs CPM MagnaCut black Cerakote at 3.5 inches on black aluminum with G-10 inlays. The Launch 17 7951OLBLK runs CPM S35VN black Cerakote at 3.5 inches on OD green aluminum with G-10 inlays. The Launch 17 7951DAM runs Damascus acid etch at 3.5 inches on gray aluminum with black G-10 inlays. For the longest clip point with full CF panels and stonewash MagnaCut, the 7900CF. For Cerakote-coated MagnaCut clip point at 3.5 inches, the 7951BLK. For Damascus clip point at 3.5 inches, the 7951DAM.

The Launch 7 7900CF uses full carbon fiber panels as the primary handle surface material — the woven carbon fiber is the handle face the hand contacts, bonded to an aluminum structural frame underneath. This differs from a CF onlay (a thin CF surface layer bonded to an aluminum frame, as on the Launch 19 7851CFDAM) and from a CF inlay (a CF element recessed into the aluminum structure, as on the Launch 14 7850BLKDAM and 7850OLBW). Full CF panels deliver the complete carbon fiber carry experience: the woven crosshatch pattern across the entire handle face, carbon fiber's characteristically light weight for its rigidity, and the tactile texture of the woven surface in full contact with the hand. The aluminum frame underneath maintains structural integrity and handle geometry. Full CF is the most material-intensive and premium CF construction in the Launch lineup.

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. At 3.7 inches, edge retention matters across more cutting surface than at 3.5 inches — CPM MagnaCut keeps the full clip point edge cutting cleanly through more daily tasks before maintenance. Toughness is particularly 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 at the longest blade length in the Launch clip point lineup. Near-H1 corrosion resistance means the stonewash blade handles carry moisture without 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, stonewash patina development, carbon fiber surface wear, handle wear, sharpening, and damage from misuse are not covered.

The Kershaw Launch 7 7900CF 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 7900CF carries the Kershaw Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.