The Kershaw Launch 8 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 8 is a folding automatic knife — the 3.5-inch CPM-154 blade 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 7150RAW and 7150DAM are both Launch 8 automatics sharing the same 3.5-inch blade length, KVT ball-bearing deployment, liner lock, and USA manufacture in Tualatin, Oregon. The differences are blade steel and handle material. The 7150RAW runs CPM-154 stonewash on a silver aluminum handle with carbon fiber inlay — consistent stainless performance, no active moisture maintenance, premium carbon fiber visual texture against the silver aluminum base. The 7150DAM runs Damascus on a plain black aluminum handle — per-blade-unique Damascus pattern, the pattern as the sole visual statement against an uninterrupted black surround, active moisture maintenance required. For no-maintenance stainless with carbon fiber premium texture, the 7150RAW. For per-blade-unique Damascus with zero-signature black carry, the 7150DAM.

The product specification lists the 7150RAW with a spear point blade. The Launch 8 platform's Damascus variant (7150DAM) was built around a drop point geometry in Kershaw's broader Launch 8 lineup. If the 7150RAW genuinely runs a different blade geometry than the 7150DAM, the two are differentiated by both steel and blade profile, not steel and handle alone. Confirm the exact blade geometry for the 7150RAW at kershawknives.com before relying on this specification.

A carbon fiber inlay is a CF element recessed into or surface-applied to the aluminum handle frame, adding woven crosshatch texture and visual depth distinct from a plain anodized or bare metal surface. Against the silver aluminum base on the 7150RAW, the dark woven carbon fiber inlay provides the primary visual accent — the lighter silver aluminum frames and surrounds the darker CF texture, creating a layered, multi-material handle appearance rather than a single uniform surface. This differs from the Launch 8 7150DAM's plain black aluminum handle, where there is no secondary surface material and the Damascus blade pattern is the sole visual focus.

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 8, CPM-154 delivers consistent and measurable stainless performance — no active moisture maintenance required, 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, carbon fiber surface wear, handle wear, sharpening, and damage from misuse are not covered.

The Kershaw Launch 8 7150RAW 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 7150RAW carries the Kershaw Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.