The Kershaw Launch Iridium Auto uses a side-button automatic mechanism — press the button on the spine of the handle and the blade deploys instantly, locking open. To close, disengage the lock with your thumb and fold the blade back into the handle. The Launch Iridium Auto is a folding automatic knife — the CPM MagnaCut stonewash spear point pivots from the handle. Confirm the specific lock type (button lock vs liner lock) at kershawknives.com. 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 Iridium Auto now spans three confirmed variants, all sharing the same Iridium platform handle geometry, CPM MagnaCut steel, 3.45-inch spear point blade, and USA manufacture in Tualatin, Oregon. The 7038OL runs a stonewash blade on OD green anodized aluminum — the field-carry, tactically grounded configuration that reads with deliberate military and outdoor carry credibility. The 7038BRZ runs a stonewash blade on bronze anodized aluminum — the warmest and most visually premium configuration, warm-on-cool bronze against bare steel. The KS7038G10 runs a blackwash blade on black G-10 with a button lock — the dark, carry-neutral, moisture-resistant tactical configuration. For field-carry OD green credibility, the 7038OL. For warm-premium bronze, the 7038BRZ. For dark tactical neutral on G-10, the KS7038G10.

Stonewash CPM MagnaCut shows the natural matte silver-grey of bare CPM MagnaCut steel — no coating, low reflectance, carrying as functional working hardware rather than display hardware. OD green anodized aluminum also reads as matte and low-reflectance, and it carries a specific field-carry signal that no other handle color in the automatic folder market communicates as directly — militarily grounded, tactically purposeful, and carry-credible across first responder, law enforcement, outdoor, and field contexts. Both materials in the 7038OL share that low-reflectance, working-hardware identity. The result is a two-material profile that carries as the most field-intentional automatic in the Iridium 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. Most production automatic folders run 154CM, CPM-154, or D2. CPM MagnaCut is a meaningful step above each in all three categories. In a side-button automatic, edge retention keeps the blade sharp through more carry cycles. Toughness supports the blade under mechanical deployment stress. CPM MagnaCut's near-H1 corrosion resistance is particularly valuable in bare stonewash form — without a coating layer, the steel's own resistance handles carry moisture. Apply a light coat of mineral oil before extended storage.

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, mechanism wear from deployment cycling, cosmetic stonewash patina development, handle anodize wear, sharpening, and damage from misuse are not covered.

The Kershaw Launch Iridium Auto 7038OL 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 7038OL carries the Kershaw Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.