Kershaw Launch 1 Automatic Knife Black Aluminum (3.4" BlackWash) 7100BW

Awesome knife an crazy fast shipping an I see why they are called launches cause that blade flys out with authority highly recommend buying one

I loved this knife the moment I took it out of the box. The action is so tight and satisfying, its also the sharpest knife I have ever purchased out of the box (possibly just bad luck with previous purchases but regardless really impressed with the edge). The lack of safety is a little disappointing but I have had no issues with EDC. The belly is one of the best features, I absolutely love the blade. Highly recommend the launch 1 to anyone looking for a new EDC.

I have several Kershaw auto knives and flipper knives. The Launch 1 is a staple for any knife collector in my opinion. It is a well built knife with a stonewash blade that has an authoritative action. I like the black aluminum scales and has not been an issue for me in regards to grip. I do wish it had a safety lock as many have stated but I have not had any issues with the plunge lock while carrying. For about $100 its a great addition with decent steel

I've been daily carrying this for over a year now and it's still a pleasure to use. I've touched up the edge several times but I use (abuse) my knives. I also give the action an occasional shot of lube, when I happen to think about it. Every guy who sees it wants to play with it. I tell them to man up and get their own, especially the one who's wives "won't let them". My birthday is next week and I think I'll treat myself to another Kershaw automatic.

Strong, snappy and sharp as heck out of the box. Love the blade profile. Big belly is terrific for slicing.

I mean what else is there to say about this thing? It's sharp right out of the box, the automatic flip is so strong it almost flies out of your hand and has a great snappy feeling, and it looks fantastic. Love this knife and would recommend it to everyone!

First automatic. The Launch 1 is a nice size for EDC and the design is nice and comfortable in hand. I love the blade style and shape. Came extremely sharp out of the box. Buy it, any of the Launch seried will impress you with the snappiness of opening.

Rookie to automatics, but an old guy, so not a rookie to knives. Very solid build, fits well in the hand. Opens like lightening. Razor sharp right out of the box. Can't wait to show it off to my brother 😉

Have been a long time Kershaw owner and just added this beauty to my collection. It's now going to be my choice EDC. Great shipping / processing guys thanks!

Sturdier (Beefy) than my Buck auto. This is now my carry knife. I'll be looking over other Kershaw autos.

Okay so i have had this knife for 2 years and i put it through hell. Using it as a screw driver (tip has not bent) as a hammer, to cut sod, its been in water snow and had ice melt on it several times and there is no rust. i have never oiled the pivot point and this thing still launches open. I have been through several daily carry's (including other brands) but i have not had a new one since this knife.

This knife is Incredible!!!!! Great balance, blade quality, and per the title you need a firm grip on this knife when you mash the button because it will launch out of you hand. In my humble opinion the Launch series are probably the best open blade assist available.

This knife is large, but inspite of being large the blade is thin. This makes it an excellent slicer with amazing action! All of that coupled with a simple build design has convinced me I want.... no, I NEED the rest of the launch series.

Bought this blade as my first auto and daily carried for 3+ years. This thing slaps open today as hard as the first day I received it. She'll jump right out of your hand if you ain't got a grip. I love the blackwash, and the black/black combo. The edge is still sharp and cuts anything that gets in the way. Love that it was made in the USA. Everyone should have one of these in their arsenal. Just buy it already!

Excellent grip and a very sharp blade. Very Happy with the purchase!!

The blade shape on the first Launch has to be my favorite out of all the Launch's, Belly for days. Smooth auto action and feels sturdy in hand! CPM-154 retains a sharp edge for solid amount of time. All in all its a great blade to have in your collection.

This was my 1st Kershaw auto knife. I have since acquired two more. I functions flawlessly and keeps a sharp edge. Kershaw is really good about sending you parts, like handle screws if they fall out. No charge for them. Same features and quality of other knives at a third of the cost.

Well made and fast deployment, slightly larger than my last EDC but still comfortable.

Awesome knife, I looked for several days online and compared numerous knife of all kinds in search of my new EDC. This met all of my expectations, and is great knife, I love it!

Wonderful piece of work. I have had many auto assist Kershaws and this impressed me . Nice feel in the hand and light weight. If you hunt also a great tool. Easy to manipulate for cleaning game. Hot water and soap a little wipe down and like new.

I have had for over a year now and carry every day and it still performs a well as the day it arrived. the action is powerful and after opening hundreds of times is still just as strong as the first time the blade has no play its nice and tight and the coating on the handle has held up impressively well i also really like the finish they did on the blade it looks a little scuffed up but due to that the blade always looks as good the day you got it out of the box because new scratches just blend in with the finish, it is easily my favorite knife and dont think i would ever replace it ive even considered getting another in case i lose one. kershaw has earned a customer for life with this one

Wow! Just got my Launch 1 and a Boker Kalishnikov from Blade HQ and I could not be happier. I own an ultratech and a benchmade presidio 2 auto but this thing is amazing. They are both great knives for the money but the Launch 1 is everything one could ask for in an Auto EDC - it's lightweight, sharp and absolutely gorgeous in person. I know some people will say that autos should never be used for EDC but I can't see this failing. I'll use the AK for work but the kershaw will be carried on the regular. The fact that it didn't cost me $400 will ensure that I won't get upset if it gets beat up.

This knife is amazing. Beyond fast deployment. Solid lockup. Great belly. The best automatic I've ever owned. Possibly the best knife I've ever had. Five stars!

It arrived yesterday... let's see how it goes with my new autoknive!!! I’ll let you know...

Absolutely Love This Knife, So Much I Purchased A Launch 5#. A Perfect Pair.

It works well lockup is solid came super sharp deffinietly worth picking up

I have truly been a kershaw fan for years, weather it be there budget friendly models or the always sweet Zero Tolerance line, but this knife is so smooth so snappy so Razer sharp that i have to own the whole line off Kershaw Launch Autos. If you dont have one get one asap its worth every dollar.

Let me just start by saying this knife is phenomenal. I purchased this knife about a year and a half ago and it was my primary EDC for nearly a year. It’s blackwash finish has held up incredibly and still looks great. The blade shape is well suited for EDC tasks such as breaking down boxes, opening mail and pretty much everything else you throw at it. The only thing I wouldn’t use this knife for is food prep, the blackwash coating can rub off onto food and I would prefer not to eat black oxide. My only complaint was that after about 8 months the spring broke, I think I just had a bad spring. I sent it to Kershaw and they fixed right up, they also sent my knife back shaving sharp. I would highly recommend this knife to everyone!

The launch 1 has been a great knife. As my title suggests, this guy is one snappy MOFO. It flys out of there, and will fly out of your hand if your not griping it good. As for the other traits, the knife has amazing amount of belly. As such she will slice through just about anything. CPM 154 seems to be good thus far, I've only had to hone it a bit. I wish I had actually got a colored variant, but this is still a good looking knife. The stonewash blade really hides scratches well. If I had any negative thing to say it would have to be the clip. It does not give this a very deep carry.

Purchased back in 2016 and rocked it as my EDC most days since. Great design, easy to carry, not too heavy. Certainly worth the money.

Feels good in the hand. Looks great. No doubt a high quality knife and feels Rock solid. Plus it's made in the USA. Also I love the little American flag on the handle. Great job Kershaw. No blade play either

Having carried a variety of folders for the past 24+ years, most issued on active duty, I have gravitated to this model for a few reasons. How easy it is to carry. Not bulky - somewhat slim for an automatic. Doesn't tear my pants up. Rides deep enough. Pocket clip is very retentive. Comes razor sharp from the factory. Blade pops out with a purpose - strong deployment. The blackwash finish hides almost all wear on the blade. Anodizing of the handles has been very resilient through everyday pocket carry and use. I'm impressed with this knife enough that I'll probably end up ordering another just so I can rotate it through sharpenings. And they kept it in the US. Job well done, Kershaw. 👍🇺🇸👍

Absolutely love this automatic knife, it has blown all of my expectations away. After doing some research before I purchased this knife, I found that many people were having problems with the lockup. I have not had a single problem with the lockup, or had any other issues. Awesome knife for the price, great quality, highly recommend.

Awesome automatic knife! Great action and extremely sharp straight from the factory. My only complaint is the grip, but other than that another great knife from Kershaw. I highly recommend this knife.

Aluminum is wearing a little giving it distressed look I love. Steal holds up great. Needs a new edge about once or twice a year. Opening this auto makes me smile every time. Only criticism is the pocket clip could be a little deeper carry would be nice.

This is a great knife for the money. I really like the blackwash finish and the CPM154 steel. This is my first Kershaw auto. I already have a collection of Protech autos. This one is similar in size and shape to a Protech Rockeye, but about half the price. When you compare the two side by side you can see that the Protech is slightly better made, but not 2x the price better. This one makes me think my Protech knives were over priced. I hope Kershaw comes out with more autos. I don't really like the looks of the other knifes in the Launch series.

I have about 60 Kershaw's, 30 Sogs and many more, but I really love my Kershaw launch 1. It's a great knife for the money hope they make another line of automatics.

This is my first Auto by Kershaw, the Launch 1, and I just love it for the quality, tight yet smooth operation, obviously sharp, and very unique & cool appearance! I collect and love knives just for me, have dozens to play with, but I'll tell you this is a great representation of USA Quality, and Value. Highly recommended for a thin, light pocket knife. Scottro

The Launch 1 is my 6th Kershaw knife and my third Kershaw automatic. I like the look, the feel and the very positive spring and lockup. The broad sturdy blade was razor sharp right out of the box and I'm sure it will stay that way for awhile so I haven't even thought about honing it yet. My intended use for the Launch 1 will be for general use and daily carry as well as a backup hunting/skinning knife. My experience with all of my Kershaw blades has been a very good one. It keeps me coming back often to look at their current offerings. IMHO, you get a lot of bang for your bucks from Kershaw and you just cannot have too many great knives! "Life's too short for dull blades, bad wine, cheap whiskey or weak coffee!"RS

This knife is pretty awesome. It comes super sharp and is light and slim. It's not what I would call a hard use knife like the rogue, which was built like a tank. But it's still a great product. I bought this blade for work and have been impressed with it so far. It's a great knife for less than $100 get one you'll love it.

I have only been collecting knives for about 6 months but I now have 11 knives. I have done a lot of reading and made some "educated guesses". I have sort of leaned toward middle of the line production knives. I have 5 automatics and although I like them all, some seem better than others. This Kershaw Launch 1 is one of the best. When you open the box and take it out, you look at it and think 'very nice'. When you take it in your hand and push the red open button, it snaps open so hard that it will make you smile. When open there is no side play at all. This is a great knife and I am very glad I got it. Great job Kershaw.

Kershaw introduced great product witht this knife. Build quality is excellent and blade is razor sharp from factory. 154cm gives knife good steel as a base to operate. Deployment is fast and strong; better hang on tight.

Best auto by Kershaw yet. Protech should take a hint and either up their quality or drop their prices. What the LUDT used to be for a lot less.

Love the knife, and super fast shipping on bladehq's part. Opens hard, very good craftsmanship. The button could be a little smoother when deploying, but other than that near perfect

The knife is near perfect. Pocket clip needs a bit of work but that is very minor. Wicked fast so please hang onto knife. Beautiful fit and finish. Great blade shape and I'm in love. Maybe best of my 30+ Kershaw owned knives.

The fit, finish and blade deployment is excellent for an auto under $100. This knife is as good or better than knives selling for much much more. This knife is priced right to be one of Kershaw's best all time selling knife series.

I purchased this knife due to it's large blade, it can be used for everyday tasks including food preparation. The knife came beautiful anodized, with a smooth stonewashed blade. The factory edge is satisfactory however nothing to get excited about. The blade is centered and the automatic spring kicks with force. Overall for the price I believe it to be a great package. 5/5

What some of the other reviewers said is true - hold on to it when trying it out for the first time :-) It fires with authority. Locks up solid - no movement up or down or side to side. The blade had a perfect factory edge on it (almost looked slightly polished). Centered blade. Did not think I'd like the clip, but it's actually pretty functional. The knife is light and slim for a full-sized blade. One star off for the lack of any grip patterning on the handle - the aluminum does get slippery. Was skeptical about the lack of safety, but Kai seems to have figured out a way to recess the button just so - no accidental deployments thus far.

I totally agree with all of the positive comments on this knife. I do have one negative comment. The push button deployment was very sticky and gritty to the point that it required significant effort to actuate. The application of graphite to the mechanism has helped. I'll update on this issue in a couple of months.

Kershaw makes the best autos for under $100. Cant go wrong with any of them. I do not like the looks of this one but it carrys great and feels so good in hand

I bought mine from Blade HQ, and have owned it close to a year or so. I use it quite a bit. The only issue I had with mine was that it wasn’t all that sharp out of the box. A quick edge hone and strop cleared the issue right up. It’s hair popping sharp and holds and edge very well. I will also note that after months of carrying, you might want to take it apart to clean and lube the pivot. It’s a very easy knife to service. Disassembly and reassembly is a snap. Being a former USAF service member, the American flag makes me proud to own it. If it were lost or stolen, I’d buy another in a heartbeat.

Very well made knife. a nice affordable automatic to add to your collection. It would be 5 stars but the glad was a bit off center but still a very good knife. Very happy with the purchase

So personally I think this is the best looking of the launch bunch. Blade steel is great and this thing slices. One gripe is the aluminum handles offer little grip and this thing gets slick when wet. Pair that with fast action opening and hang on. Other than that, it’s a great knife. Kershaw is doing autos pretty well. Go figure

It's great but not perfect, has nice lines, looks very good, cuts pretty good, handles pretty good, but.. if you are doing some hard cutting it will hurt because its very slim but for everything else its perfect.

Got mine and loved the size and forcefulness of the action. There is 1 issue that still has me on the edge with it. When pushing the button it has a gritty feel to it. I've tried oiling it and it does seem to help, to a point, but still has that grit feel to it. Disappointed in that part but overall a good knife.

Hate to say something negative about a Kershaw knife however; for a good sized auto knife, with excellent action, this is slippery in the hand.

Received this item today. My rating is 3 stars. Cause. The release button, when pressed, emits a grinding of metal on metal. Heard and given to the finger. Very unpleasant sensation. In general, I did not get the expected pleasure from the purchased product.

So weak, wo weak, so weak. Many of the of the spring assist non auto-knives open faster and with more authority.

I just received this knife and I have to be honest...it was a disappointment. After seeing all the reviews about the ergos and the rock solid lockup, I was really excited to finally get to purchase one to add to my automatic collection. Unfortunately, after receiving it, I have found it has the typical up and down play that a lot of automatics have. Plus, there are hot spots from the handle and wasn't really very comfortable in my hand. Sad to say, I will be returning it to BHQ for an exchange on something better. I would like to point out that BHQ always has the best customer service and this experience hasn't swayed my overall excellent opinion of them in the slightest.

Rubs and Grinds while trying to open. How did this not pass some sort of quality check? It will not open without pressing it 5 times. Started the return process three days ago and have not heard anything. So disappointed in Blade HQ. First-time ordering will likely be my last.

Got it, took it to work, and within 5 hours it would no longer open. I used it roughly 4 times to cut through some plastic and it got wet. Last Kershaw I ever get.

Everything that has been said about this knife in previous reviews is correct (sharp blade, snappy opening). But nobody is mentioning the handle. The only way I would EDC this knife is if I could get a non-slip coating to stick to the handle. The black, anodized handle is slick...WAY TOO SLICK to ever trust with my life. I can't even imagine how slick it would be if your hands were bloody. If I can get a non-slip coating to stick to the handle, then I'll take it to my grinder and try to rough it up enough to safely handle. If that doesn't work, I'll throw it away.