TheKershaw Launch 1 7100BW is a sturdy automatic knife, featuring an American CPM 154 stainless steel blade, a discreet deployment button and contoured anodized aluminum liners.
Tool steel
Theknife has an 86mm-long blade made of hard 154CM tool steel, which is tempered to a hardness of 58-60 HRC, which is optimal for edc knives. 154CM is a molybdenum-added stainless steel with a very high carbon content, which can be described as an improved version of 440C.
The American steel is particularly valued for its resistance to corrosion and wear (high impact strength), long maintenance of working sharpness and relative ease of sharpening.
Utility head
The wide blade with a utilitarian drop-point profile is coated with a layer of black oxide (BlackWash finish), which partially protects the blade from scratches and gives it a tactical look.
Thanks to the use of a sharp hilt, a flat grind and a cutting edge with a gently rounded line, the knife penetrates easily and has excellent cutting properties. The thickness of the blade at its widest point is 3 mm, which is a compromise between durability and functionality of the knife in everyday work.
The back section of the ridge has been slightly beveled, which allows the thumb to rest comfortably while working.
Automatic unfolding
The most important feature of the automatic knife, is its extremely comfortable and easy unfolding system.
Unlike models with an assisted head, in an automatic knife unfolding the blade requires only pressing a button, which is responsible for releasing the lock and activating the internal spring.
Folding the blade requires pressing the button again and manually retracting the blade. Such functionality makes the "automatics" very popular among soldiers, uniformed service personnel and the rapidly growing group of edc enthusiasts.
The release button is embedded in a milled cutout, so it does not protrude above the handle, which in turn effectively prevents accidental unfolding of the blade. Extreme caution and prudence are recommended when using an automatic knife.
Lightweight handle
The knife has ergonomic liners made of anodized 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum that form a monolithic unit with the backspacer.
The anodized coating is resistant to fading, scratching and abrasion, which guarantees the knife's attractive appearance for a long time. The contoured shape of the grip and the deep cutout for the index finger makes the knife very secure in the hand and very comfortable to use.
The back of the handle is ribbed for attaching a decorative paracordtail, which makes it easier and faster to get the knife out of your pocket. Discreet carrying of the knife in the pocket is made possible by a short clip with the possibility of mounting in 2 positions.
