Kershaw Launch 23 Auto – 3.3″ CPM-154 Two-Tone Trailing Point Blade, FDE Anodized Machined Aluminum Handle USA Made – 7305

The Kershaw Launch 23 7305 is a USA-made side-button automatic folder in CPM-154 steel with a two-tone trailing point blade and a FDE anodized machined aluminum handle — a blade geometry built for slicing performance, a premium stainless tool steel, and a field-carry earth-tone handle, all on Kershaw’s refined automatic deployment platform.

The Launch series represents Kershaw’s highest-tier USA-made automatic folder production — side-button deployment through a KVT ball-bearing pivot for fast, smooth one-hand deployment from a closed position, liner lock retention, and blade steel that positions each variant precisely in the performance hierarchy. The Launch 23 runs CPM-154, a Crucible powder metallurgy version of the classic 154CM stainless alloy. The powder metallurgy process produces a more refined, more uniform carbide distribution than the conventional melt version, translating to better edge retention, better toughness, and cleaner sharpening behavior than standard 154CM while retaining its excellent corrosion resistance. For a carry knife used in field and professional environments, CPM-154 is a highly practical steel choice — corrosion-resistant, capable of taking a very fine edge, and sharpenable on standard ceramic and diamond equipment. The trailing point blade geometry on the 7305 is one of the most specialized and underrepresented profiles in the automatic knife market — the spine curves upward so the tip sits above the centerline of the blade, producing the longest, most continuous cutting belly of any blade geometry. Where a spear point or tanto optimizes for tip strength and penetration, the trailing point optimizes for draw cuts, slicing, and tasks where blade-to-material contact length is the performance driver. The FDE (Flat Dark Earth) anodized machined aluminum handle is a field-carry colorway that reads as purposeful and professional without the tactical-all-black default — textured machined aluminum that carries grip and practical aesthetic in any environment. All assembled in Tualatin, Oregon on Kershaw’s USA production floor.

• Blade: CPM-154 stainless steel, trailing point profile, two-tone finish — powder metallurgy stainless with excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance; trailing point geometry maximizes cutting belly and draw-cut performance; two-tone finish shows the blade’s grind geometry clearly
• Handle: FDE anodized machined aluminum — field-carry earth tone in a textured machined handle that provides positive grip; one of the most practical and carry-purposeful colorways in the Launch lineup
• Deployment: Side-button automatic — press the button on the spine; KVT ball-bearing pivot delivers fast, smooth, one-hand deployment; liner lock retention
• Carry: Tip-up, USA made, reversible clip (confirm configuration)

Buyers who want a USA-made automatic folder with a trailing point blade — the Launch 23’s trailing point is a geometry that does not appear elsewhere in the Kershaw automatic lineup, optimized for slicing and draw-cut performance rather than the penetration focus of tanto or spear point variants. Outdoor, hunting, fishing, and field carry buyers who want an automatic folder with the belly-forward blade profile that performs best on game, rope, and tasks requiring sustained draw cuts. FDE carry buyers who want a field-ready automatic folder that carries with earth-tone credibility in tactical, outdoor, and professional environments without committing to all-black. CPM-154 buyers who want the cleaner, more uniform powder metallurgy version of the classic 154CM formula in a USA-made Kershaw automatic.

CPM-154, two-tone trailing point, FDE machined aluminum, USA-made side-button automatic, and Kershaw Lifetime Warranty — the Launch 23 7305 is the field-carry slicing-optimized automatic in Kershaw’s Launch lineup.

Specifications