Kershaw Launch 16 Auto – 3.45″ CPM M4 Black Cerakote Tanto Blade, Olive Cerakote Aluminum Handle with Trac-Tec Inserts USA Made – 7105OLBLK

The Kershaw Launch 16 7105OLBLK is a USA-made side-button automatic folder with a 3.45-inch CPM M4 black Cerakote tanto blade on an olive Cerakote aluminum handle with Trac-Tec inserts — the most field-hardened and tactically purposeful Launch 16 configuration, pairing the maximum-edge-retention tool steel in the Launch lineup with the most durable blade coating in the series and a field-carry olive handle system with textured polymer grip inserts.

CPM M4 is a high-speed tool steel produced by Crucible Industries through the powder metallurgy process — the highest edge retention and wear resistance of any steel in the Kershaw Launch lineup, significantly outperforming CPM MagnaCut, CPM-154, and D2 in sustained cutting endurance under abrasive tasks, at the explicit trade-off of corrosion resistance. CPM M4 is not stainless. The Cerakote coating on the 7105OLBLK addresses that trade-off with the most robust protective finish available on any production automatic folder. Cerakote is a polymer-ceramic composite coating applied by spray and thermally cured — harder than PVD, more impact and abrasion resistant than black-oxide, and available in colors that PVD cannot replicate. The black Cerakote blade coating adds a functional corrosion barrier on top of the CPM M4 substrate that is more durable and more abrasion-resistant at the blade face than a standard black PVD layer. On the handle, olive Cerakote aluminum carries the same field-carry tactical signal as OD green anodize — the most militarily purposeful and field-credible color in the production automatic market — while the Cerakote’s polymer-ceramic hardness adds impact resistance to the handle surface beyond what anodize alone provides. Trac-Tec inserts are Kershaw’s proprietary textured polymer grip panel system, providing positive tactile grip that distinguishes them from smooth G-10 and from the warmth of Micarta — a purpose-built texture system for positive grip under hard-use conditions. The tanto geometry concentrates the chisel-ground secondary edge at a reinforced tip for maximum penetration force on a deployment axis where OTF-style axial alignment and penetration are prioritized. All assembled in Tualatin, Oregon on Kershaw’s USA production floor.

• Blade: CPM M4 tool steel, tanto profile, black Cerakote finish — the highest edge retention and wear resistance in the Launch lineup under the most durable and abrasion-resistant black coating available; Cerakote provides a harder and more field-resilient corrosion barrier than PVD; requires moisture maintenance after Cerakote wear at edge bevel
• Handle: Olive Cerakote aluminum with Trac-Tec inserts — the most field-hardened handle in the Launch series; Cerakote adds impact and abrasion resistance beyond anodize; olive reads as militarily purposeful in every field carry context; Trac-Tec inserts provide positive tactile grip distinct from G-10 and Micarta
• Deployment: Side-button automatic — press the button on the spine; KVT ball-bearing pivot; liner lock retention
• Carry: USA made, field-hardened tanto configuration (confirm clip configuration)

Military, law enforcement, first responders, and hard-use tactical carry professionals who want the maximum-edge-retention CPM M4 steel in the most field-hardened automatic folder configuration available — the 7105OLBLK combines M4’s extraordinary cutting performance with Cerakote’s superior coating durability and olive’s unambiguous field-carry signal. Buyers who carry in environments where abrasion, impact, and moisture are regular carry conditions and want the most resilient blade and handle coating combination available on a USA-made production automatic. Collectors and enthusiasts completing the Launch 16 family who want the CPM M4 field-carry Cerakote tanto alongside the Launch 16 Damascus tanto as the full two-steel Launch 16 set.

CPM M4, black Cerakote tanto, olive Cerakote aluminum with Trac-Tec inserts, USA-made side-button automatic, and Kershaw Lifetime Warranty — the Kershaw Launch 16 7105OLBLK is the most field-hardened automatic in the Launch lineup.

Specifications