Kershaw Launch 21 Auto – 3.45″ CPM M4 Drop Point Blade, Raw Aluminum & Black G-10 Handle USA Made – 7106RAW

The Kershaw Launch 21 7106RAW is a USA-made side-button automatic folder with a 3.45-inch CPM M4 drop point blade on a raw aluminum and black G-10 handle — the highest edge retention and wear resistance blade steel in the Launch lineup, on a two-material handle that pairs unfinished raw aluminum with the structural grip of black G-10.

CPM M4 is a high-speed tool steel produced by Crucible Industries through the same powder metallurgy process used for CPM MagnaCut and CPM-154 — but with a completely different performance profile. Where CPM MagnaCut optimizes across edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance simultaneously, CPM M4 pushes the edge retention and wear resistance envelope to its maximum in a production knife steel, accepting higher carbon and vanadium content in exchange for the highest abrasion resistance available in a production automatic folder. The result is a steel that holds a working edge through significantly more cutting cycles than CPM MagnaCut, CPM-154, or D2 — particularly under abrasive cutting tasks like rope, cardboard, and fibrous materials that accelerate wear on lower-carbide steels. The trade-off is explicit: CPM M4 is not stainless. It requires more active moisture management than the stainless and semi-stainless options in the Launch lineup — wipe dry after any moisture exposure and oil regularly. For buyers who prioritize cutting performance above all other steel properties and are willing to maintain their blade, CPM M4 in a production automatic folder is an extraordinary offering. The raw aluminum handle is exactly what it sounds like: uncoated, unfinished aluminum showing the natural silver-grey of the bare metal rather than an anodized layer. Raw aluminum develops its own natural patina with handling and carry, showing contact marks, oils, and wear as genuine use character. The black G-10 scales pair with the raw aluminum frame for grip texture and structural reinforcement — G-10 (fiberglass composite) is virtually impervious to moisture and temperature variation, making the raw aluminum and black G-10 combination a handle that can handle hard use without handle material concerns. All assembled in Tualatin, Oregon on Kershaw’s USA production floor.

• Blade: CPM M4 tool steel, drop point profile — the highest edge retention and wear resistance in the Launch lineup; demands active moisture maintenance in exchange for exceptional cutting performance; powder metallurgy construction for uniform carbide distribution
• Handle: Raw aluminum and black G-10 — unfinished aluminum that develops patina with carry alongside fiberglass composite G-10 scales that provide grip texture and moisture resistance; the most materially honest handle combination in the Launch series
• 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 (confirm clip configuration)

Performance-focused buyers who prioritize maximum edge retention and wear resistance above corrosion resistance — CPM M4 holds a working edge through more cutting cycles than any other steel in the Launch lineup and is the right choice for buyers who cut frequently and want to sharpen less often, and who understand and accept the active moisture maintenance that CPM M4 requires. Knife enthusiasts and collectors who appreciate raw aluminum’s honest, patina-developing character alongside G-10’s practical grip — the 7106RAW is the most materially unadorned and performance-focused combination in the Launch 21 lineup. Buyers completing the Launch 21 series who want the CPM M4 raw aluminum variant as the edge-retention-maximum, highest-performance-steel piece in the lineup.

CPM M4 drop point, raw aluminum and black G-10, USA-made side-button automatic, and Kershaw Lifetime Warranty — the Kershaw Launch 21 7106RAW is the maximum-edge-retention automatic folder in Kershaw’s Launch lineup.

Specifications