KAI USA Ltd announced a new automatically opening knife under the Kershaw brand. Called the Launch 7, the knife opens with the push of a button. All of Kershaw’s automatic knives use the name Launch, with this one being the seventh distinctive design.

Made in the United States, the Launch 7 has a 3.75″ long blade with a clip point. The blade is made of CPM 154 steel with a diamond like carbon (DLC) coating. In addition to being hard, the coating should help prevent corrosion and abrasion damage. To fold the knife, you release the lock by pressing the same button that was used to open it.

The handle is made of anodized aluminum with an integrated back spacer. Kershaw machined the handle to give it a modern, industrial look. The pocket clip is reversible to make it easier for right and left handed carry.

This Tim Galyean designed knife is 3.2 ounces and 5″ when closed. When opened, it has an overall length of 8.6″.

Due to various and arcane laws surrounding the ownership of automatic opening knives, Kershaw is not selling these knives online. Instead, the Launch 7 will only be available through local dealers. [insert rant about knife rights here] The suggested retail price of the Launch 7 is $159.99. For a made in the USA automatic knife, that price doesn’t seem too bad.