Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Weight
Cons: Pocket Clip
Competent, slim in the pocket, solid lock up. Clip and button nitpicks
A very good-looking knife with smooth deployment and solid lock-up. It fits well in my hand and feels solid, with typical Kershaw quality and the benefits of Magnacut steel. I have a couple of minor issues, neither of which are deal-breakers. Context: I've used a Kershaw S30V Blur as my EDC for years, and the slimmer profile of the Launch 17 fits better in my pocket. That slim profile and the Magnacut steel motivated me to try the Launch 17 as my EDC. Practically, the Blur deploys just as fast as the Launch, so there's no speed advantage for me between the auto Launch and the assisted/manual opening Blur. The blade shape is very usable for an EDC, perhaps even better than the chonkier Blur's shape. Nits: The push button is about 1mm too short, making it harder to deploy the blade than it should be. The button action also feels gritty as if the parts weren't polished enough. Using a small amount of gun oil helped but didn't completely fix it. The belt clip is too narrow at the tip, making it hard to get it over the edge of my pocket. A larger, rounded shape on the tip with more upward cant angle would help. I read there are other Kershaw belt clips that can be swapped onto the Launch 17, which I'll look into later. Overall no regrets at all, this a good knife at a reasonable price. If you're looking for a slimmer profile automatic EDC with good ergonomics and the best possible steel you can get, this should be on your list of possibles. Keep in mind the Blur is also available in Magnacut, and if your local laws forbid auto knives (boo!), look closely at the Blur instead.