Kershaw launch 6 thoughts?

palonej said:
There are 2 YT vids showing the problem......Will Moon & Luv Them Knives. Both vids are done when the reviewers weren't familiar with the knives.......both bounce and do not lock up.
I bought a 1 & a 3, brand new from Blade HQ......and neither one locked up unless I held the knife with the blade spine pointing up. Any other position and the blade would bounce off the pin....no lock up.
The problem, as I see it, is the spring only has tension on it for half the length of travel. This allows the bounce.
Every Pro Tech, Benchmade & Microtech I have, around 15, always lock up no matter how the knife is held. The springs on them supply tension for the entire length of travel.
I can take any one of them and hold the button down as long as I want......let go of the button and they are locked up. Not so with the Launches I had.
Called Kershaw & they sent me new springs......same thing.
Called them back and they told me to tighten the pivot. That just slowed the action down.
The Launches are the only auto I have seen that has no tension on the blade after the half way mark.
Don't wanna seem like a downer, but this is exactly what I found with 2 brand new Launches.
Maybe the newer ones are better?? I got them when they first came out.
Joe
Click to expand...



EXACTLY my experience as well. most recently with the emerson launch 5. not only did it not have blade tension after 1/2 way open, even when locked up it had more vertical play than a damn 1990s pakistani folder... needless to say i gave it away as i could feel right about selling the piece of shit to someone else..
 
I had the same issue with them and have owned three different ones. It's unfortunate as I really like the designs and the fact that Kershaw was brave enough to get in to that market.
 
I have a Launch 4.
Fires flawlessly but I think it has a lot to do with the size.

I second the Protech recommendation. Look at the TR3 and TR4. Fire hard and lock up strong every time plus their CS is second to none.
 
When I said they lack texture what I mean is I look at an auto as a tactical knife and if the index finger can just slide right onto the blade it's not gonna be in my pocket.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
 
I will have to make a video showing the 5 I have and how none lock up correctly in certain opening positions

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
 
SoCalEDC said:
I have a Launch 4.
Fires flawlessly but I think it has a lot to do with the size.

I second the Protech recommendation. Look at the TR3 and TR4. Fire hard and lock up strong every time plus their CS is second to none.
Click to expand...
Well the thing is im not looking for an auto... lol I just liked this particular knife. I like the tr3 manual but I don't understand why they are so much more than the auto

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
I would suspect the reason to be Protech makes more autos..I dunno.
I wish they made a flipper. I have a TR5 spring assist I carry here in California. I love it as my main EDC knife but it fires open with a thumbstud not a protrusion which I wish it had.
 
buffalo01 said:
Well the thing is im not looking for an auto... lol I just liked this particular knife. I like the tr3 manual but I don't understand why they are so much more than the auto

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Manual TR3 is Titanium and has s35n blade steel. Auto is aluminum and 154cm.
Here's mine......had it anodized.
Excellent knife!! Extremely smooth with an awesome blade shape that locks up TIGHT!!!
Joe
554ee1c753cb5ae4a99e4f3ad94cd758.jpg
 
I haven't had any problems with my Launch 1, 2, or 3. I do have an intermittent issue with the blade bouncing off the stop pin on one of my four Breakouts. It doesn't do it if you don't grip the handle tightly. I think that the issue is caused by the lock button not returning to the home position quickly/smoothly enough, either from lack of lubrication or from grittiness, or a weak button spring (also possibly to a small extent from operator error). An extra strong pivot spring only adds to the issue.
 
Well you guys made me pull out some of my switchblades to see if any of mine had this problem. I've got Launch 1, 2, 3, and 5, BM AFO II, Protech CQC7, TR3 and SnG. My Launch 5 definitely fails to lock up the most, maybe once every 20 times. Although it has seemed to decrease the more I've used it. The Launch 2 and 3 fail to lock less often and definitely fire open the hardest of any of these knives. The Launch 1, AFO II, and 3 Protechs haven't failed to lock up in my short experiment tonite.

Like Will Moon mentioned in his video maybe the buttons are binding a little and will smooth out with use and maybe a little light lube will help.

Thanks for making me aware of this. Its just something to keep my eye on when I'm using the Launches and make sure they're locked once open. Its not enough of a problem for me to get rid of them because they're just too much fun to play with.

31595797541_b32ca195be_b.jpg
 
Last edited:
the Launch series is well known to suffer from lock bounce. some can adjust the pivot to temporarily solve the issue but it isnt a permanent fix. the lock bounce happens opening it the right way or not. some do it and some do not. i have a 5 that was perfect and eventually started doing it after a year plus.

the misfiring the glock comparison was interesting as my glocks you can limp wrist upside down etc all day and it fires each and every time. kershaw knows they have a problem with these knives. all that said i like them and im willing to put up with the issue. i just make sure the knife is locked open before i try to cut anything with them.
 
i just got a launch 6 today in the mail. its my first auto and i like it. i like the lightweight and like the super sharp blade too.
i have to get used a knife that isnt a liner/frame lock for closing purposes.

it does deploy with force and purpose though.
 
I got a launch 5 today and have been firing it and noticed that the button is gritty on the first part pushing it in to deploy. Just feels really gritty not smooth at all... it does fire really good and locks up and it doesn’t matter if I hold the button it still locks. But the button issue is annoying... I don’t want to take it apart and void my warranty. Should i just clean it and if so how do I get whatever is griming my button out. I don’t want to damage it. A guy on YT said he put Rem Oil in it?
 
JayPo said:
I got a launch 5 today and have been firing it and noticed that the button is gritty on the first part pushing it in to deploy. Just feels really gritty not smooth at all... it does fire really good and locks up and it doesn’t matter if I hold the button it still locks. But the button issue is annoying... I don’t want to take it apart and void my warranty. Should i just clean it and if so how do I get whatever is griming my button out. I don’t want to damage it. A guy on YT said he put Rem Oil in it?
Click to expand...

The Launch knives are dead up easy to take apart. Also, I don't think it voids your warranty. When I have contacted KAI about weak firing they have just sent me a set of springs to install myself.

I promise you, it's not a swiss watch puzzle box in there. I had a SOG assisted opening knife I took apart and couldn't get it back together. The Launch is made to be serviced.
When you take it apart you'll just find a little coil spring that pops in one way. Just keep in mind how it came apart, and you'll be fine.

As for your gritty button, you can try a bit of oil in there. Or you can just pop the button out when you take the knife apart. It could be a bit of grit in the spring or maybe a bit of material left over in the cutout. I bet a quick wash and wipe will fix it. If not, a very light polishing by hand with a mild abrasive polish on the edge of hole the button rides in may take care of it.

Good luck!
 
I had a Launch 1 and it worked perfectly. No lock issues at all. I recently thought about buying the 6 since I like the look of the design but after watching this video below I decided against it. I never thought about clip issues.

 
One thing about Kershaw is you can get parts from them. That tells me, your warranty will not be voided due to disassembly.
I got a Launch 3 a little bit ago, and it was a real ricochet rabbit. I sent them an email asking if there was an updated spring design available. A few days later, a new constant tension spring showed up in the mail.
It made a huge difference.
It will also improve the action if you polish the part of the button that engages the tang.
It took a tiny bit of effort, but now it's a great "value priced" auto.
 
Not really into autos. The one that seems to get the most consistently solid reviews is the tiny Launch 4. And that's the only one I would personally consider buying. The 4 seems like a really neat and useful little cutter.
 
I tried the Launch 4.. I have large hands and the first time I fired the knife it almost flew out of my hand.. Tried a few more times and boxed it up and returned.. I REALLLY wanted to like this Quality knife but was afraid it was a matter of time before it ended up flying out of my hand.. They are KOOL though!!:cool:
John
 
I think the 7 fires and handles the best for my needs. It's super light with an industrial/modern look, but if those things don't bother you it's a solid little performer for the money.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
The Launch knives are dead up easy to take apart. Also, I don't think it voids your warranty. When I have contacted KAI about weak firing they have just sent me a set of springs to install myself.

I promise you, it's not a swiss watch puzzle box in there. I had a SOG assisted opening knife I took apart and couldn't get it back together. The Launch is made to be serviced.
When you take it apart you'll just find a little coil spring that pops in one way. Just keep in mind how it came apart, and you'll be fine.

As for your gritty button, you can try a bit of oil in there. Or you can just pop the button out when you take the knife apart. It could be a bit of grit in the spring or maybe a bit of material left over in the cutout. I bet a quick wash and wipe will fix it. If not, a very light polishing by hand with a mild abrasive polish on the edge of hole the button rides in may take care of it.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
UPDATE: - I applied some oil and it made it fire hard but I feel like I’m still scrutinizing the button firing... as far as functionality goes it is cracking good and locking up fine. I guess I’ve just read all these posts and watched all the YouTube videos and now I’m being critical because it’s my new baby. Thanks for the
Steely_Gunz said:
I think the 7 fires and handles the best for my needs. It's super light with an industrial/modern look, but if those things don't bother you it's a solid little performer for the money.
Click to expand...

When I went to house of blades I seriously considered the 7 - they had a beautiful grey and a teal... I handled them and the size didn’t bother me. It’s a LONG knife but you’re right about how light it is for a long knife. The only thing is it was about $60 more than my launch 5. I considered the 7 - now you make me want one
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top