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Knife: Meaning in CS2

Definition

A CS2 knife is a cosmetic melee weapon skin in the gold Rare Special Item tier, obtained from cases, Covert trade-ups or other players, and it is usually the most valuable item type in a trading inventory.

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A knife in CS2 replaces the default melee weapon with a different model and finish. The model is the shape. The ByMykel item dataset lists 20 models: Karambit, Butterfly Knife, M9 Bayonet, Bayonet, Flip Knife, Gut Knife, Huntsman, Falchion, Shadow Daggers, Bowie, Navaja, Stiletto, Talon, Ursus, Skeleton, Nomad, Survival, Paracord, Classic Knife and Kukri. The finish is the paint, such as Doppler, Fade, Case Hardened, Tiger Tooth, Marble Fade, Slaughter, Crimson Web or Lore.

Knives belong to the Rare Special Item tier, the gold slot in a case with 0.256% odds per opening in the odds published by Perfect World, Valve's publisher in China. Because knives are rare and easy to show off, they anchor the top end of the skin market.

What decides how much a knife is worth?

Four things stack together. The model matters most: Karambit, Butterfly and M9 Bayonet usually top the list. Then the finish, then the wear tier and float, then special traits like Doppler phase, Fade percentage, Case Hardened pattern or StatTrak. A Factory New Butterfly Knife | Fade with a high fade percentage can cost many times a Battle-Scarred Gut Knife | Safari Mesh, even though both are knives.

Some finishes only exist on some models, and some finishes cannot reach every wear tier because of their float cap. That is why two "Factory New" knives can have very different floats and prices.

How do you get a knife in CS2?

Three ways. Open cases and hope for the gold slot, which is expensive on average. Buy one from another player, a marketplace or the Steam Community Market, which is how most owners get theirs. Or trade up five Covert skins. Since the 22 October 2025 update, five regular Covert items return one regular knife or one pair of gloves from a collection of one of the inputs, and five StatTrak Covert items return one StatTrak knife. Knives cannot be produced by a normal ten-item trade-up, and the Counter-Strike wiki lists knives among the items that cannot be used as inputs.

Knives are also a favourite target of scammers because of their price, so use a trade URL, check the item in the trade window, and never confirm a trade you did not start.

Example

A Factory New Karambit | Doppler in the Sapphire phase is a knife that can sell for thousands of dollars, while a Battle-Scarred Navaja | Safari Mesh from the same tier sells for under a hundred.

Frequently asked questions

What is the rarest knife in CS2?

Rarity depends on model, finish and pattern together. Sapphire and Ruby Doppler phases, Emerald Gamma Dopplers and high-tier Case Hardened blue gems are among the scarcest and most expensive.

Can you trade up to a knife in CS2?

Yes, since October 2025. Five regular Covert skins in a trade-up contract return a knife or gloves from a collection of one of the inputs, and five StatTrak Covert skins return a StatTrak knife.

Do knives lose value over time?

Some do and some do not. Knives from cases still in the drop pool can fall as supply grows, while knives from retired cases often hold or rise. Nothing is guaranteed.