Anyone who has touched Counter-Strike knows how much value skins hold in the game. While games like Valorant have a rotating marketplace where you can go and buy skins, Knife skins in Counter-Strike 2 are rare and have actual monetary value. This has made the item one of the most sought-after things in-game. However, like anything else in life, it can be difficult to know which one to buy. Well, I decided to scour the marketplace myself and suggest the best knife skins for you to get in CS2. So, with that, let’s begin!
Warning: Knives in CS2 either come in randomized case drops or you have to buy them with money. This natrually means you might to sink quite a lot of money into the entire process. As such, I suggest being financially responsible. You have been warned.
15. Navaja Knife | Blue Steel
- Price: Starts at $160, can sell upwards of $261
- Found Inside: Danger Zone Case, Horizon Case
We’ll start this list with a simple and small knife you can get as a starter. The Navaja Blue Steel knife is a small pocket knife with a distinct equipped animation.
However, the inspection animation is a standard one. Under bright light, the blades shine and look amazing. However, it has a classy look, and players who prefer a classy look can try getting one for themselves.
14. Gut Knife | Night
- Price: Starts at $160, can sell for upwards of $575
- Found Inside: Revolver Case, Operation Vanguard Weapon Case, Operation Phoenix Weapon Case, Winter Offensive Weapon Case
The gut Knife in Counter-Strike 2 isn’t the prettiest in the lot. It looks weird, and you’ll likely find this particular knife over the others on this list. And, because of its volume, the prices aren’t sky-high.
Because of the above reasons, I chose the Night variant of the Gut Knife skin in Counter-Strike 2. If you’ve never owned yourself a knife in-game, this can be a good starter knife skin to kickstart your obsession.
13. Shadow Daggers | Black Laminate
- Price: Starts at $120
- Found Inside: Dreams and Nightmare Case, Operation Riptide Case
Shadow Daggers are two hand-sized daggers that replace your vanilla knife in Counter-Strike 2. They have a unique look compared to other knives in-game and are the only multi-handed knife. While other Shadow Dagger prices can be high, the Black Laminate Shadow Dagger is a good choice under a budget.
These daggers have a pitch-dark color scheme to match the shadow theme. In addition, there are some streaks of white on both blades, which makes them stand out from the vanilla skin. Shadow Daggers also has a unique inspection animation. Furthermore, Shadow Daggers also comes with a unique stab animation, making it a good choice.
12. Stiletto Knife | Boreal Forest
- Price: Starts at $290, can sell upwards of $470
- Found Inside: Fracture Case, Shattered Web Case
One of the slimmest knives in Counter-Strike 2 is the Stiletto knife. It has a unique equipment animation where you flip the knife open.
As for color, it sports an army camouflage, including the colors slapped on the blade. This gives it a tactical look, something that an army professional would equip. Try getting one since knife skin standards modestly price it.
11. Survival Knife | Crimson Web
- Price: Starts at $142, can sell upwards of $2400
- Found Inside: Fracture Case, Shattered Web Case
Survival Knife is one of the cheapest knife skin drops that you can get in Counter-Stike 2. And based on its price, you won’t get much out of it compared to other knives. It doesn’t have a unique inspection animation, nor does it have any unique slashing animation.
However, it does come with a cool color scheme. The Crimson Web knife skin has a two-tone color scheme, with the crimson-red blade and the handle black. Because of its looks and the equipped animation, I’m placing it in my top ten choices.
10. Ursus Knife | Night Stripe
- Price: Starts at $215, can sell upwards of $630
- Found Inside: Danger Zone Case, Horizon Case
The Ursus Knife Night Skin is another knife skin you can get from a case opening. It is a flat blade with a shiny serrated edge and a rubber handle. However, its inspection animation can be one of the coolest in-game, where the player twists it in the middle of the fingers.
As for the color scheme, it is a cold, army blue color with streaks of black to give it a tactical look. The equipment animation is sweet, throwing the knife in the air and catching it mid-air. And I like knives that don’t look loud and bombastic sometimes.
9. Paracord Knife | Blue Steel
- Price: Starts at $250, can sell upwards of $455
- Found Inside: Fracture Case, Shattered Web Case
The Paracord Blue Steel knife skin in Counter-Strike 2 works like any single full-hand knife. However, the Blue Steel skin has a shiny blue metal tone, which makes it look silent and cool under shadows.
The handle has a paracord wrap, giving it that tactical touch. This is a well-sought skin in-game because of its muted color tone and elegant look.
8. Gut Knife | Autotronic
- Price: Starts at $180, can sell upwards of $665
- Found Inside: Gamma 2 Case, Gamma 3 Case
One of my favorite Gut Knife skins in-game has to be the Autotronic, and there are multiple reasons behind it. The color scheme complements itself, giving it a sporty look. The credit for that goes to the red-metal-black color-tone combination. It makes an otherwise dull knife look extremely beautiful in any condition.
Outside of that, its equipped animation of vertically spinning the knife is some Voodoo magic. I don’t know how to do that in real life, but thanks to Counter-Strike 2, I can enjoy doing it in-game. It has no unique inspection animation, but I can live without it.
7. M9 Bayonet | Lore
- Price: Starts at $550, can sell for upwards of $2690
- Found Inside: Gamma Case, Gamma Case 2
While there isn’t much to talk about this particular CS2 knife, this one is for those in love with gold schemes. What makes it a sought-after knife is its color tone. The Lore skin has a shiny blade that only gets brighter under the light.
Furthermore, the military olive provides a good contrast between the colors, making this a knife that might make you feel royal.
6. Flip Knife | Gamma Doppler
- Price: Starts at $615
- Found Inside: Gamma Case, Gamma 2 Case
The Flip Knife Gamma Doppler is a fairly small knife compared to some of the entries on this list. Nonetheless, it packs a lot of style. The Gamma Doppler variant also has a unique two-tone color theme. The blade tip is a purple shade with a mix of grey, slowly changing into green near the hilt. Thanks to the black hilt, it is easier to appreciate the color of this model.
The asking price of $615 and above starts making sense when you realize the work that went into making this knife.
5. Classic Knife | Fade
- Price: Starts at $573
- Found Inside: CS20 Case
I don’t have much to talk about this skin. It is for the classic knife; everyone has used it at least once. However, the Fade variant comes with a cool three-tone vibrant color that makes it look shiny and stand out against other knives in your team. For all these reasons and more, this knife makes it in my top five.
4. M9 Bayonet | Tiger Tooth
- Price: Starts at $944, can sell upwards of $1,170
- Found Inside: Chroma Case, Chroma 2 Case, Chroma 3 Case
Another M9 Bayonet knife skin on this list is the Tiger Tooth skin. I love the Tiger as an animal, and this knife borrows the Tiger’s elegance for its color scheme. Everything remains the same- the equip animation, the inspection animation, and the attack animation. Where it does differ and makes it a sought-after knife is the color scheme.
The Tiger Tooth has a black handle and a golden blade with darker orange stripes. That symbolizes the Tiger’s color scheme, making it look bright, ready to pounce on the opponent under the light. Because of its looks, this is one of the costliest knife skins in Counter-Strike 2, going for upward of $1000 an average. And you know what? I can respect that.
3. Talon Knife | Slaughter
- Price: Starts at $544, can sell upwards of $1200
- Found Inside: Danger Zone Case, Horizon Case
If Autotronic is my Ying, then the Slaughter Talon Knife skin is my Yang in-game. The Talon Knife Slaughter uses the red and white color scheme to make it look sporty, throwing in some black at a few places to make it look even more pretty. The equip animation makes the player spin it vertically, and the inspect animation will make the player briefly spin it.
The blade of the Talon knife has two tones of Red. The brighter red covers the overall body of the blade, while darker streaks of red give it some accents in bright light. Furthermore, the white handle contributes to the sporty look, reminding you that the ranked matches are competitive.
2. Butterfly Knife | Marble Fade
- Price: Starts at $1800, can sell upwards of $3000
- Found Inside: Spectrum Case, Spectrum 2 Case
Anyone who plays Counter-Strike knows how well-sought the butterfly knife is. And it isn’t any surprise when I mention at least one of them on this list. For now, I had to choose the Marble Fade knife skin, easily one of the prettiest knives in-game.
The Butterfly Knife comes with an equip animation where you flip it open and a unique inspect animation where you twirl it around your gloves once. The color tone is a mix of Red, purple, blue, yellow, and orange, giving it a customized spray-painted look. It isn’t a surprise that this is one of the knife skins in Counter-Strike 2, which sells for upwards of $3000.
1. Karambit | Fade
- Price: Starts at $2300, can sell upwards of $3000
- Found Inside: Operation Phoenix Weapon Case, Operation Vanguard Weapon Case, Revolver Case, Winter Offensive Case
Like the Butterfly knife, the Karambit is another sought-after knife in Counter-Strike 2. As such, we’ll wrap this list with the prettiest Karambit skin available in-game. The Fade skin includes a unique equip animation where the player spins the knife vertically before holding it firm. The inspect animation makes the player spin it vertically before checking it.
Even the color sets it apart from other knife skins in-game. It has two tones of Purple with a blue edge, making it look shiny in bright light. And, thanks to that jet-black handle, it accentuates the color even more. For these reasons and more, this knife costs over $3,000 in the market.
These are the best knife skins in CS2. Do you already own some of these? Let us know in the comments below!
