CS2 Knife Skins: The Top 10 Most Expensive Knives
Knives in CS2 have perhaps been the oldest flex in the game’s history, and the introduction of gloves, or anything else for that matter has not been able to dislodge these items from their high pedestal. The community’s love for knives is unparalleled, and this is evident from their prices in the various online marketplaces where they’re bought and sold.
However, like every commodity that is traded in CS2, knives follow a hierarchy that is a reflection of their particular value. Although the rarity factor and price of cases have always played a part in driving up the price of the knives, the actual value placed on any particular knife is always determined by the community and is based on several different factors.
These factors include the overall look of the knife, the design of the blade, the quality of its equip and inspect animations, among others. It is for this reason that knives like the Karambit, Butterfly, and the M9 Bayonet are so highly-priced even in lower tier finishes while knives like the Shadow Daggers, Gut, and Navaja are much cheaper.
Besides this, there are some skin finishes that look more amazing than others, and as a result, are more expensive. But that’s not all. Special patterns of certain finishes can further add value to a knife, netting a premium higher than its market price.
The purpose of this article is to bring you the top 10 most expensive knives in CS2. However, before moving on to this list, we would like to mention some necessary exceptions we have made and the reasons for not including these in our final top 10.
The Legendary Outliers
Whenever data and values are being collected, the possibility of outliers is always present. These can be defined as values that differ substantially from the norm and may exist on either the extremely high or low end of the value spectrum. Since the focus of this article is on the most expensive knives in the game, we will discuss a few such outliers. These knives are so expensive that they are not listed on marketplaces and only exist in private inventories.
The Most Expensive Knife In CS2
Perhaps the best example to start off with is a Karambit in Factory New condition with the Case Hardened finish and a pattern index of 387. This pattern is one of the rarest and is considered to be the highest-priced Blue Gem in CS2. Initially purchased for USD. 100k by a Chinese collector, it is now valued at 1.5 million USD.
Blue Gems
Another outlier is the Talon Knife Blue Gem with a pattern index of 55 that has been valued at 50k USD. Although this may not be on the same level as the Karambit, it still easily surpasses any knife in our top 10 and you won’t be seeing it listed on any marketplaces.
Doppler Phases
Lastly, we have not included the extremely rare finishes such as the Doppler Rubies, Sapphires, and Black Pearls as these are few in number with a low amount of listings, especially for top-tier knives such as the Butterfly or Karambit. Price ranges for such finishes tend to be anywhere between 4k and 20k USD, depending on the knife.
The Top 10 Most Expensive Knife Skins
Now that we have those phenomenally expensive outliers out of the way, we bring you the top 10 most expensive knives in the game that you can actually buy, as listed on various online marketplaces. So let’s get on with it!
1. Butterfly Knife | Crimson Web (Factory New)
The Butterfly Knife is considered to be the crown jewel of CS2 knives. When you see a player carrying one in-game, you usually assume them to either be wealthy, heavily invested in the skin market, or a high-level player who takes the game very seriously. The design and animation of the knife are truly top-notch, especially with the way the blade and the handle swivel around when inspected. There are around 4 different inspect animations for the Butterfly, each of them unique and equally good.
Red and Black themes for weapons have always been popular in CS2, which is evident from the popularity of the Crimson Kimono Gloves and the Crimson Web finish for knives so often seen equipped in combination at the professional level.
It’s no surprise then that the number one spot on our list is taken by none other than the Butterfly Knife Crimson Web, which was released with the Operation Breakout Weapon Case all the way back in 2014. In Factory New condition, the handles of the knife are a shiny jet black, while the entirety of the blade except the edge is covered in a red base coat, with spider webs drawn across it in black. The number of webs present on the blade determines the premium above the market price, and substantially increases as the number of webs on the blade increase.
2. Butterfly Knife | Lore (Factory New)
The Lore finish for the Butterfly Knife is another beautifully crafted design that is one of the most popular finishes within the CS2 community. In Factory New condition, the price of the knife is slightly lower than the top contender and takes the second spot on this list. The blade is a light gold color and has an intricate knotted pattern carved on it which seems inspired by ancient Nordic art. The handle is an army green metallic, with grips that seem to have a dull gold marble finish on them.
3. M9 Bayonet | Crimson Web (Factory New)
The M9 Bayonet is another top-tier knife in the game, with the design inspired by its real-life counterpart and namesake. The M9 Bayonet has always been a highly regarded knife owing to its popularity in the mainstream media, being regularly featured in movies depicting tough US Army soldiers carrying one.
The M9 Bayonet with the Crimson Web finish has a bright red base coat on the blade, with the metal base of the handle and hilt being covered in the same as well. The rest of the handle is a jet-black color. On top of the red base coat are spider web designs in black color.
The Crimson Web M9 Bayonet is regularly seen in the e-sports scene in combination with the Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono, which is considered to be one of the best knife/glove combos in the game.
The Factory New M9 Bayonet with the Crimson Web finish is one of the most expensive knives in CS2, and you can expect to pay a price premium if the blade has more than 1 spider web pattern on it.
4. Karambit | Crimson Web (Factory New)
The Karambit is one of the top-tier knives in Counter-Strike 2, right alongside the Butterfly. It has a phenomenal reputation and stands as one of the most popular knives ever since its release with the Arms Deal update, being widely used by professional and casual players. The design takes its inspiration from its real-life counterpart developed as part of a South East Asian martial arts discipline called Silat. The Knife has a curved blade and is held in a reverse grip.
Although the Crimson Web finish for the Karambit has so far been released in 11 different cases since its initial release, there are still only a total of 38 Karambits with this finish that are in Factory New condition. This makes it extremely rare and puts it on our list of the top ten most expensive knives in the game.
5. Skeleton Knife | Crimson Web (Factory New)
When the Skeleton Knife was initially released, it did not jump to stardom like some other knives, but was seen by the overall community more as a mid-tier knife. However, its use by some of the top players in the professional scene led to a positive change in community sentiment, and this came to be reflected in the price of the knife as well. The knife is one large piece of metal with the top half forged as a blade and the bottom half being the handle, with the handle covered in tape for better grip.
The Crimson Web finish for the Skeleton Knife was introduced with the release of the Shattered Web Case in 2019. The whole metal part of the knife is covered in a red base coat with black spider web designs, while the tape on the handle is black as well.
Currently, there are only 25 Factory New Skeleton Knives with the Crimson Web finish in existence, which is why the knife is now one of the most expensive in CS2. The price is expected to rise further with time, so your best bet is to get your hands on one now if you are looking to make an investment.
6. M9 Bayonet | Lore (Factory New)
The Lore finish for the M9 Bayonet is another popular finish for this knife and is well-appreciated by the community. This finish was first introduced all the way back in 2016 with the release of the Gamma Case. Since then, it has been featured in only one other case, that being the Gamma 2 Case which came later in the same year as well.
The M9 Bayonet with the Lore finish features the blade in a light gold color with an intricate knotted pattern carved on it, taking inspiration from ancient Nordic art. The pattern runs on the lower part of the blade, just on top of the edge from tip to bottom. The gold tinge on the blade is lighter on the tip, but darkens as it nears the hilt. The hilt and the metal base of the handle remain unpainted, while the handle itself is colored green.
Although there are quite a few M9 Bayonets with the Lore finish in Factory New condition, the supply is very limited in comparison to the demand owing to its popularity. This has led to a considerable increase in the price of the knife, but did not dent its popularity in any way.
7. Butterfly Knife | Lore (Minimal Wear)
The Butterfly Knife with the popular Lore finish in Minimal Wear condition comes in at almost half the price of its Factory New Counterpart. If you find yourself not being able to afford the more expensive option, you can still get your hands on the knife in Minimal Wear condition with almost no discernible difference. It’s still highly valued, and you may only see your investment further increase in price in the coming years.
8. Butterfly Knife | Fade (Factory New)
The Fade finishes are right there amongst the most beautiful-looking knives in CS2, and this is reflected in their price. Coming in at number 8 on this list is the Butterfly Knife with the Fade finish and in Factory new condition. Although there are more than 10k units of this knife in existence, its extreme popularity and demand have kept prices high throughout its existence.
The Butterfly Knife in the Fade finish was released way back in 2014 with the introduction of the Operation Breakout Case, and since then has not been featured in any other case.
9. Talon Knife | Crimson Web (Factory New)
The Talon is one of the most popular knives in the game, with a positive community sentiment towards it. Although it was categorized as the poor man’s Karambit in its early days, the Talon has grown in popularity and stature and is now considered to be a high-tier knife in the hierarchy.
There are only 23 Factory New Talon Knives with a Crimson Web finish which firmly places it at number 9 on our list.
10. Butterfly Knife | Fade (Minimal Wear)
Although the difference in price between the Butterfly Knife Fade in Factory New and Minimal Wear condition is pretty negligible, the MW option tends to be more expensive in certain cases owing to its limited numbers. However, you might still be able to find a cheaper option available from the various marketplaces that currently list this knife.
Concluding Remarks
That concludes our list of the top 10 most expensive knives in Counter-Strike 2. These knives are some of the most highly regarded among the CS2 community and are considered the ultimate flex. If you love the game and have a ton of money to spare, or made a lot through skin investments and now want to show it off, then getting your hands on one of the knives listed above would be a good place to start.
