Cosmetic skins are an excellent monetization model for free-to-play (F2P) games. CS:GO can be seen as the pioneer of this model with its independent economy made up of only cosmetic items, and more games picked up the same strategy after CS:GO’s release in 2012.
Considering the game’s been around for more than eight years now, there are more skins available for purchase than anyone can count. Not all the cosmetic items were created equally, however, and some boast a higher rarity rate than others. In addition to their type-based rarities, there’s also an added factor of availability.
Almost all skins in CS:GO are added to the game through loot boxes. While some of these loot boxes are always available for purchase, others can be limited to an event or get discontinued over time. This means that any items that come out of an exclusive box will only have a certain amount of copies, making it even rarer than they already are.
Knives take the crown when it comes to this, since they tend to have the lowest drop rate of all weapon types in the game. Most cases feature a limited-edition knife as the crown jewel of their collection, and even professional players get hyped about opening one.
Considering the odds, the chances are you’ll spend less money by directly buying the knife skin you desire through Steam’s community store. If you haven’t made up your mind on which one to get, then you’ll need to buckle up since CS:GO has produced one too many breathtaking knife skins over the course of its lifetime.
The price estimation of each knife skin on our list is based on sales numbers found on both the Steam Community Market and csgostash.
Here are the best knife skins in CS:GO.
Bayonet: Gamma Doppler Emerald
Estimated price range: $4,070 to $5,280
Bayonet: Gamma Doppler Emerald can be found in the Gamma and Gamma 2 cases.
Bayonet: Autotronic
Estimated price range: $350 to $1,000
Bayonet: Autotronic can be found in the Gamma and Gamma 2 cases.
Bowie Knife: Crimson Web
Estimated price range: $150 to $7,300
Bowie Knife: Crimson Web can be found in the Operation Wild Fire case.
Bowie Knife: Black Pearl
Estimated price range: $620 to $1,600
Bowie Knife: Black Pearl can be found in the Spectrum and Spectrum 2 cases.
Butterfly Knife: Doppler Ruby
Estimated price range: $4,800 to $6,200
Butterfly Knife: Doppler Ruby can be found in the Spectrum and Spectrum 2 cases.
Butterfly Knife | Marble Fade
Estimated price range: $1,315 to $1,420
Butterfly Knife: Marble Fade can be found inside the Spectrum and Spectrum 2 cases.
Classic Knife: Fade
Estimated price range: $610 to $800
Classic Knife: Fade can be found in the CS20 case.
Classic Knife: Stained
Estimated price range: $120 to $300
Classic Knife: Stained can be found inside the CS20 case.
Falchion Knife: Doppler Sapphire
Estimated price range: $1,000 to $1,700
Falchion Knife: Doppler Sapphire can be found inside the Spectrum and Spectrum 2 cases.
Falchion Knife: Doppler Phase 2
Estimated price range: $250 to $600
Falchion Knife: Doppler Phase 2 can be found inside the Spectrum and Spectrum 2 cases.
Flip Knife: Crimson Web
Estimated price range: $150 to $5,700
Falchion Knife: Doppler Phase 2 can be found inside the Esports 2013, Esports 2013 Winter, Esports 2014 Summer, Operation Bravo, Operation Phoenix Weapon, Revolver, Winter Offensive Weapon and Operation Vanguard Weapon cases.
Flip Knife: Gamma Doppler Phase 4
Estimated price range: $490 to $810
Flip Knife: Gamma Doppler Phase 4 can be found in the Gamma and Gamma 2 cases.
Gut Knife: Lore
Estimated price range: $120 to $401
Gut Knife: Lore can be found in the Gamma and Gamma 2 cases.
Gut Knife: Slaughter
Estimated price range: $110 to $200
Gut Knife: Slaughter can be found inside the Esports 2013, Esports 2013 Winter, Esports 2014 Summer, Operation Bravo, Operation Phoenix Weapon, Revolver, Winter Offensive Weapon and Operation Vanguard Weapon cases.
Huntsman Knife: Doppler Phase 2
Estimated price range: $270 to $740
Huntsman Knife: Doppler Phase 2 can be found in the Spectrum and Spectrum 2 cases.
Huntsman Knife: Case Hardened
Estimated price range: $145 to $430
Huntsman Knife: Case Hardened can be found in the Huntsman Weapon case.
Karambit: Fade
Estimated price range: $1,130 to $1,330
Karambit: Fade can be found inside the Esports 2013, Esports 2013 Winter, Esports 2014 Summer, Operation Bravo, Operation Phoenix Weapon, Revolver, Winter Offensive Weapon and Operation Vanguard Weapon cases.
Karambit: Case Hardened
Estimated price range: $380 to $1,150
Karambit: Case Hardened can be found inside the Esports 2013, Esports 2013 Winter, Esports 2014 Summer, Operation Bravo, Operation Phoenix Weapon, Revolver, Winter Offensive Weapon and Operation Vanguard Weapon cases.
M9 Bayonet: Marble Fade
Estimated price range: $770 to $940
M9 Bayonet: Marble Fade can be found in the Chroma, Chroma 2, and Chroma 3 cases.
M9 Bayonet: Doppler Ruby
Estimated price range: $670 to $1,100
M9 Bayonet: Doppler Ruby can be found in the Gamma and Gamma 2 cases.
Najava Knife: Slaughter
Estimated price range: $110 to $170
Najava Knife: Slaughter can be found in the Danger Zone and Horizon cases.
Najava Knife: Crimson Web
Estimated price range: $85 to $2,020
Najava Knife: Crimson Web can be found in the Danger Zone and Horizon cases.
Nomad Knife: Fade
Estimated price range: $500 to $730
Nomad Knife: Fade can be found in the Fracture and Shattered Web cases.
Nomad Knife: Slaughter
Estimated price range: $290 to $540
Nomad Knife: Slaughter can be found in the Fracture and Shattered Web cases.
Paracord Knife: Boreal Forest
Estimated price range: $150 to $770
Paracord Knife: Boreal Forest can be found in the Fracture and Shattered Web cases.
Paracord Knife: Blue Steel
Estimated price range: $190 to $365
Paracord Knife: Blue Steel can be found in the Fracture and Shattered Web cases.
Shadow Daggers: Doppler Sapphire
Estimated price range: $550 to $711
Shadow Daggers: Doppler Sapphire can be found inside the Spectrum and Spectrum 2 cases.
Shadow Daggers: Slaughter
Estimated price range: $140 to $210
Shadow Daggers: Slaughter can be found inside the Shadow cases.
Skeleton Knife: Fade
Estimated price range: $2,000 to $2,560
Skeleton Knife: Fade can be found in the Fracture and Shattered Web cases.
Skeleton Knife: Urban Masked
Estimated price range: $330 to $740
Skeleton Knife: Urban Masked can be found in the Fracture and Shattered Web cases.
Stiletto Knife: Doppler Black Pearl
Estimated price range: $780 to $1,470
Stiletto Knife: Doppler Black Pearl can be found in the Prisma case.
Stiletto Knife: Marble Fade
Estimated price range: $300 to $470
Stiletto Knife: Marble Fade can be found in the Prisma case.
Survival Knife: Case Hardened
Estimated price range: $150 to $470
Survival Knife: Case Hardened can be found in the Fracture and Shattered Web cases.
Survival Knife: Boreal Forest
Estimated price range: $130 to $330
Survival Knife: Boreal Forest can be found in the Fracture and Shattered Web cases.
Talon Knife: Doppler Phase 2
Estimated price range: $700 to $900
Talon Knife: Doppler Phase 2 can be found in the Prisma case.
Talon Knife: Marble Fade
Estimated price range: $700 to $900
Talon Knife: Marble Fade can be found in the Prisma case.
Ursus Knife: Doppler Phase 4
Estimated price range: $420 to $1,000
Ursus Knife: Doppler Phase 4 can be found in the Prisma case.
Ursus Knife: Vanilla
Estimated price range: $220 to $230
Ursus Knife: Vanilla can be found in the Danger Zone and Horizon cases.
