The key characteristics of a Fade skin in CS2 are the fade percentage, the pattern index and the float. The gradient is made of purple (blue), pink (red) and yellow (gold); the more of these colors a copy shows and the less gray it has, the more it is worth. Fade knives have a float range of 0 to 0.08, so they exist only in Factory New and Minimal Wear. Below is how each characteristic affects the look and the price.
Gray on a Fade skin is essentially the absence of color. The higher the share of gray, the less the skin is valued.
Fade Percentage
One of the key characteristics of the Fade pattern is the coverage percentage. Most copies fall in the 80 to 100% range. A 100% copy is also called a Full Fade.
There is a catch, though: on the Falchion Knife the pattern covers not only the blade but also part of the handle. Because of that, some services rate its maximum Fade at up to 110%.
The Karambit and Talon Knife are also often described differently: instead of an overall gradient percentage, the share of each color is given. For example, a Karambit listed as 70/29/1 has most of the blade in pink, 29% in purple and only 1% in yellow.
Pattern Index
Another characteristic to watch is the pattern index. For each item it ranges from 0 to 1000, which gives 1001 possible placements of the pattern. For Fade, the index determines the proportion of each color. At the same time, many skins with different indexes look identical or nearly identical.
In particular, a Full Fade can look much like a 99% Fade with another index. The second copy is cheaper because it is not perfect. That is why it is important to check the pattern index before buying, so you do not pay a large sum for an "almost 100%" knife instead of the real thing. Our guide on how to check a skin pattern in CS2 shows how.
Influence of Float
So the main factors behind the price of Fade skins in CS2 are float and pattern index. The float of Fade knives varies within very narrow limits, 0 to 0.08, which means they come only in Factory New and Minimal Wear, with Factory New dropping more often. More on the wear scale in our article on skin quality and wear levels.
Pricing often takes into account not only the float value but also where the scratches sit. For example, if wear is low but the marks on a Karambit are visible on the edges of the blade and near the handle, that knife is valued less than one with a higher float and scratches in less noticeable places.
Although Fade is mostly discussed in relation to knives, the pattern also exists on guns. There the pattern index affects the look and price less, but it is still worth checking, for example if you are building an inventory with a common color scheme. A detailed index breakdown for one rifle is in our M4A1-S Fade pattern guide.
Fade Skin Prices
For reference, base Factory New prices on LIS-SKINS (copies with a high fade percentage cost more): the Falchion Knife | Fade from about $190, the Talon Knife | Fade around $790, the Karambit | Fade around $1,850 and the Butterfly Knife | Fade from $2,100. Among guns, the most affordable is the M4A1-S | Fade from about $170, the AWP | Fade costs around $630 and the Glock-18 | Fade around $1,350. A general overview of the series is in our article on everything about Fade skins, and the comparison with another popular finish is in Fade vs Doppler.
