Case Hardened is one of the oldest finishes in CS2: it was added in the Arms Deal update back in 2013. The key thing to know is that its price depends less on wear than on the pattern index, which decides how the blue, gold and purple patches land on the weapon. A regular AK-47 | Case Hardened starts at about $160, while rare Blue Gems sell for dozens or even hundreds of times more.
The name comes from a real metal treatment, case hardening, which protects a weapon's body from damage. The chemical process leaves a thin film on the surface that guards the metal against scratches. The color of that film varies, and this is exactly the effect the Case Hardened design reproduces.
Which Weapons Have Case Hardened
The finish exists on most knives, three guns and a pair of gloves. Approximate starting prices on LIS-SKINS (cheapest wear, regular pattern):
Five-SeveN | Case Hardened: from $10, about $35 in Factory New;
MAC-10 | Case Hardened: from $25, drops from souvenir packages;
AK-47 | Case Hardened: from about $160 in Battle-Scarred to around $430 in Factory New;
Hydra Gloves | Case Hardened: from $50;
knives: from about $60 for the Navaja Knife to $650 and up for the Karambit (see our overview of all CS2 knives).
Blue Gem, Gold Gem and Other Patterns
The most expensive skins of this type are called Blue Gems: almost the whole surface of the weapon is covered in shades of blue. The second rarest variant is the gold one, or Gold Gem. Many players find it less striking than a Blue Gem, and a fully gold AK-47 or knife is extremely rare.
These are not the only valuable variants. The AK-47 has the most patterns that command a premium. For example, with pattern index 661, 321 or 670, most of the gun stays blue, but a small vertical stripe appears on the receiver. This variant is called a "scar." The AK-47 with pattern 661 is considered the most expensive skin in CS2. In some patterns only part of the body is blue; indexes 151 and 856, for example, give a blue barrel. AK-47s with a 50/50 look, where blue and gold are roughly equal, are popular too. The full breakdown is in our AK-47 Case Hardened pattern guide.
Another notable look is the Blaze, also known as Rainbow or Galaxy. All three main colors appear on the surface, blending into each other and forming irregular patches. Prices for these patterns vary widely and are often settled in a deal with a specific buyer, so the valuation depends largely on personal taste.
What to Check Before You Buy or Sell
Pattern index: it decides how the design lands, and copies that look similar can differ in price several times over;
Both sides of the weapon: on the AK-47, one side can be heavily blue while the other has almost none, so check both;
Wear (float): on Case Hardened it matters less than the pattern, but on expensive copies Factory New still commands a premium.
Even if your skin does not have a notable pattern index, any item from this series still looks great in an inventory. To learn which other finishes are valued for their pattern, read our article on rare patterns in CS2.
