Each skin in CS:GO has several parameters. If the float value is obvious – the degree of wear of the skin depends on this characteristic – then the pattern index is somewhat more complicated. Meanwhile, it’s useful to know exactly how this parameter affects the appearance of the skin – because in some cases its cost may significantly depend on it.
Like float, the pattern index is determined randomly when the item is created. The origin of the skin does not affect it. The game item may fall out of the case or be given to the player based on the results of the match, but the pattern index will be determined randomly in any case. Like float, the pattern index cannot be changed. It is not affected by stickers or any weapon transactions such as sales or exchanges.
It can be set in the range from 1 to 999, and in relation to this parameter, all skins in CS:GO can be divided into two large groups. For a significant portion of weapon skins, the pattern index does not affect anything. Whatever the number turns out to be, the texture will be applied to the body of the weapon in exactly the same way.
For another part of the skins, the pattern index directly affects the coloring. Let's take as an example the AK-47 Case Hardened.
Depending on how this parameter changes, the location of the colored spots on the machine body varies – and some options may seem more pleasing to players than others. The pattern index determines which part of the texture will be used for a specific weapon.
For most skins, varying the pattern index does not lead to a significant difference in price, since all its varieties will have approximately the same rarity. However, there are exceptions. For example, skins for knives from the Case Hardened series, which at certain pattern index values were colored predominantly blue, became very famous. There is a known case when such Blue Gem Karambit was sold for more than 100 thousand dollars.
Of course, this is not the only example of a skin that noticeably increases in price with a rare pattern index. For example, for Crimson Web knives, the location of the web lines depends on its value. But the options look similar, and it is not always obvious which one looks better and is more valued by players. To understand the cost of knives and firearms with rare pattern indexes, you often have to study the statistics of price changes on the Steam trading platform and compare several versions.
