CS2 has 20 knife types. The first five arrived in 2013, and the newest, the Kukri, came out in 2024 in the Kilowatt Case. They differ in blade shape, inspect and draw animations, history and demand, and demand drives price: a vanilla Navaja costs around $35, while a vanilla Butterfly Knife is over $1,100. Below is every model with how it looks, what sets it apart and who it suits. For prices across all finishes, see our separate catalog of all CS2 knives.
Falchion Knife
The Falchion Knife is one of the older knives in the game: it arrived in 2015 with the Falchion Case and is still popular. Players like it for the range of finishes and for its two inspect animations; in the rarer one, the character tries to balance the knife upright on its tip.
Butterfly Knife
The Butterfly Knife is a true legend. It has an instantly recognizable shape, three inspect animations and many finishes, including ones where the pattern index matters. It launched in 2014 in the Operation Breakout case and has stayed one of the most wanted knives ever since: even its plainest finishes start at around $400. The best options are covered in our roundup of Butterfly Knife skins.
Shadow Daggers
Shadow Daggers (2015, Shadow Case) suit players looking for a cheaper option: they are among the most affordable models, from about $35. A pair of push daggers, one in each hand, is not to everyone's taste, so demand is lower. Some finishes, such as Damascus Steel, still look good on them.
Bowie Knife
The Bowie Knife arrived in 2016 in the Operation Wildfire case. Its design draws on the Spanish Aitor Oso Negro knife: a heavy blade with a distinctive clipped point. Basic finishes are cheap, while rare ones such as Doppler gems cost more than $1,000.
Huntsman Knife
The Huntsman Knife (2014, Huntsman Weapon Case) is a good fit if you want a modern tactical look. Its shape is borrowed from the American MTECH USA Xtreme MX-8054, and the wide, flat blade shows off detailed finishes such as Slaughter or Freehand.
M9 Bayonet
The M9 Bayonet is one of the original five knives, added in the very first skin case in 2013 with the Arms Deal update. Along with the Butterfly Knife and Karambit, it is one of the most expensive models, and rare finishes cost thousands of dollars. More in our roundup of M9 Bayonet skins.
Bayonet
The Bayonet also dates from 2013 and differs from the M9 in shape: the M9 has a more modern profile with a sawback spine, while the regular Bayonet follows an older, classic military bayonet. It costs noticeably less than the M9 and has a minimalist draw animation.
Flip Knife
The Flip Knife is another of the five original 2013 knives. Its signature is the animation: the blade flips open with a flourish when drawn. Price-wise it sits in the middle: a copy with a good finish and low float costs a few hundred dollars.
Gut Knife
The Gut Knife suits players who want an unusual knife in their collection without spending too much. It came with the 2013 Arms Deal update, when skins were first added to the game. The hooked spine is not for everyone, so demand is modest, which makes it one of the cheapest of the original five.
Karambit
The Karambit remains one of the most sought-after knives in the game. The curved blade, the finger ring and smooth animations made it a classic back in 2013. Even the cheapest copies cost around $370, and a good Fade or a Case Hardened with a valuable pattern multiplies the price.
Talon Knife
The Talon Knife (2018, Horizon Case) is shaped like a Karambit but with a more modern design: the serrations and cutouts in the blade are not to everyone's liking. As a result, it costs noticeably less than a Karambit while remaining one of the most recognizable curved knives.
Stiletto Knife
The Stiletto Knife is a switchblade whose design immediately brings the Italian mafia to mind. It arrived in 2018 in the Horizon Case and has moderate popularity, so budget copies are easy to find.
Navaja Knife
The Navaja Knife also came out in 2018 in the Horizon Case. It is a compact folding knife modeled on the Spanish navaja, a knife traditionally handed down in families. The Navaja is one of the cheapest models in the game, from about $35, and Stained is a good budget finish for it.
Ursus Knife
The Ursus Knife, with its simple angular design and wide blade, was added in 2018. It is not very popular, so most of its variants are inexpensive. Look through its finishes, though, and you will find some interesting ones.
Survival Knife
The Survival Knife came out in 2019 with Operation Shattered Web. Its modern design works with almost any finish. Crimson Web is in high demand, but cheaper options such as Safari Mesh and Blue Steel also look attractive.
Skeleton Knife
The Skeleton Knife (2019, Shattered Web) is inspired by a throwing knife but scaled up from the real prototype to sit better in the hand. A rare inspect animation adds to its appeal, and it costs noticeably more than the other knives from the same operation.
Paracord Knife
The Paracord Knife is another option for fans of minimalism. It appeared in 2019 and has a straight blade with a paracord-wrapped handle. Many finishes look good on it, from the relatively cheap Night Stripe to rare Fade variants.
Nomad Knife
When creating the Nomad Knife, the developers drew on the real Strider B46 but replaced the wooden handle with carbon fiber. The knife stands out for its bold shape and for a rare draw animation in which the character nearly cuts himself.
Classic Knife
The Classic Knife came out in 2019 in the CS20 Case, released for the 20th anniversary of Counter-Strike. It recreates the knife from early versions of the game, so players pick it for nostalgia and its simple silhouette. It has fewer finishes than most models; the best ones are collected in our article on Classic Knife skins.
Kukri Knife
Finally, the Kukri Knife is the newest model on the list of CS2 knives. It arrived in 2024 in the Kilowatt Case and was later added to the Gallery Case. It is based on the Nepalese combat knife, and its curved blade works with a wide range of patterns. See our picks of Kukri Knife combos.
How to Choose a Knife Type
The model sets both the look and the price level, so start there:
Tight budget. The Navaja, Shadow Daggers, Kukri, Paracord Knife and Survival Knife start at about $35.
Animations and presence. The Butterfly Knife, Karambit and Talon have the most striking animations and the highest prices.
Liquidity. The classic 2013 and 2014 models (Karambit, Butterfly Knife, M9 Bayonet) are the easiest to resell.
Unusual shape. The Nomad, Skeleton and Classic Knife stand out by silhouette.
To compare models by value, see our CS2 knife tier list. Knives drop from cases, and since autumn 2025 they can also be crafted: a trade-up contract of 5 Covert skins returns a random knife or pair of gloves from those skins' collections. Details are in our guides on how to get knives in CS2 and crafting knives and gloves. Any of these models can be bought right away on LIS-SKINS.
FAQ
How many knife types are in CS2?
20. The Kukri was the latest addition in 2024; before that, new models arrived in 2019 with Operation Shattered Web and the CS20 Case.
Which knife type is the cheapest?
The Navaja, Shadow Daggers, Kukri, Paracord Knife and Survival Knife: in basic camo finishes they start at about $35.
Which knife type is the most expensive?
The Butterfly Knife: even the vanilla version costs over $1,100. The Karambit and M9 Bayonet are close behind.
