Not all knives are made equal in Counter-Strike. While some are incredibly sought-after and hold such prestige to own, others are barely even given second thought or consideration when it comes to looking for an upgrade to one’s melee weapon.
Explaining Each Tier
All the Counter-Strike knives will be divided into five tiers from S to D.
S-Tier: These are some of the greatest knives ever created and introduced to CS:GO/CS2. Considered as the holy grails of the game, owning such comes with prestige unmatched by anything else.
A-Tier: These knives are just a step below the ones in S Tier, but still incredibly valuable and will turn heads from anyone.
B-Tier: The best balance when it comes to price and value, knives in B Tier are considered as “Mid Tier” knives and, given the correct design, can rival even those in A or S Tier when it comes to aesthetics.
C-Tier: Knives in C Tier focus on budget and affordability, yet for what you pay for there’s still a significant upgrade from the default T and CT offerings.
D-Tier: These knives cater to specific preferences and might not appeal to everyone.
Why Are StatTrak Knives Less Expensive Than Normal?
Unlike all the other weapon finishes in CS2, knives that come as StatTrak are typically less expensive than their base version. This is because the StatTrak feature on knives appears as a rough engraving on the blade itself, which many consider as a blemish on the overall design. This ruins the appeal of the knife itself, thus lowering its price by a significant margin.
S Tier Knives
Karambit
Quite possibly the single greatest knife to ever grace Counter-Strike, the Karambit is the true holy grail of blades. Its curved blade and reverse grip translate into a highly mobile weapon, allowing for quick swipes and fast movement as a key selling point when animation is considered. It also looks extremely good no matter what design, even with the most basic finishes such as Safari Mesh. All in all, the Karambit is the GOAT of Counter-Strike knives and it belongs in a category only one other can even match.
Butterfly Knife
Known as the “Balisong” from its Filipino origins, the Butterfly Knife is another iconic blade in Counter-Strike and fittingly deserves to be in the same category as the Karambit. With arguably the best inspect animation of all time which involves spinning the knife around your hand over and over again, it is no surprise as to why many professional players opt to equip the Butterfly Knife to show off during games.
A Tier Knives
M9 Bayonet
One of the cleanest and most visually impressive knives when it comes to the finishes applied on it, the M9 Bayonet is a classic in Counter-Strike and one of the most sought-after variants. Not to be confused with its counterpart, the Bayonet, the M9 Bayonet has a rougher design that just screams action.
Bayonet
Quite literally the cleaner, smoother version of the M9, the classic Bayonet is simpler and cleaner when looking at the blade, but its primary selling point is its pull out animation when switching to it from a different weapon. Quite possibly the best pull out animation in the entire game, the Bayonet is not an uncommon sight in the inventories of professional players and skin enthusiasts alike.
Talon Knife
Often referred to as the “Budget Karambit” since its design is almost identical to the iconic curved blade, the Talon Knife belongs in A Tier due to its value relative to the price one can pay. Admittedly, Karambits can get extremely expensive especially when better finishes are being considered, so a Talon Knife is the next best thing. For around half the price on average and just a slightly different design, the Talon Knife checks a number of boxes that the Karambit does as well – for a lot cheaper.
Skeleton Knife
The Skeleton Knife is instantly recognizable for the huge ring in between the blade and the handle, where your character’s finger goes through when holding the knife. The inspect animation is simply spinning it around your index finger, making it a popular choice when animations are considered. The Skeleton Knife also looks great in a number of finishes such as Fade, Case Hardened, and Slaughter among others.
B Tier Knives
Kukri Knife
The newest knife in the game, the Kukri Knife has steadily grown a following within the community for being a solid addition to the long list of blades available in CS2. With a sick pull out animation accompanied by an equally cool inspect animation, the Kukri Knife has become one of the favorites when talking about mid-tier knives. Despite being a new addition, it also comes in some iconic finishes such as Fade, Slaughter, Case Hardened, and Crimson Web giving players lots of desirable options to choose from.
Classic Knife
One of the biggest doses of nostalgia any longtime player of the franchise can get in the new game, the Classic Knife is a nod to the default Terrorist and Counter-Terrorist knives used almost 20 years ago back in the days of Counter-Strike 1.6. With a design that still holds up to this day even in its Vanilla form and animations that are unique to this certain skin, the Vanille Knife is a solid option to add to your inventory.
Stiletto Knife
The Stiletto Knife was not originally received very well by the community, but has since grown in popularity especially with the amount of high-end finishes available for it. Often related to an ice pick or large toothpick, the Stiletto Knife is one of the smallest available in the game and also has arguably the most unique design. With a fairly basic set of animations yet an interesting allure once you get to inspect it, the Stiletto Knife makes its way into the B Tier just fine.
Ursus Knife
The Ursus Knife has one of the cleanest and smoothest appearances in the entire game. Its animations are fairly modest, with the exception of a rare inspect animation that involves flipping the knife between your fingers over and over. The size of the blade itself is a big driving factor in terms of price as different weapon finishes are featured on a much larger scale, providing much more color and design compared to others in the market.
Paracord Knife
Slightly similar to the Ursus Knife, only in a more rugged version. The Paracord Knife brings out a rough design with the handle featuring a paracord rope wrapped around the handle. Even the cleanest of finishes are given a different, more rough look when put on a Paracord Knife.
Flip Knife
The Flip Knife stands out when it comes to design as it looks a lot like the tilde symbol on one’s keyboard (the button you press to open the in-game developer console). Even with that rather silly comparison, the Flip Knife is a well-liked knife in CS thanks to its design on the blade really bringing out the best in the higher-end finishes that it comes with. The animations are a bit basic, but its overall appearance more than makes up for its lapses in that regard.
Huntsman Knife
Having one of the biggest blades in the entire game, the Huntsman Knife is the gold standard when it comes to large and rugged-looking knives. With a decent pull out animation and finishes looking extremely pleasing on its blade, the Huntsman Knife remains a solid pick up for those with a little bit more cash to splurge for a truly different-looking knife compared to the default ones.
C Tier Knives
Nomad Knife
The Nomad Knife is rarely ever talked about when discussing potential purchases at even the lower-end price points, yet still does the trick well when looking for a decent upgrade from the originals. The Nomad Knife has a slightly curved handle and clean blade along with animations that really set it apart from being just another ordinary-looking melee weapon.
Survival Knife
The Survival Knife looks the closest to a utility knife more than any other blade in the game. It is definitely rugged and offers a rough look, but its rare pull out animation is what puts it in C Tier and definitely not in D Tier. The Survival Knife’s rare pull out animation pretty much shows the character flipping the knife in the air and catching it from the handle, one of the very best in the entire game. Add that to the amount of custom finishes it comes with and how good some of them look on the blade, the Survival Knife fits just right in C Tier.
Falchion Knife
The Falchion Knife is, unfortunately, one of the most hated knives in the entire game. Its design is rather small and plain, closer to a more budget-friendly version of the Flip Knife. It also lacks in basic animations but has an interesting rare inspect animation where the player balances it on their finger for a while before holding it normally again.
D Tier Knives
Bowie Knife
The Bowie Knife is not a boring-looking knife in itself, but its rather large design is what kills the desirability for most players. For some, the Bowie Knife is a bit too big and holding it covers the player model’s hand completely which ruins the experience for some. Add some basic animations to the large design, it’s no secret as to why Bowie Knives go for cheaper than most.
Gut Knife
The Gut Knife is not the worst knife in the game, but it still underdelivers. The handle and design of the blade are not the most appealing especially with more modest finishes, but a certain few such as the Lore and Fade really save it from being the worst of the worst, despite looking like a knife used for cutting fish.
Shadow Daggers
The worst for some and second-worst for any, the Shadow Daggers are one of the least desirable knives in the game despite also being one of the most unique. It comes in a pair, making them the only dual-wielding knives in CS, and have relatively unique animations. But even with all that, its overall design that many compare to adult toys give it a rather infamous reputation.
Navaja Knife
The most disliked knife in the entire game, the Navaja Knife takes the cake. With an extremely underwhelming design having a small form factor overall, odd handle, and miniscule blade, even Navaja Knives with the cleanest weapon finishes don’t hold that much value.