Everyone knows that Counter-Strike skins can cost hundreds of dollars. Knives are the most valuable type of item in CSGO, and it’s already shocking that some of the rarest ones are worth thousands of dollars.
However, you’d be surprised to hear that numerous knives have been sold for hundreds of thousands. The Counter-Strike skin market cannot be underestimated, as some serious collectors purchase knives with the craziest patterns in the game.
If you know a thing or two about skins, you should already be aware that Blue Gem patterns of Case Hardened knives are among the priciest knife skins in the game and are responsible for some of the most significant CSGO transactions in history.
Anybody can list their items at any price, so it’s important that someone actually bought them at the requested price. In this article, we’ll go over the ten most expensive CSGO knife deals that ended in a sale.
#10 Butterfly Knife | Doppler (Sapphire) – $31,000
Surprisingly, the first knife featured on the list isn’t a Case Hardened one, but the Butterfly Knife | Doppler in Sapphire phase is the only non-Blue Gem knife in this list.
Butterfly Knife Sapphires are notoriously known as the most expensive knife that isn’t a Case Hardened skin. Usually, these Sapphires would consistently sell around the $18,000 to $20,000 mark. However, some hardcore collectors wouldn’t mind overpaying to get the best of its kind.
On the Chinese marketplace BUFF163, a Chinese collector overpaid $12,000 to get his hands on a Butterfly Knife Sapphire with the cleanest pattern in the game. There were no dark spots on the blade, which is the primary reason for such an overpay.
As a result, this specific Sapphire was sold for 225,000 RMB, which roughly converts to $31,000. The deal was closed in June 2023, before the launch of Counter-Strike: 2.
#9 Skeleton Knife | Case Hardened (Pattern 681) – $31,100
Spoiler alert: from this point on, all skins are Blue Gems!
The first Case Hardened skin we’ll cover is the Skeleton Knife with a pattern index of 681. Skeleton Knives have seven Tier 1 patterns, and #681 is considered one of the best.
Pattern #681 displays nearly a full-blue playside, with only the handle showing golden colors. Naturally, any Blue Gem enthusiast would drool seeing this skin, especially on a high-tier knife like the Skeleton Knife.
In December 2023, a deal for a Field-Tested version of this exact pattern was completed on the Skinport marketplace, where the buyer paid $31,124 for it. This Skeleton Knife pattern would be worth significantly more, but the low wear took a massive toll on its price.
Another Skeleton Knife with the same pattern and wear was also listed on Skinport, and the seller is asking for $30,800, which isn’t too far off the one that sold.
#8 Skeleton Knife | Case Hardened (Pattern 403) – $34,000
The next skin on the list is the exact same Skeleton Knife Blue Gem pattern, $403. However, this specific one was sold in June 2023.
Unlike the previous knife, this Skeleton Knife is in Battle-Scarred condition, which is lower than Field-Tested. However, it is the lowest float value of its kind. Just the “#1” title for it already attracts collectors to pay more money.
In this sale, the knife’s unboxer turned to zipeL, a famous personality in the Counter-Strike trading scene. ZipeL helped the unboxer put up an auction for the knife. With a massive following of skin enthusiasts, traders started bidding and bidding.
After three days of collecting bids, the Skeleton Knife #403 was sold for $34,000. ZipeL mentioned the unboxer was hoping to get $15,000 from the knife, and got more than double what he was expecting!
#7 Nomad Knife | Case Hardened (Pattern 577) – $43,000
At number 7, we have the Nomad Knife Blue Gem in its best pattern #577. ZipeL mentioned a StatTrak Minimal Wear version of this knife was sold for around the $43,000 mark.
There was an incident of a market snipe, where a player unboxed the exact same pattern and sold it on Skinport for only $320, not knowing anything about Blue Gem patterns and how much it was actually worth. We pray that the seller lives his entire life without realizing his mistake, or he would regret this mistake for months, or even years.
There is no whereabouts of where this “sniped” knife has gone, but ohnePixel estimated it to be worth close to $50,000, so the deal for $43,000 makes total sense.
Though Nomad Knives aren’t the greatest-looking ones in the Counter-Strike knife lineup, the value of Nomad Blue Gems spiked up when s1mple, the greatest player of all time, used this same #577 pattern when playing at the CSGO Major.
#6 M9 Bayonet | Case Hardened (Pattern 601) – $53,000
ZipeL was again responsible for one of the most expensive knives sold in history. This time, it was the M9 Bayonet Blue Gem with pattern #601. There are only two Tier 1 M9 Bayonet Case Hardened patterns, #601 and #417, so you know it’s extremely rare.
The M9 Bayonet is the lengthiest knife in the game, so it is pretty much impossible to have a full-blue playside. The pattern #601 version is around 95% blue, which is as good as it gets. ZipeL’s knife had a float value of 0.09, meaning it was in Minimal Wear condition, unlike most of the knives covered earlier.
Again, he used his platform on Twitter to auction it. This time, it was his own knife, and he wasn’t helping an unboxer auction it for them. After six days of bidding, the highest bid offered $53,000 in cash, which zipeL accepted in September 2023.
#5 Skeleton Knife | Case Hardened (Pattern 403) – $100,000
The Skeleton Knife #403 makes its third appearance on this list! However, this one is worth more than the previous two combined, reaching the six-digit mark.
This Skeleton Knife was also owned by zipeL. The interesting part is that it was also in Field-Tested condition, like the one we’ve covered before. The only difference is that zipeL’s Skeleton Knife was a StatTrak version. He asked for a buyout of $100,000 and had an offer of $50,000. Suddenly, he announced the knife was sold for the buyout price.
This deal was closed in August 2021, and the Skeleton Knife #403 prices have dropped to a third. The reason for such a dip is likely because more of the #403s have been unboxed throughout the years, increasing the supply.
We hope the buyer isn’t regretting his choices too much, as a difference of $70,000 is no joke.
#4 Talon Knife | Case Hardened (Pattern 923) – $111,000
The “substitute Karambit,” the Talon Knife Blue Gem, is another knife worth over $100,000.
The Talon Knife has become a prominent knife choice thanks to its addicting pull-out animation and compact design. It is also a top choice for Blue Gems as its blade is relatively small, making it easier to get full-blue playsides, which is precisely what the pattern #923 offers.
This Talon Knife was sold on the Chinese marketplace, BUFF163, in May 2023. It comes in Minimal Wear condition and a float value of 0.0826, which is very decent. The deal was closed at 770,000 RMB, which is around $111,000.
It was later revealed that popular YouTuber and content creator Anomaly purchased this skin. Spending over $100,000 for this Talon Knife already sounds insane, but wait until you see the #1 knife on this list!
#3 Karambit | Case Hardened (Pattern 387) – $118,000
We are finally getting to the God of Blue Gems, which is none other than the Karambit, the most popular knife in the game. There are a handful of Tier 1 Karambit Blue Gem patterns, but #387 is easily the number one.
The story behind this $118,000 deal was also fascinating. It was unboxed by someone who has only been playing Counter-Strike for three days. Thankfully, he did not make the mistake of selling it for market price, as he had friends who told him he pulled something incredible.
An unboxing like this naturally made waves in the community, and reputable people began telling him an estimate of how much the knife was worth so he wouldn’t get scammed. Influential people were also offering to middleman the transaction to ensure the deal goes smoothly.
In the end, it was sold for $118,000 in September 2023, which is a relatively solid deal considering the knife was in Field-Tested condition. The unboxer revealed he is in the military and has decided to put some cash in the game. He is planning to save all the money for when his service ends.
#2 Karambit | Case Hardened (Pattern 387) – $169,000
Another Karambit Blue Gem with the #387 was unboxed a few months before the last one we just covered. There isn’t too much of a story on this sale, as it was done within the Chinese community.
This Karambit | Case Hardened was also in Field-Tested condition but had a better float value than the previous case. In July 2023, it was sold to a Chinese collector for $169,000.
There were debates where people thought it was sold for too cheap. Still, there were many price estimates of $150,000 on Field-Tested versions of the #387 pattern, so the seller probably got a good deal out of this.
However, a trader named neal commented that he was just about to offer $170,000 and possibly engage in a bidding war, but the knife was quickly sold.
#1 Talon Knife | Case Hardened (Pattern 923) – $224,000
The most expensive knife sold might surprise you, as it isn’t a Karambit Blue Gem but another Talon Knife with the #923 pattern. However, this sale is really insane.
At number four, we discussed a Minimal Wear version of the same pattern selling for $111,000, so what made this one sell for double the price?
The Talon Knife we are talking about is the number one lowest float for the #923 pattern, meaning it is the absolute best Talon Knife Blue Gem you can possibly get in the game, even though it is still in Minimal Wear condition.
Same with real-world items, having the #1 of something is an incredible flex, and when you’re as rich as some of these Counter-Strike traders, an extra $100,000 is not a hefty price to pay.
This Talon Knife Blue Gem is genuinely one of the most fabulous skins in the game, and once you’ve seen it, it will be understandable why someone would pay over $200,000 for it.
Bonus: Karambit | Case Hardened (Pattern 387) – $1,5000,000+ Offer Turned Down
Though the Talon Knife Blue Gem we just covered is the most expensive knife sold, it doesn’t mean it is the most valuable knife in the game.
The most expensive knife, which is also the most expensive skin in the game, is none other than the number one Karambit Blue Gem pattern #387. We could not include it in the official list because it was never sold.
This beauty’s owner is a relatively private Chinese skin collector who is not involved in many trades. He has kept the knife for over six years already.
Popular YouTuber and trader ohnePixel relayed a message to him where a trader wanted to offer 1.2 million Euros in Bitcoin for the knife, which would convert to around $1.5 million. However, the owner said he was not interested and that this offer was “too low.”
So, people are already willing to pay $1.5 million for a bunch of pixels, and yet the person with the knife is saying it is still not enough. The community still wonders how much the owner would take for it to this day.