A Karambit | Fade costs as much as a used car. A Navaja Knife | Fade costs about as much as a couple of dinners. The pattern is the same: the same pink, purple and yellow gradient. The only difference is the knife model.
In CS2 almost every expensive finish has a "budget twin": the same skin on a cheaper model. Here are all the pairs with live prices.
Why the same finish costs 20x more
A knife's price is driven mostly by the model, not the pattern. Karambit and Butterfly are the most popular models: the best inspect animations, everyone wants them. Navaja, Shadow Daggers and Gut Knife are simpler models with lower demand, so the same finish costs a fraction.
In your hands in game, the pattern looks just as good. You only notice the difference in the inspect animation.
All pairs: expensive knife vs cheap twin
| Finish | Expensive model | Price | Cheap twin | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fade | Karambit | $1,556 | Navaja | $89.7 |
| Doppler | Butterfly | $2,028 | Navaja | $97.7 |
| Gamma Doppler | Butterfly | $1,535 | Shadow Daggers | $76.3 |
| Marble Fade | Butterfly | $1,147 | Navaja | $71 |
| Tiger Tooth | Butterfly | $958 | Navaja | $56.6 |
| Slaughter | Butterfly | $1,104 | Navaja | $70.2 |
| Case Hardened | Karambit | $602 | Navaja | $63.7 |
| Crimson Web | Karambit | $547 | Shadow Daggers | $56.1 |
| Lore | Karambit | $459 | Shadow Daggers | $43.3 |
| Autotronic | Karambit | $628 | Shadow Daggers | $40 |
Lowest marketplace prices, updated every few hours.
The best-value twins
Fade. The pink-to-yellow gradient is the most recognizable pattern in the game. A Navaja | Fade is about 17x cheaper than a Karambit | Fade.
Doppler Phase 2. The pink-purple Doppler, the most popular phase. A Navaja for the price of a couple of AK skins.
Tiger Tooth. Golden tiger stripes. On small knives the pattern looks even brighter because the blade is shorter.
Lore. Engraved gold. Shadow Daggers | Lore is the cheapest way to get a "gold" knife.
Which cheap model to pick
- Navaja Knife — a folding knife, the cheapest option for almost any finish. Small, but the pattern on the blade reads well.
- Shadow Daggers — paired knives, two patterned blades in your hands. Great for Lore, Crimson Web and Gamma Doppler.
- Gut Knife and Paracord Knife — a bit pricier than the Navaja, with a longer blade.
More on cheap models in the cheapest CS2 knives. And for gloves, see gloves for Doppler by phase and the cheapest gloves.
Is a Karambit worth the extra money?
If you play and just want a great-looking knife in your hands — no. The twin looks almost the same, and the money you save covers gloves and every gun in the same color.
If you collect or want the knife to hold value — yes. Karambits and Butterflies lose value slower and sell more easily.
Current prices for the items in this article
| Item | From | Field-Tested | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navaja Knife | Fade | $89.7 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Karambit | Fade | $1,556 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Butterfly Knife | Doppler (Phase 2) | $2,028 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Navaja Knife | Doppler (Phase 2) | $97.7 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Butterfly Knife | Tiger Tooth | $958 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Navaja Knife | Tiger Tooth | $56.6 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Karambit | Lore | $459 | $515 | CS.MONEY |
| Shadow Daggers | Lore | $43.3 | $45.2 | CS.MONEY |
| Butterfly Knife | Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) | $1,535 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Shadow Daggers | Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) | $76.3 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Butterfly Knife | Marble Fade | $1,147 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Navaja Knife | Marble Fade | $71 | — | CS.MONEY |
| Butterfly Knife | Slaughter | $1,104 | $1,107 | CS.MONEY |
| Navaja Knife | Slaughter | $70.2 | $73.8 | CS.MONEY |
| Karambit | Case Hardened | $602 | $679 | CS.MONEY |
| Navaja Knife | Case Hardened | $63.7 | $65 | CS.MONEY |
| Karambit | Crimson Web | $547 | $560 | CS.MONEY |
| Shadow Daggers | Crimson Web | $56.1 | $56.1 | CS.MONEY |
| Karambit | Autotronic | $628 | $793 | CS.MONEY |
| Shadow Daggers | Autotronic | $40 | $40 | CS.MONEY |
Lowest price (any wear) and Field-Tested price from Lis-Skins and Skinport, refreshed daily. Buttons are affiliate links: the price for you doesn't change.
